If a cat (or any similar quadruped) was to lose a limb, would it be better able to adapt to losing a back leg, or a front leg? Back legs seem to be more powerful, so perhaps one could compensate for the loss of the other, whereas front legs seem to be used more in balance, and I think they're also weaker. What do you think?
2006-09-27 00:26:23 · 26 answers · asked by Ennk 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
15 years ago i found a cat that was caught in a rabbit snare. I took it to the vet and he had to amputate almost the whole leg. He told us that it was lucky that it was its back leg that was mangled, as animals find it so much easier to adapt to losing a back limb than a front one.
The cat took a fair amount of time to heal...it had obviously been in the snare for some time, it was half starved and very, very weak. The nice ending of this is that i took it home to my mum (i worked and lived in a hotel, so i could not keep it myself) and she had him for many years.
2006-09-27 03:53:21 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
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2017-01-22 12:55:35 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I hope you don't have a sick cat, but to answer your question I would say the back leg, because of the balance issue, they would probably be better off than losing a front leg. One of my friends had a cat that lost a back leg by an accident, he adapted very well, I have also seen dogs with only three legs, missing the back one.
2006-09-27 00:39:45 · answer #3 · answered by spiritcavegrl 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've seen a cat that lost a left back leg and a right front leg and was still able to walk and run. In any case you'll have to ask your cat that. By the way, why are you wanting to take one of your cats legs off for?
2006-09-27 01:34:00 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its true, the back leg is more powerful and lower centre of gravity. One of ours lost hers and she's just fine on her three legs. Our vet told us they can do very well on three legs, whether she's lost a front or a back, but the back is less tiring, but even then the muscles will build up in the chest area over time. When she runs you really cant see the difference, but I can't imagine the same speed with a front leg missing. Whichever is missing though, they adapt very well and lead happy lives all else being well.
2006-09-27 00:38:27 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I used to work in an animal sanctuary, and a couple of 3 legged cats came in. The cats had either one of their front legs amputated or one of their back ones.
I found that they all adapted very well to their condition, but it was a little bit tougher on the cats with only one front leg especially when bending down to eat.
2006-09-27 00:34:59 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I was watching something on animal planet once that at least for a horse it was worse for them to have an injury on a front leg than a back leg because at least a horse maybe other animals too support most of their weight on their front legs.
2006-09-27 01:55:47 · answer #7 · answered by macleod709 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If a cat loses a back leg they would be ok. If it lost a front leg it would not be able to stand.
2006-09-27 00:34:39 · answer #8 · answered by Tabbyfur aka patchy puss 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I always thought the back leg would be worse. However, I had to have one of my cats back leg amputated because of bone cancer. She gets along great. You'd never know that she just has 3 legs. She doesn't act like it and you have to look really close to see that she is missing a back leg.
2006-09-27 18:17:44 · answer #9 · answered by Karen H 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are right, power in the back, without a front leg it might not to be able to move forward, might adapt though, dogs do
2006-09-27 01:17:34 · answer #10 · answered by airpolicejohn 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋