CLARENCE THE THREE-LEGGED KITTEN, Part 2
Click the link to read Part 1: In Foster.
Clarence was shocked to find out he no longer had a back leg. I’ve rarely seen cats react with that sort of complete panic. It’s usually caused by a loud noise such as fireworks or something unexpectedly crashing to the ground. This was different. This was Clarence’s own private terror.
Once I got him back in his kennel, he curled into a tight ball. I petted him, and he relaxed quickly. Then I turned out the light, leaving only the natural glow from the window, and left him to rest. When I returned a few hours later with his dinner, he was perky and ready to go.
Lifting him from the kennel to the floor once more, I set him down near his bowl. I kept my hands where I could catch him if he fell, but this time, without a moment’s hesitation, he scooted on all-threes up to the food and began to eat.
I watched him enjoy his dinner, then sat down to see what would happen when he finished. Would he again be disoriented by his lost leg?
He ate a good portion of his meal, then turned and walked in his funny hunched gate to his floor pillow by the scratching post. He carefully got in, curled in a circle, fluffed his tail so it lay just right, and gave me a love blink. No panic or disorientation whatsoever. Clarence was already learning how to navigate a three-legged life.
To be continued…
Sleepy kitten.
