nerve damage in cats leg

Question
One of my outside cats came home draggin his left-front paw (knuckle) and I took him to the vet and he said that he had nerve damage that was irrepairable and that we'd have to amputate.  Very cold but moving on.  If, after a couple of weeks and I don't see improvement in the leg, I will amputate.  I will bring him in to stay, although he will hate it.  My question is how will he be able to use the litter box.  He can't scratch to cover the litter with just one paw.  I'm really heartbroken over his entire situation.  One more question.  Instead of amputating, is there a split of some kind that I can put on his paw to straighten the leg out to prevent ulcers on his knuckle?  Thanks for your response.  You can also reach me on my facebook page... I'm Helen Whit.

Answer
Hi
Well if i were you I would take the cat to another vet to have a second opinion. Also if i have understood your question correctly the vet has not put anything on the paw to protect it. if this is the case it could be because the cat will naturally keep it off the floor and so things like ulcers etc will not occur. However you could mention this to the second vet, who may decide to cover the paw. But you should not attempt to put anything on it yourself, you could more damage and even possible pain for your cat.

It is difficult for me to say whether or not the leg will definitely need amputating or not, this why I suggest a second opinion from another vet.

If your cat does have to have his leg imputed I would not worry too much about how your cat will cope. cats are very good at adapting to a disability. yes he may not be able to cover his poop any more and you can either decide to just cover it for him or perhaps invest in one of those automatic litter trays which covers it for them

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best wishes Kate