Another Tri-Paw'd Cat

Handsome Guacamole  (KN)

In the last year or so, we’ve seen more three-legged cats come into our care than I remember through all the years before...  In the Front Courtyard we still have floofy orange Marmalade (missing back leg) and tuxedo Chutney (missing front leg).  Both are inhabitants of the Old Rabbit Area, the favourite base of the feral cats, and both are very wary about contact with humans, though they like to be around when tidbits are being offered.  

Front Courtyard tri-paw'd cats Chutney and Marmalade  (BC)

I have managed to persuade Chutney to accept food from my hand, but she prefers to keep her distance. Marmalade only allows Lisa to touch her, and black Wasabi, who is still very spooked by being here, is not into human contact at all.  Another Front Courtyard tripod was not with us long – sweet Jelly was shy in her cage, but blossomed into a flirt when released.  She relocated herself to the Hill House, placing herself in one of the tabletop beds, conveniently within reach, where she wiggled her way into her adopter’s heart, and found her own home. We miss you, Jelly, but we’re so happy for you!

Jelly (BC) and Trooper (BB) - now happily adopted

In the fall, volunteer Brit introduced Trooper on the blog – our brave boy who came all the way from Saskatchewan with a paw mangled by a leg-trap. Trooper made himself totally at home with the FIV cats in New Aids, and has become a lap-cat with visitors and volunteers alike. He stole someone’s heart to the point of being adopted – we will miss him, but are delighted for him.

Guacamole exploring around the back of Pen 8  (BC)

While preparing a blog early last fall about a trio of black cats in the Back Courtyard, I encountered a longhaired black boy moving slightly clumsily – and realized that this was yet another tri-paw’d cat. Like the two Front Courtyard cats above, he was wary of attention, but proved to be willing to stay around and be admired, though he was not yet ready for actual contact.  FIV+ Trooper came to us already tame and named – but the other amputees had no names when they arrived. Marmalade had been an obvious name for our orange girl, and the med staff decided to stay with the food theme for our incoming tripods, so this black boy was called Guacamole.

Guacamole (BC)

He’s a cat whose rescue was assisted by social media; Lisa tells me that he had been spotted by someone over a period of some months, but since this was Surrey and there are lots of feral cats to be found, they just assumed he was another feral.  But coming back after a visit away, they noticed that he was limping badly, and put out a Facebook call to get help for him. This is exactly the sort of thing that spurs Ken and Lisa into action; they set traps, got him in, and immediately discovered that he was seriously in need of medical care, with one paw off – perhaps caught in some sort of leghold trap – and an infected leg.  No Sanctuary stop for this boy – he went straight to the hospital for an amputation. 

Yes, I'm happy to accept petting!   (BC)

We suspect that Guacamole is in fact a stray rather than a feral; he had all the hissy wariness that tends us label a cat as a feral, but in the last six months he has gone from hiding behind Pen 8, to lolling around the courtyard even when humans are at hand. He’s not part of the chickaholic crowd, like Sylar and Pumpkin – he prefers crunchy treats to chicken – but is obviously drawn to the socializing that happens at those times.  He now allows petting when he is relaxing in one of the courtyard patio chairs – and not just the odd touch: he accepts full-body pets, and wriggles happily. 

Lindor on the table and Guacamole on the chair:
both hoping for treats!  (BC)

I find it interesting how cats react to their disabilities.  Marmalade is a chonky little girl, and a rear amputation has taken time for her to get used to; she’s not as active as front-amputee Chutney, though she can move when she needs to.  But Jelly was a rear-amputee too, and very active from the start.  I think front-amputee Trooper has had a slightly harder time of it, since it was his paw that was taken, but there was a good bit of upper leg left. You could see that he had to compensate for the movement of the affected limb. Wasabi has the same problem.  

Under the table is a favourite space  (KN)

Guacamole’s back paw was gone, and the surgeon amputated his whole leg – I assume because of infection – and he has quickly learned to balance himself;  he can keep up with most of the other cats, and can run and jump with ease.

Relaxed and enjoying the dappled sunlight (BC)

The Kitty Comforters have a constantly-updated list of Cats Who Need Attention, from Anne, the KC Coordinator.  I was so pleased to see Guacamole lead off on her recent Back Courtyard list;  the more he learns that humans are not to be feared, the better. Sadly, black cats are easy for people to overlook, and I hope that he will become comfortable enough with us that he might start interacting with our weekend visitors as well as the volunteers who know him and love him.

Blog by Brigid Coult
Photos by Brit Burant (Trooper),Brigid Coult & Karen Nicholson