Life on three limbs doesn’t slow down kitten

Norbert came to Best Friends missing part of his back leg, but time in a foster home and surgery helped the kitten seize the moment (and the curtains) without missing a beat.

By Nicole Hamilton

March 23, 2022

Leopards (stuffed ones, that is) have nothing on Norbert, a kitten who loves to leap into the air like an Olympic gymnast. Chasing is a sport to him, too, and anything is fair game, whether it’s a toy, a shadow or his very own tail. You could say that Norbert is a lot like other kittens, except for one thing: He does it all on three legs.

Norbert was missing part of his hind leg when he landed at a local shelter and eventually transferred to Best Friends in Salt Lake City, where the team cleaned up his limb and started him on antibiotics. Then he went to stay with a foster family and was able to play to his heart’s content until he was big enough to come back to Best Friends for leg amputation surgery, which would make it easier for him to get around.

Norbert handled the surgery like a champ. Back at his foster home, he took a little time to heal (although to be frank, he was not a fan of wearing his post-surgery cone). Then, it was on to the high-energy life of a young kitten. His foster family members loved him so much that they adopted him. These days, nothing slows Norbert down, except maybe chin scratches and treats.