Juno has no back paws, but it doesn't stop her from walking or playing. Photo / Supplied
Juno has no back paws, but it doesn't stop her from walking or playing. Photo / Supplied
A Hawke's Bay cat won't ever have back paws, but that doesn't mean she can't have a family who will love her.
Juno is about five and a half months old and is up for adoption from SPCA Hastings.
SPCA Hastings senior animal attendant Ayesha Clark says Juno's missing back paws might have been caused by the umbilical cord becoming wrapped around her feet in the womb and cutting off the blood supply meaning the feet die off.
"It is a very rare condition meaning Juno can't jump or climb trees or run away from danger so the environment she lives in needs to be carefully set up so she can't get herself stuck anywhere.
"She is just as curious as other cats and doesn't know her own limits."
Concrete or other rough surfaces could also cause sores to her stumps, she said.
"Cold or hard polished floors or lino are uncomfortable for Juno to walk on, she is much happier on mats or carpet and will actively avoid the hard floors for walking and sitting on."
A lack of back feet means Juno compensates by using her fore limbs and claws for more activities including climbing on to furniture which is an important part of her mobility, she said.
"Juno's limited mobility mean she is unable to flee from danger and may harm herself in an attempt to do so.
"Juno does not have to be an indoor only cat but any outdoor areas she has access to would need to be well fenced with no small gaps she could squeeze under and have no pools, ponds or steep drops she could fall off or into."
Getting cold feet takes on a whole new meaning for Juno who has no back paws. Photo / Supplied
Without her back paws Juno has limited ability to defend herself against other cats which needs to be taken into consideration for any time she is outdoors.
"There is a possibility that Juno may develop arthritis or other issues caused by the deformity as she ages.
"It is therefore imperative that Juno's weight is closely monitored to ensure she never becomes overweight as this is likely to place undue pressure on her joints and stumps of her hind limbs and will increase the risk of arthritis."
Juno is ready to be adopted, however Clark says the SPCA will carefully consider anyone interested and their home situation. "We would want to talk to the interested parties to ensure they understood her needs and what their financial situation was as well. We will need to make sure there is a suitable set-up at home.
"Ideally she would be the only cat in the house, and she would suit a house with no dogs because she unable to defend herself."
