Special Needs Pets

About Oreo…my little no pawed wonder.

I have a cat with NO PAWS and half a tail! Yes, this is true! My parents live out in the country in KS, and around February of 2007, they came across a kitten that had been hanging around the house. Much to everyone’s surprise, when they went to pick it up, well, the little fellow had no paws. There had recently been an ice storm, so he must have gotten some very bad frost bite!

Poor little guy had quite an appetite and when everyone realized that this kitten was by no means sick, well, my mother kept the cat and cleaned it’s ‘stubs’ everyday, and before too long, he was healed!

It soon came to our attention that litter training him was going to be a task. My Mom at the time had a lot on her plate, so I offered to take the cat, and he’s been here with me in Lincoln, Nebraska ever since. Oreo doesn’t ever try to walk on tiled or hard floors. He either slides or I’m sure it’s not very comfortable, so he stays on carpet only. Luckily, my apt. is full of carpet so he’s got lots of room to move around. Litter training him was the HARDEST(and sometimes STILL is) task ever! Lots of experimentation led me to finally use a cardboard box I sort of ‘rigged’ up; with the bottom being flat so that Oreo could easily get inside. He also cannot use kitty litter because, well, it’s kind of rough on him. I have lined my concoction with plastic bags and go through what I call my “kitty towels” to place on top. I know, I know… lol, this sounds so “ghetto”, but HA ha.. It works!? Poor Oreo cannot climb over things, there fore the use of a regular kitty litter box is completely out of the question. At one time, I experimented with guinea pig bedding for him to use instead of kitty litter, but it became such a mess at times, that I decided against it.

Oreo is A LOT of work, but I still think he’s got to be the cutest cat ever. He has to even get baths sometimes because the poor little guy will sometimes fall back into his own poop. Sigh, but he always puts a smile on my face. Most of the time when he sleeps, he’ll sleep on his back, and if you can just imagine a no pawed cat with all his stubs spread out, well, he reminds me of a little star.

Oreo IS my star.
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OREO HAS HIS OWN MYSPACE PAGE!! PLEASE VISIT AT: www.myspace.com/oreo_stubs

Also, if ANYONE has any advice AT ALL on my problems of Oreo going to the bathroom where he is supposed to go, please feel free to let me know!!! I know cats also are attracted to the smells... and I have scrubbed and scrubbed(at least I hope)... all the areas where he has gone to the bathroom!!!! I how I wish I could just get my carpets professionally cleaned, but I do not have the money for that and I have even bought the expensive carpet cleaning stuff made especially for pet messes. I also have another cat, who uses his regular litter box and does not have any problems.