Cat is born with six LEGS after absorbing her twin in utero

Daily Mail​

28-05-2025

Vets in Canada were in for a surprise after a one-year-old stray cat arrived at their clinic - with six legs.
The cat, later named Bitsy, was brought in to the Furget Me Not Animal Rescue in Edmonton, Alberta in April 2025.
Upon investigation, the rescue team found Bitsy had two additional limbs protruding from her back end, totaling six legs.
'When [the rescuer] mentioned the cat had extra legs growing out of its side, my immediate thought was 'that isn't possible,'' said Christine Koltun, the rescue's founder and executive director.
Vets believe that Bitsy's extra legs came from a twin, who she had absorbed in utero.
Unfortunately, three of her legs were non-functional, causing Bitsy discomfort and hindering her mobility.
'Simple tasks like positioning her limbs to be able to reach a food dish were challenging,' Ms Koltun explained.
To alleviate her pain, Bitsy underwent surgery to amputate the non-functional limbs and a partial pelvis.
Despite her unusual appearance, Bitsy was gentle and friendly when she arrived at the rescue centre, indicating she had been cared for previously.
'She was quite dirty and had sores on three of her six legs,' Ms Koltun noted.
'Fortunately, she was incredibly sweet and gentle, which confirmed that she was definitely not a feral cat.'
Vets at Windermere Veterinary Hospital spent two hours operating on Bitsy.
'The extra legs were attached to one of her back legs by an extra partial pelvis that had also not been absorbed, so we had to amputate the two extra limbs and the back leg to ensure the best quality of life for Bitsy,' said Mackenzie Sawatzky, Windermere's office manager, and Bitsy's new owner.
Post-surgery, the cat showed remarkable improvement, moving freely and resting comfortably for the first time.
'She had been unable to lie down properly pre-op; she had to splay her legs out to the sides like a spider,' Ms Koltun said.
'Knowing she could lie in a cat bed comfortably for the first time in her life was extremely moving.
Post-surgery, the cat showed remarkable improvement, moving freely and resting comfortably for the first time
'Losing the dead weight put a spring in her step almost immediately.'
Moved by Bitsy's resilience, Ms Sawatzky adopted her.
'Bitsy has recovered beautifully,' she said.
'She is doing fantastic. She has been running and playing. She's able to jump up on our couch and tables.
'She has taken to having 3 legs so easily. I think she's just so happy to be free of pain that it has made her adjustment that much easier.'
'Had Bitsy not been rescued, who knows what her story could have been. She has been given such an incredible second chance at life because of Furget Me Not Animal Rescue.'
Cats are often branded aloof and solitary creatures who spend their days plotting their human owner's demise, but such characterisations could not be further from the truth.
In fact, our feline friends constantly communicate their feelings of affection to us, whether it be through their whiskers, tail, face or body language.
In her eye-opening new book Kitty Language: An Illustrated Guide to Understanding Your Cat, author Lili Chin - with the help of animal behaviourists - explains how to interpret your pet's movements.
Below are some of the most common behaviours and what they could signal.