Twisted Limbs in Kittens

Except for Radial Hypoplasia (Twisty Cat condition) and related conditions, the cause of twisted limbs is developmental, not genetic. It appears to be due to the kitten's position in the womb, especially in a large litter where the womb is crowded. The developing kitten is cramped and its legs are placed awkwardly; there is no room to flex them and the tendons and ligaments become contracted from remaining in one position.

Another cause of malformed (or missing) limbs is umbilical strangulation of the limb - the umbilical cord becomes wrapped around the limb(s), restricting blood supply to those limbs. In these cases, the limb may be entirely missing though less severe cases may result in twisted or undersized limbs.

Although more than one kitten in a litter may be affected (particularly in large litters where the womb is overcrowded), there is no evidence that a mother cat will consistently produce twisted limb kittens in later litters. If she does continue to produce twisted limb kittens, there is a chance that she has an abnormal uterus which cramps the developing kittens or possibly a genetic cause e.g. affecting bone growth. In either case, spaying is recommended and (if possible) the sire's owner should be informed in case it is a recessive gene trait. To date, apart from the forelimb condition radial hypoplasia (below), twisted limbs have been shown to be developmental abnormalities not a hereditary condition.

Treatment

If caught early, preferably at birth or within a day or two, there is a reasonable chance that the condition can be rectified with a combination of massage, physiotherapy (stretching/flexing the limb), warm compresses (to ease muscles which have locked into position) and by splinting (or more rarely pinning) the leg into the proper position.

The vet will also need to check that the kitten has feeling in the twisted limbs. The kitten may be unable to move them because the ligaments/tendons have contracted or the muscles are under-developed, locking the limb into one position. However, if the kitten cannot feel the limb, there may also be nerve or spinal damage. Spinal damage will also affect control of the tail and bowel/bladder function (only noticeable at an age when the kitten should be controlling these itself).

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