My amputee cat's stump twitches & she's growling. Is she in pain?

It sounds like it's bothering Ava. There is a question if animals feel phantom pain from amputated limps or tails like humans feel phantom pain from amputated limbs. I'd have her checked out by a vet.

I would recommend a veterinary evaluation. Cats often do fine with only 3 legs but there may be another abnormality that could cause pain or problems later on. In some cases it may be recommended to amputate the stump if there are other issues or trauma to leg. Good luck and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Bubba! Without seeing the missing leg in person or a picture it is hard to know what is going on. I worry that there is foreign material or some other source of chronic infection in the stump of the leg. I would take her back to the Vet for an exam. Personally I would X-ray the remaining segments of the leg and consider exploring the stump or removing more of the leg higher up to prevent chronic trauma and infection. Another thought is phantom or chronic nerve pain. Bubba might feel tingling and is self mutilating. Your Vet can try medications for this. I would take Bubba back to your Vet to start figuring this out. I wish you the best of luck!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It does sound like Gizmo is a bit uncomfortable. I’m not sure the extent of his wounds, but there may be some tingling associated with nerve damage or pain if the area was infected. You should not give Gizmo any human pain medication as it may be toxic, and keep a close eye on him for several hours. If the behavior continues, I recommend letting the vet who placed the stitches and bandage know, as additional wound management may be needed.

How do you know he is still feeling pain? Is not bearing weight or is he actively crying out in pain? They will not bear weight but that is usually because the nerves are not working to control the muscles, not from pain. There is always a chance of recovery if the cat is rested (indoors inside a crate or small room with no running, jumping, etc) and taking anti-inflammatories but sometimes they do not regain function of the leg. If after 4-6 weeks the cat has not regained function of the limb then it should be amputated. Here is a link to an article about this problem in cats. Hope this helps. ( https://www.petplace.com/article/cats/pet-health/brachial-plexus-avulsion-in-cats/ )

Ouch, poor Static! Yes, she may have some pain still. I broke my humerus almost 12 years ago, and I remember how painful it was, even after surgery. I had trouble getting comfortable trying to sleep. If she has pain from the broken humerus, it may hurt to put pressure on her paw because it's putting weight on the leg. It does not mean her paw is broken. You can have her vet x-ray the paw to be safe, and talk to the vet to see if any pain medications might be beneficial to her. I hope this helps!

Hello. A properly done tail amputation should have healed in several weeks. This is probably a neurological response to the actual surgery, a type of phantom pain going on that is causing the cat to lick, groom & attack the area. The cat probably needs to be seen again, either to do a little more surgery & place her on a medication that will hopefully decrease the phantom pain sensation. Often a medication called Gabapentin is necessary. This should be completely healed by now. Please encourage your roommate to take his cat to the vet as soon as possible. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.