This Boots was made for Cirque du Soleil
June 2, 2014 11:24 AM Subscribe
Double amputee Boots the cat walks down the stairs on her front paws.
Article from the Daily Mail.
Boots' orthopedic support provided by OrthoPets.
Article from the Daily Mail.
Boots' orthopedic support provided by OrthoPets.
I like the way the other cat sort of pulls back and gives a little head shake to express disbelief.
posted by GenjiandProust at 12:16 PM on June 2, 2014
posted by GenjiandProust at 12:16 PM on June 2, 2014
I understand that people love their pets, but I have to wonder whether it's really pretty cruel to do that to an animal. Rather than leaving it profoundly crippled like that, wouldn't it be better to put it down?
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 12:18 PM on June 2, 2014
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 12:18 PM on June 2, 2014
Yea-he-he-he-he-he-he-heah!
posted by orme at 12:22 PM on June 2, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by orme at 12:22 PM on June 2, 2014 [2 favorites]
Chocolate Pickle: Disabled animals are surprisingly resilient. There's countless stories out there of three legged dogs and cats behaving just as dogs and cats with four legs typically do. If the animal is not in pain and can otherwise lead a quality life, there's no reason to put them down.
posted by royalsong at 12:30 PM on June 2, 2014 [9 favorites]
posted by royalsong at 12:30 PM on June 2, 2014 [9 favorites]
Pig like that you don't eat all at once.
posted by maryr at 12:33 PM on June 2, 2014 [8 favorites]
posted by maryr at 12:33 PM on June 2, 2014 [8 favorites]
Chocolate Pickle: Our much missed "Truman" AKA "Tri-paws" had a crippled front leg. He did just fine.
posted by cosmac at 12:52 PM on June 2, 2014
posted by cosmac at 12:52 PM on June 2, 2014
She took off like a rocket!
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 12:54 PM on June 2, 2014
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 12:54 PM on June 2, 2014
Good for Boots!
I once knew a three-legged cat called Tripod. He had lost a back leg in an accident as a kitten, and to get around, developed a way of pushing off with his one back leg that wound up looking sort of like a bunny hop. He wasn't the fastest cat afoot, nor was he much of a climber, but otherwise he seemed very happy and did all the usual cat things.
posted by Nat "King" Cole Porter Wagoner at 1:15 PM on June 2, 2014
I once knew a three-legged cat called Tripod. He had lost a back leg in an accident as a kitten, and to get around, developed a way of pushing off with his one back leg that wound up looking sort of like a bunny hop. He wasn't the fastest cat afoot, nor was he much of a climber, but otherwise he seemed very happy and did all the usual cat things.
posted by Nat "King" Cole Porter Wagoner at 1:15 PM on June 2, 2014
I can sort of see the argument that an animal shelter paying $6000 for cat prosthetic legs is possibly a poor use of resources, but on the other hand they could probably make half of it if they just put on enough youtube videos with ads.
posted by jeather at 1:50 PM on June 2, 2014
posted by jeather at 1:50 PM on June 2, 2014
otherwise he seemed very happy and did all the usual cat things.
AKA plotting the destruction of human civilization and the rise of the dominion of the cat
posted by potsmokinghippieoverlord at 1:50 PM on June 2, 2014 [3 favorites]
AKA plotting the destruction of human civilization and the rise of the dominion of the cat
posted by potsmokinghippieoverlord at 1:50 PM on June 2, 2014 [3 favorites]
Rather than leaving it profoundly crippled like that ...
How many legs does a three-legged dog have? Plenty. He has plenty of legs.
Somebody needs to sit down with this cat and explain that it should rightly be miserable and suicidal.
posted by Flexagon at 2:18 PM on June 2, 2014 [8 favorites]
How many legs does a three-legged dog have? Plenty. He has plenty of legs.
Somebody needs to sit down with this cat and explain that it should rightly be miserable and suicidal.
posted by Flexagon at 2:18 PM on June 2, 2014 [8 favorites]
Disabled animals are surprisingly resilient.
Growing up one of our cats (black and white, named Pins) decided to chase some birds that were on the backyard power lines. He climbed the pole, wandered out onto the wires and managed to electrocute himself. He was in bad shape when found. He had burnt off a piece of his ear and one of his back legs was pretty fried too. The points of contact probably. We made him a bed in the barn and weren't sure he would survive. But he kept on living ... mostly (the leg and ear were both lost causes) so we moved him into the house. It took a couple weeks for him to lick / chew off the dead leg (and dear god did he smell foul ... rotting flesh and what not, I know ... but it was still really bad), anyway, almost immediately after freeing himself from the defunct member, he was good as new and could still climb and run and remained an outstanding mouser for years to come.
posted by phoque at 3:10 PM on June 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
Growing up one of our cats (black and white, named Pins) decided to chase some birds that were on the backyard power lines. He climbed the pole, wandered out onto the wires and managed to electrocute himself. He was in bad shape when found. He had burnt off a piece of his ear and one of his back legs was pretty fried too. The points of contact probably. We made him a bed in the barn and weren't sure he would survive. But he kept on living ... mostly (the leg and ear were both lost causes) so we moved him into the house. It took a couple weeks for him to lick / chew off the dead leg (and dear god did he smell foul ... rotting flesh and what not, I know ... but it was still really bad), anyway, almost immediately after freeing himself from the defunct member, he was good as new and could still climb and run and remained an outstanding mouser for years to come.
posted by phoque at 3:10 PM on June 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
I understand that people love their pets, but I have to wonder whether it's really pretty cruel to do that to an animal. Rather than leaving it profoundly crippled like that, wouldn't it be better to put it down?
My friends cat got a weird infection from like... scraping on a metal doorframe, or something, and had to have a front leg and some other bits amputated.
He took a while to recover, but her other cat and her boyfriends cat loved to bully him. Now he beats the shit out of both of them whenever they start at it with his one remaining front paw, which is now attached to a really buff leg. Oh, and he's still REALLY fast too.
It's like arm wrestling the guy with an eye patch at the shady roadhouse bar. You just don't do it.
So yea, that cat seems pretty alright.
posted by emptythought at 3:51 PM on June 2, 2014 [4 favorites]
My friends cat got a weird infection from like... scraping on a metal doorframe, or something, and had to have a front leg and some other bits amputated.
He took a while to recover, but her other cat and her boyfriends cat loved to bully him. Now he beats the shit out of both of them whenever they start at it with his one remaining front paw, which is now attached to a really buff leg. Oh, and he's still REALLY fast too.
It's like arm wrestling the guy with an eye patch at the shady roadhouse bar. You just don't do it.
So yea, that cat seems pretty alright.
posted by emptythought at 3:51 PM on June 2, 2014 [4 favorites]
At least think of all the use in heartwarming music videos.
posted by yoHighness at 4:13 PM on June 2, 2014
posted by yoHighness at 4:13 PM on June 2, 2014
Reminds me of this video of a two-legged dog romping on the beach.
posted by Mental Wimp at 4:55 PM on June 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Mental Wimp at 4:55 PM on June 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
That cat has the heart of a champion!
posted by Perfectibilist at 6:25 PM on June 2, 2014
posted by Perfectibilist at 6:25 PM on June 2, 2014
It took a couple weeks for him to lick / chew off the dead leg
wat
posted by stinkfoot at 6:27 PM on June 2, 2014 [5 favorites]
wat
posted by stinkfoot at 6:27 PM on June 2, 2014 [5 favorites]
wat
Well I was just illustrating resilience. Also it was just the lower half of the leg, not at the hip. So maybe it sounded worse than it was. He was pretty steadfast in his work, didn't complain, so we kept him clean and warm and hydrated and he did what needed doing. The licking/chewing was his method. He would lick a lot then chew a little and lick some more. I was 7 or 8 years old at the time and really liked the cats but they were never allowed in the house, so it was special and I spent a lot of time with him as he recovered.
posted by phoque at 7:10 PM on June 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
Well I was just illustrating resilience. Also it was just the lower half of the leg, not at the hip. So maybe it sounded worse than it was. He was pretty steadfast in his work, didn't complain, so we kept him clean and warm and hydrated and he did what needed doing. The licking/chewing was his method. He would lick a lot then chew a little and lick some more. I was 7 or 8 years old at the time and really liked the cats but they were never allowed in the house, so it was special and I spent a lot of time with him as he recovered.
posted by phoque at 7:10 PM on June 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
Good God, Phoque, were there no vets in your timeline?
Or are you just phoquing with us? (Sorry, couldn't resist.)
posted by lollusc at 7:16 PM on June 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
Or are you just phoquing with us? (Sorry, couldn't resist.)
posted by lollusc at 7:16 PM on June 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
Vets ... no, he was a barn cat, either they survive or they don't. They aren't really pets and many don't get names, they need to prove themselves useful first.
posted by phoque at 7:28 PM on June 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by phoque at 7:28 PM on June 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
It's hard out there for a barn cat...
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 8:07 PM on June 2, 2014
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 8:07 PM on June 2, 2014
My vet likes to say that dogs and cats have three legs and a spare. Boots the Cat apparently had two spares.
posted by workerant at 2:32 AM on June 3, 2014
posted by workerant at 2:32 AM on June 3, 2014
« Older “It is the year 2001. You’re on your way to a... | The search for psychology's lost boy Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by Kitteh at 11:43 AM on June 2, 2014 [8 favorites]