Three Legged Cat Mylo Doesn’t Let His Disability Hold Him Back

His owner Sarah Gooding adopted him from Cats Protection’s Birmingham Adoption Centre in 2018 and believes that #PurrfectlyImperfect cats have so much to give despite their disabilities.

“I was looking at the local Cats Protection website for something for work (I work in charitable fundraising) and decided to have a look at the cats available with a colleague,” said Sarah.

“I’m a sucker for a sad animal story, and when I read the information on the website about how he had lost his leg something just clicked. I was living alone and had recently moved back to the area, and I thought Mylo could be the perfect companion for me, and I could help keep him safe and ensure he had the best possible life.”

Sarah hadn’t owned a cat since she was a child, let alone a disabled moggy, so she was happy to get some expert advice from the Cats Protection team.

“The Cats Protection Birmingham team were fantastic at outlining any further care he would require, which turned out to be little! He’s as naughty as a four-legged feline.

“Because one of his front legs is gone, he still has full use of his rear legs to leap and move around, so he has no trouble moving upstairs or hopping onto furniture.” Bringing him home was the same as bringing any other cat home.

“The main thing the staff pointed out was that I would need to monitor his weight, as being overweight could put a lot of extra pressure on his joints as it would be spread over only three legs.

“The staff also advised that he was very shy. He hadn’t come out of his kitty castle much during his stay at Cats Protection, and would never go up into the display area of his pen, so I’d had to crawl in on my hands on knees when I went to see him! However, the day I took him home he curled up on the sofa next to me, but his head on my lap, and went to sleep!”

It didn’t take long for Mylo to settle into his forever home and he soon started to discover some new favourite hobbies.

“Mylo’s favourite thing to do throughout the summer has been to visit our neighbour’s garden which has a big buddleia bush and LOTS of butterflies. We didn’t know this until our neighbour came round to let us know – luckily he hasn’t been up to any mischief and our neighbour seems to have quite enjoyed watching him chase the butterflies!

“He likes to watch videos for cats on YouTube or, as we call it, ‘Catflix’. His favourite is a Harry Potter-themed quidditch video where he tries to catch the golden snitch on the screen!

“Mylo also has a phenomenal sense of time and our daily routine. He’s figured out how to tell when we’re about to go to bed, and he always gets up and races up the stairs ahead of us, jumping on the bed before we even get there. That is something he does every night without fail.

“Even if my boyfriend has been downstairs first, he won’t come downstairs till I do in the morning. He is at my side all morning, waking up next to the bed, lying next to me as I get dressed, and even walking down the stairs with me. My spouse has usually already put his food out and called him, but he refuses to go downstairs until I do.”

Even a nationwide lockdown hasn’t phased lovely Mylo, as he’s still been as active as ever throughout 2020.

“Mylo is able to go out just like any normal cat, but he’s certainly made the most of us being at home, as he has been coming home every 2-3 hours for a snack and a fuss before going out again.

“I do worry that he might find it strange when we go back to work, as having us both at home has certainly changed his routine, but I have found that he adjusts to changes in his surroundings amazingly well, especially given all he has been through in his short life so far!”

Mylo has certainly proved that life on three legs can still be full of fun for a cat, and Sarah is keen for other potential cat owners to give a #PurrfectlyImperfect cat like Mylo a chance.

“It’s just like owning an able-bodied cat! Just like all cats, Mylo can be aloof when he wants to, but most of the time he’s very loving and I put this down to the experiences he’s been through, and the time he’s spent without a home. Other than keeping an eye on his weight, he has no additional needs to a ‘normal’ cat.

“The staff at Cats Protection were great at preparing me for what disabled cat ownership might look like, and really prepared me for the worst. The only thing is keeping an eye on his weight can be hard when he sits next to the treats cupboard and gives you ‘the look’!”