My cat has had his leg amputated - any advice on how to help him once he gets home?

[ApocalypseMeow]

Hi there, have looked at this topic for advice but never posted before. On Thursday morning my beautiful boy arrived home with a horrific injury (that I wish I could unsee ) and I had to take the hard decision to have one of his front legs amputated. The vet recommend this as the alternative quite probably wouldn't work and would have required months of surgeries and skin grafts so the kinder option was amputation. We are not sure what happened, it could have been a car accident or an animal attack, I don't know how my brave boy got home to me, it must have been a slow and painful journey and I feel so guilty that he had to suffer that and I wasn't there for him.
He also had to have an operation to pin a small fracture in his hip so is in a bad way. I am devastated this has happened to my dear, sweet and gentle boy. The vet hopes I may get him home next Tuesday if he is able to move to get to the toilet, he can't at the moment but it is early days.
I wondered if anyone has any experience of caring for a cat after amputation or any other major surgery? I want to give him the best care possible, I'm sure the vet will give me instructions but other people's experiences will hopefully be reassuring.
Sorry for the essay, so many thoughts going through my mind just now.

Our boy lost a back leg about 10 years ago (also broke his pelvis). He was supposed to have cage rest for 6 weeks but went completely berserk in it so was confined to the bathroom instead (smallest room with least to jump around in). He's been completely fine ever since and just hops around, jumps over the fence and carries on like normal.

What a lovely handsome boy hooked, my boy is ginger too . I think he might be unhappy in the cage as well, he is a friendly soul who likes being with his family but he also likes time on his own to look out the window or go on little adventures. Great to hear that there is still jumping going on too!

He is a lovely boy. Only thing he can't do is scratch his right ear. So we have to for him.
Hope your boy is recovered soon.

So the vet has said he is currently incontinent? Is it just that he can't move to get to the tray? In that case you would be better off putting puppy training pads or even disposable nappies on top of his bedding so you can just keep changing it as necessary.

Hooked, Eponine is the same, she comes to us for her scratchy time

I got him home about an hour ago. I think it's more that he is having trouble moving to the litter tray thecat. He had some success at home though. He watched me cutting a box down low so he could use that and got quite agitated when I poured litter in it. He just about dived on it when I put it in his cage and he managed to go with only a little mess. Think he was desperate! I have replaced it with a flat tray you would eat your dinner on as the slight edge on the box was hard for him. So it's good he is wanting to use a tray. I fed him and he wolfed it down and now he's having a nap. His movement isn't great though, I didn't realise he had a plaster on his back foot which isn't helping. He is limping around and falling a lot

The fact that he has come home eaten and used the loo is great sounds like he is well on the mend .

Poor thing, but he will adjust, and eating and using a tray is good.
Will keep checking for updates.

Sound asleep after being fussed over and hand fed dreamies this is the dressing that is not helping with the walking, think he will do better when it's off. He tends to sleep on the side with the missing leg.

This sounds pretty good, Apocalypse. Has he got yummy pain relief to tide him over?

Oh, he looks snuggly.
He needs lots of fusses and hand feeding, Eponine did too, though not for long as she had to be up and telling the other cats that she was getting to the food first, greedy wee girl.

Best wishes to you and your lovely boy.

Yes that bandage will make it a bit harder for him
it's heavy and obviously restricts flexibility of the joints so I'm. Sure he will he away without it.

glad he is home with you.

it's hard to see them. like that but once recovered he will soon be off. I've seen many tripods put other cats to shame.

He's got a painkiller called metacam, which he has to take once every 24 hours. He doesn't seem to be in too much pain I hope, just very awkward at moving. He meows to me when I'm talking to him though which he doesn't usually do, it's like having a small baby and trying to work out what they want, dreamies seem to solve most requests . I am enjoying spoiling him but I suppose I should encourage him to move a little too. Like Eponine, he likes his food so that will probably be a good motivator when he's ready.
Thanks missmarple

He's absolutely beautiful. A truly stunning ginger gent.

My cat Mr C has metacam, he loves it (but it does make him sick every now and then).

Massive congrats to you for dealing so well with what must have been a pretty nasty shock and to your heroic kitling with the op. Time to relax now....once you've dished out the Dreamies

Thanks corygal, I passed on your compliments to him I think I dealt with everything on adrenaline when it first happened. Definitely feeling more relaxed now he's home. He certainly is a wee hero, he deals with everything so well and remains a lovely friendly chap. He is a cat hospital veteran as he has myelodysplasia which requires regular blood tests and at one point a transfusion and he always takes it in his stride. I hope your Mr C is keeping OK.

What a good looking boy. And nice to see him home.

Hello Apocalpyse, my old tabby boy was an amputee too. He had to have his back leg amputated (and bone grafts in a front one), as well as a toe removed on his front paw after a dreadful traffic accident years ago.

I didn't see it but thankfully I was there when he crawled home and got him to an emergency vet. The shock really hit me hard too.

Anyway, he was six at the time and lived for another happy and healthy 11 years . Was very active - if lazy, and it all healed beautifully. He was able to run and jump (though preferred to sleep) and was totally fine.

We also had to scratch his ear for many years - he just sort of stumped over to us and waited for us to do it .

At the time arnica really helped on his swollen bits where the leg was amputated, and he survived cage rest for about 6 weeks. It was a really positive outcome and I hope your gorgeous ginger chap lives for many happy and healthy years. .

What an absolutely lovely boy, even with his shaved hindquarters he is a very handsome chap. I'm sure he will be happier now he's at home with you. Lovely to hear about all of the other tripod cats who've done so well too.

Believe it or not this is Eponine recently with her son, yes, her son, he is about 10 times bigger than her and even with her three legs and fourteen toes she keeps him in line.

Tripod cats are the best (as are stupid fat tabs, little black cats, tories etc)

Torties, Torties, oh dear god Torties.
NOT tories, that was a bloody awful typo.

so many beautiful cats

What great photos

It's lovely popping back here and seeing such kind messages. Nice to read about more cats that have gone on to have a good life with three legs.
When they come home so broken it is such a heart lurching moment grey Fantastic that your boy recovered and got back to running and jumping. My boy is not managing much movement beyond flopping and he either kind of throws himself where he wants to be or rolls there. Hopefully when his hip is better progress will be faster. He is at the vet tomorrow to get his dressings changed so I will see what they say then.
ihave I can't believe he is Eponines son , he's so big compared to her! He's gorgeous too .

He's so beautiful! The only difference I noticed with my cat was that he's become more homely. He doesn't go far now. The trauma he endured was awful and the man who saved him had to go to hospital for a tetnus shot and have the wounds cleaned. I can't imagine how scared he must have been. Cats are remarkable creatures though, and I got through dreamies with my cat at quite a rate too!