© 2026 ABC News

Though Holly has been with Scarlette and the Tiptons for less than 24 hours, she's been feeling and acting right at home, Simone Tipton said.

\"Though our daughter was told she likely wouldn't be able to crawl, stand or walk, but she figured all of that out herself with the help of a physical therapist and we saw that exact fighting spirit in the cat,\" she said. \"We brought her home thinking she'd have trouble jumping on the couch and bed, but she's just jumping around the house like it's no big deal, climbing around and exploring.\"

Posted by Smiles For Scarlette on Wednesday, December 23, 2015

The mother of two said they will rename the kitten \"Doc\" after Scarlette's favorite cartoon character \"Doc McStuffins.\" She added that Scarlette and her brother are \"absolutely in love\" with the kitten and that their family is now complete.

the Tipton family said they will rename the kitten \"Doc\" after Scarlette's favorite cartoon character \"Doc McStuffins.\"

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/Lifestyle/legged-cat-perfect-pet-year-california-girl-lost/story?id=36029304","legacySlug":"/news/story/legged-cat-perfect-pet-year-california-girl-lost-36029304","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"18:24","publishDate":"12-31-2015","updatedTime":"16:07","updatedDate":"01-01-2016","socialImage":{"alt":"Orange County, California, parents Matt and Simone Tipton adopted a three-legged cat named Holly on Dec. 30, 2015, for their 2-year-old daughter Scarlette, who lost an arm in 2014. ","credit":"KABC","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/Lifestyle/HT_girl_adopts_kitten_02_mm_151231_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"12/31/2015 18:24:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":36029304,"headline":"3-Legged Cat is 'Perfect Pet' for Toddler Who Lost Her Arm ","mediaAssetTitle":"TAN_3_legged_kitten_matched_with_little_girl_who_lost_arm_151231","description":"The two immediately shared a special bond, the tot's parents said. ","duration":"1:21","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2015/12/151231_kabc_3legged_cat_orig_mixdown1_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["134977845","134871343","134611251"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"July 22, 2026","headline":"Malcolm-Jamal Warner's widow sues his mother after drowning death","section":"News","slug":"/video/134977845","id":"134977845","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Malcolm-Jamal Warner's widow sues his mother after drowning death","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Malcolm-Jamal Warner's widow sues his mother after drowning death","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"July 18, 2026","headline":"New NASA images show Mars in motion","section":"News","slug":"/video/134871343","id":"134871343","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: New NASA images show Mars in motion","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260718_gma_play_mars3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: New NASA images show Mars in motion","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260718_gma_play_mars3_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260718_gma_play_mars3_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260718_gma_play_mars3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260718_gma_play_mars3_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260718_gma_play_mars3_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260718_gma_play_mars3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260718_gma_play_mars3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260718_gma_play_mars3_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260718_gma_play_mars3_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"July 9, 2026","headline":"Family speaks out after man died in ICE shooting in Texas","section":"News","slug":"/video/134611251","id":"134611251","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Family speaks out after man died in ICE shooting in Texas","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260709_gma_quinones_ice1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Family speaks out after man died in ICE shooting in Texas","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260709_gma_quinones_ice1_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260709_gma_quinones_ice1_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260709_gma_quinones_ice1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260709_gma_quinones_ice1_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260709_gma_quinones_ice1_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260709_gma_quinones_ice1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260709_gma_quinones_ice1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260709_gma_quinones_ice1_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260709_gma_quinones_ice1_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"3-Legged Cat is 'Perfect Pet' for Toddler Who Lost Her Arm ","description":"The two immediately shared a special bond, the tot's parents said. ","duration":"1:21","uploadDate":"12-31-2015","publication":"12-31-2015","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2015/12/151231_kabc_3legged_cat_orig_mixdown1_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2015/12/151231_kabc_3legged_cat_orig_mixdown1_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/legged-cat-perfect-pet-year-california-girl-lost-36029304"}},"playlist":[{"id":"134959102","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134926667","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134910526","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134846473","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134848966","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134761751","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134787741","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134782596","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134741027","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134751717","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134708317","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134548164","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134542058","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134416060","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134443994","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134406623","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134358132","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134353508","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134335187","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134334942","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"3-Legged Cat is 'Perfect Pet' for Toddler Who Lost Her Arm ","pubTime":"13:24","pubDate":"12-31-2015","modTime":"11:07","modDate":"01-01-2016","taxonomyTags":"none","id":36029304,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"3-Legged Cat is 'Perfect Pet' for Toddler Who Lost Her Arm ","mediaAssetTitle":"TAN_3_legged_kitten_matched_with_little_girl_who_lost_arm_151231","videoId":36029304,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/legged-cat-perfect-pet-year-california-girl-lost-36029304"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/36029304","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/36029304","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};