Losing a limb is a life-altering event for any human or animal, but fortunately, many amputees adapt well to life without an arm or leg. That’s not to say it won’t have its challenges, especially at first, but resilient animals like Dash the tuxedo cat prove that an amputation isn’t the end of the world.

For him, it was just an annoying delay! After having his front left leg amputated on December 8, Dash reminded his rescue mom that he can still live up to his name. When she let him out of his cage to take his first ‘baby steps’ two days post-op, he took the opportunity and ran with it… literally!

No wonder this rambunctious cat is named Dash; this cat can run! His rescue mom hoped he would take a few wobbly steps to get a feel for his new gait, but he had a bigger adventure in mind.

This may have given his rescue mama, who runs a TikTok page called @milothebravest, a heart attack, but it also gave her a good laugh and a lot of hope. Just like @kingzeke8 said, that leg was holding him back!

Related: Tuxedo Cat Lets Out an Angry Yowl When He Catches Mom Petting His ‘Clone’

“You went from ‘will he adapt?’ to ‘how am I gonna keep him calm during recovery?’ in like .5 seconds,” @theatremel_s commented. It must have been a welcome change! Instead of being worried about Dash’s quality of life without a leg, she can worry about helping the new tripod cat recover from his major surgery.

Keeping Cats Safe After Surgery

As this video proved, recovery is often the most challenging part of the surgery process. Not only are some cats uncomfortable or adjusting to a significant change, but many of them are restless to return to their everyday lives. In other words, being on bedrest (or cage rest) is difficult for anyone!

“I work in vet med,” @maddyandherkitties explained. “This should be what I show owners when they ask how much is too much activity.” Try telling that to Dash!

Something tells me this rescue cat doesn’t care much for veterinary advice, which is why it’s so essential that his rescue mom advocate for him and set the necessary boundaries. She made the right call by putting him back in his crate after this wild incident!

This story was originally published by PetHelpful on Dec 20, 2025, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add PetHelpful as a Preferred Source by clicking here.