logo
ENع
#

Latest news with #ChristineKoltun

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

Daily Mail​

time28-05-2025

  • General
  • Daily Mail​

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

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.

Edmonton six-legged cat on the mend after surgery
Edmonton six-legged cat on the mend after surgery

CBC

time15-05-2025

  • Entertainment
  • CBC

Edmonton six-legged cat on the mend after surgery

Bitsy the cat was born with nine lives, six legs and one loving heart. Christine Koltun says the one-year-old cat is well on her way to having a new lease on life after a recent surgery to remove three of the legs. "I'm just so happy for her," said Koltun, the founder and executive director of the Edmonton-based cat rescue Furget Me Not. "Very grateful that we could help her." Koltun said her organization met Bitsy, named after the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" nursery rhyme, after staff got an email last month about a stray cat with extra legs growing out of her side. Koltun was baffled. She had seen cats with paws like lobster claws and "vampire kitties" breaking out in sores in the sun, she said, but never a feline with extra limbs. "There's no way that there's a cat with extra legs. Cats only have four legs," she said. "Then I got the pictures and went, 'Oh, my God! This cat has extra legs."' Koltun sprang into action. She brought the cat home and almost immediately realized that Bitsy was an affectionate, extremely loving and people-oriented kitty. When Edmontonian Christine Koltun received an email about a stray cat with six legs, she almost couldn't believe what she was reading. She is the founder of an Edmonton-based cat rescue called Furget Me Not. As it turned out, Bitsy absorbed a littermate while she was in the womb, gaining two extra legs and a second pelvis that grew as she did. One of the main four legs didn't work and also needed to be removed. At first, Koltun said, she wasn't sure if Bitsy could be helped. "I had a little bit of a cry when I first brought her in. Because it was just so overwhelming thinking, 'Where is this going to take us? Will we be able to help her? Will we be able to fix this?"' Veterinarians at Windermere Veterinary Hospital took X-rays and determined surgery would significantly improve the cat's quality of life. After a procedure that took a little more than two hours, Koltun said Bitsy is recovering well. "Within less than a day, Betsy was up using the litterbox, drinking the water all by herself. So we really couldn't have asked for a better outcome," she said. Bitsy still has stitches and is taking some pain medicine but is slowly being weaned off, Koltun added. She said a staff member at the vet clinic has been fostering the feline and may keep her.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store