Submitted by CLAW (Community Led Animal Welfare)
Professional photography by Strike a Pose Photography
Danni was a job cat: he was employed as Chief Ratter in a Soweto shebeen. He wasn’t a pet, but his owner did care enough to send the grey-and-white cat to the CLAW clinic for help when he met with an unfortunate accident.
It had to be amputated
What really happened, no one will ever know – whether he had a run-in with a taxi or loaded crates fell on him. What we do know is that Danni’s scapula (the shoulder blade) had been shattered and damaged beyond repair. There was, unfortunately, no other option than to amputate his whole leg.
When the tavern owner was asked if he’d take Danni back, the answer was an emphatic “NO”. After all, what good is a ratter with just three legs?
A decision had to be made; the clinic team decided to post publicly on social media about Danni’s plight – they needed a viable home for him before committing to surgery. Not an easy ask for a young adult tom cat that wasn’t particularly affectionate nor in the best-kept condition.
CLAW’s post went up, and then they waited...
Finding the purr-fect home
The stars aligned for Danni that day. He caught the eye of Elwynn Oberholzer and her wife, Debbie Vermaak. They saw straight past his “Township Toughness” and offered him hope. They offered him a home!
The CLAW veterinarian performed Danni’s front leg amputation with no complications, and he recovered well. Far from being hindered by the loss of a leg (and a front one at that!), tough Danni proved very quickly that he was still very athletic – and ready to move onto his next chapter, that of being a pampered and very much-loved pet.
A few days post surgery, Danni went home. As they say, the rest is history! He’s now sleek, shiny and bursting at the seams with personality in his forever home with Debbie and Elwynn.
Elwynn Oberholzer, Danni’s owner, shares…
We adopted Danni in March 2018. He settled in very quickly once at home with us, as if he’d always known people, although the affectionate side or limit to biting intensity or swiping humans shows he hadn’t always had the most pleasant experiences with them. He does enjoy a lie on a lap or lying tightly next to us, but don’t fuss with petting or you’ll get a bite (luckily, less intense these days than in the beginning).
Sharing a home with six other cats proved that Danni isn’t the most socialised cat. He continuously acts to protect his environment with intimidating stances and tail swishing in front of another cat, or by jumping on and straddling it. With the five dogs, though, he’s amazingly calm and tolerates them in any way close to him. Some insight from a behaviourist has helped us understand Danni’s behaviour towards other cats so we can help him help himself to feel more secure.
Danni is a character to behold! Lying on his back when he sleeps in the most relaxed way, throwing tennis balls across the lawn for him to chase – and his three legs have no impact on his agility as he runs and jumps in the air after the ball. He’s so vocal; at food time he comes into the kitchen all talkative, and it sounds as if he says “mamma”.
He’s the cutest cat, though complicated, and it’s no wonder we call him our little three-legged monster. We just adore this little creature.
