The Tripawds Foundation ASAP grant #32 goes to Tripawds member kdremann to help pay for tri-kitty Athena’s cat leg amputation surgery. Read on for her story, and learn more about the Tripawds Amputation Surgery Assistance Program to see if you qualify for pet amputation financial assistance.
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Athena’s Cat Leg Amputation Story
Athena Rose was a gift to me from my sister after her cat, Cricket, gave birth to Athena and her siblings. As a kitten, Athena was originally given the name Rose by my niece and kept Rose in her name as a tribute to Cassie. She was renamed to Athena after the goddess of wisdom and intelligence since she would be going with me to grad school the following year.
For three years, Athena and I have been a package deal. We moved from Ohio to North Carolina together and she accompanies me on each trip home and back. I watched her grow from a tiny, timid kitten who enjoyed sitting on my shoulder, to a spunky, sassy cat that won’t hesitate to make her presence known. She regularly meows back if you talk to her as if she is having a real conversation with you and enjoys being around people much more than the typical cat. She’s not afraid to act like she should be treated like the goddess she is named after, even if that means waking me up at 5:00am for food each morning and never deterring until I give in. She demands attention and to be played with, cutely carrying around her favorite toy, a blue bird we have affectionately named Timmy. Unbeknownst to her, we are on Timmy III. She likes to keep me up late playing and bounding around my bedroom, just to wake me up early and then sleep all through the day.
Shortly after we moved to North Carolina, my health declined rapidly, resulting in multiple diagnoses in under six months. I would be bedridden for days and on multiple medications and immune suppressants. Athena has been a major part of my support system. As a very active cat, on my worst days, she would not leave my side, choosing to cuddle with me and provide comfort rather than play or explore our apartment. I can’t imagine my life without her and despite my own high medical expenses, there is little I would do to help my fur baby.
In early November, Athena tumbled off of my bed after biting my foot. Honestly, to this day, we are not sure what happened. Maybe I accidentally kicked her in my sleep or maybe the sudden bite caused me to twitch, scaring her and she stumbled. Maybe I had nothing to do with it and her leg got caught in a blanket as she tried to jump off the bed. Regardless, she ended up with multiple fractures in her rear right leg, several microfractures, torn tissues, dislocated joints, and a swollen hip. She had surgery to stabilize and reconstruct her leg, which was then placed in a splint and cast until late January. She was confined to a pen for these three months, something she detested greatly. She was finally released from all restrictions mid-February and was basically back to her normal, adventurous self for nearly a month. I ended up having to take her back to the emergency vet office on March 12th, after she started limping and crying while playing. She was diagnosed with right hook instability, with the conclusion that her cat leg amputation would be best for quality of life at this point. There were other options, but the instability would be a recurring issue the rest of her life. She had surgery to amputate her leg on March 16th and came home the next day. She was once again restricted in her pen for a week and a half unless being supervised. She slowly discovered how to best adjust to her new situation.
In a lot of ways, Athena has been handling her cat leg amputation much how I handle my own health problems. She is very much my furbaby in that sense. Before her surgery, I did extensive research on post-amputation care and recovery. I was worried about her being depressed or unable to use her litterbox. She surpassed all my immediate expectations and fully blew past any worry I had. She started walking the next day and climbing small steps a few days later. Just last night, she ran across the room after a toy, not even often two weeks after her amputation. Her resiliency is remarkable.
Yet, Athena isn’t the same cat she was two weeks ago. The spark of mischief in her eyes is missing and she spends a lot more time sleeping instead of playing. As much as she may be adjusting really well, these changes are hard for me more than her. She’s still her happy self and now she isn’t in pain, which is ultimately what matters the most.
~ Kelly & Athena (aka: kdremann)
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