Hi,

For the want of a better word, my cats tail looks broken.

Normally, she holds it high from her body, but it is drooping and almost looks like it has a 90 degree angle in it, so it is pointing downwards.

We've only noticed it 5 minutes ago, when she came to sit on my knee and I stroked her (normally I stroke the length of her body from head to tip of her tail)

She hissed and flinched as I touched her tail.

Can cats actually break their tails - ie/ is it bone or is it cartledge?

Obviously I'm going to ring the vets first thing, but has anyone had experience of something similar, and should I be ringing the emergency vet to get her seen tonight?

Cats can break their tail- it's made of vertebrae and a continuation of the spinal cord- but it's more usual that the tail gets bitten, trodden on or shut in a door and gets either dislocated or a soft tissue injury.

You do need to get her down to the vets because apart from anything else she's probably in quite a lot of pain and the vet can give her painkillers. The vet will be able to tell from an examination whether it's broken or just inflammation which will go down by itself.

If the tail is genuinely broken, or the spinal cord has been compromised, then more often than not the vet will recommend amputation above the break because it is common for cats who can't feel their tail can cause enormous blood loss and injury by attacking it (to them it looks as though their tail is following them and because they can't feel it they just keep chewing away at it).

However, it's by no means certain that the tail is broken. Soft tissue injuries or infections caused by bites from other cats and the like can make it appear that the tail is broken and can cause really very severe pain for the cat, but can be sorted out with some painkillers and antibiotics.

Until she's examined nobody can answer your question and allay your fears unfortunately. I hope she's back to her normal happy self soon.

Medusa, thank you for the info.

I've since rung the vets, and in turn the emergency vets - they've pretty much said that unless they see her, they can't say what is wrong.

Although she is insured, my insurance doesn't cover for out of hours treatment (which is something I never noticed before and is a ridiculous exemption IMO) and I literally cannot afford the £102 consultation fee plus treatment fee to have her seen tonight.

She's on my bed and is asleep and had she been covered by the insurance, I'd have had her down there tonight like a shot.

I can't tell you how terrible I feel for having to make her wait til first thing in the morning.

If anyone knows of an out of hours vet that doesn't charge a minimum of £102 at this time of night, please let me know.

I really don't know how she's done it - we've been in all day and all has been well, then at 8pm I took my sons girlfriends home - something has happened while we've been out.

She's a very timid cat - I can't see it being a person (as she won't go to anyone except me), or a road accident because she never goes on the road, so I'm thinking it must be a fight with another cat.

I'm not even going to ring the vets tomorrow, I'm just going to go down there with her when they open and ask that someone sees her.

good keep us posted on how she does.

I will do Teeny; she's fast asleep but I shall be at the vets at 9.30am with her.

I was supposed to be starting work on a new clients job tomorrow morning, but will put it off so that I can get her sorted.

The last cat I know who had an apparent broken tail actually had a bite from another cat on his tail which was forming an abscess- that came up as quickly as you're describing and went back down again just as quickly after antibiotics and having it opened up to let the pressure out from it.

Before that it was a cat who'd been hit by a car (glancing blow) and the tail not working was secondary to the brain injury at the time, but the tail was paralysed for about a month and recovered by itself too. It's never been quite the same as it was before, but it didn't need any invasive treatment.

Good luck with the vets in the morning.

Oh God, do you think she might have a brain injury?

Wouldn't there be other symptoms? She's been eating and drinking OK and gone out to the toilet through the cat-flap...everything is normal bar her droopy tail and hissing when you touch it.

I can't bear this guilt - I'm going to have to take her tonight and max out my credit card I think.

No- I wasn't meaning to imply that at all. You'd know if she'd been hit by a car or got a brain injury because of other symptoms.

I was just trying to illustrate that two completely different circumstances led to two cats both healing from a 'broken tail'.

It is very likely that the vet will do nothing at all tonight if you take her- if she's eating, drinking, pooing and peeing then it's not really an 'emergency' so save your money for the morning because it's likely that you'll need to go there even if you go to the emergency vet tonight, because all they'll do is to give her a painkiller and tell you to see your vet.

Sorry Medusa, I read your post, clearly didn't read it properly, and just responded in a panic.

I'd just gone upstairs to get her carrier box ready but am glad I've read your further reply. Yes, everything seems 'normal' - toilet and eating etc - bar her tail.

I'm off to bed now to snuggle up to her, so will keep you all updated tomorrow.

Thank you for your time and advice.

Just got back from the vets.

I rung at 9am, and was in the surgery at 9.30am.

They've kept her in, in order to x ray her tail. The vet said what Medusa did - if its broken, they may well have to amputate it.

He checked her claws, and from that he ruled out it being a road accident.

Said he thinks it could be caused by someone perhaps throwing something at her or kicking her, which breaks my heart to think anyone could do that to her.

He gave her a sedative injection - he didn't want to touch her tail at all - so once she's drowsy, they can do the x ray.

So, I'm at home, just waiting for a phone call at some point.

awww hope everything goes ok xx

Crossed fingers for her- whatever happens from here should help to make her better, whether that's by surgery or by some painkillers to help her cope with the pain.

I know it's a stressful time waiting for the results, but you're doing the best you can for her and the vet will be doing the same, so try not to go too bonkers waiting for the phone to ring. She's in the best place and you'll make a difference to her pain as quickly as is humanly possible.

If her tail's broken then it could be caused by something as simple as getting her tail caught in a door or under a wheely chair- it's not automatic that someone has deliberately hurt her. Don't bear that one when you have no proof, because it won't do you any good.

You're completely right! My mind is running away with me at times, but I'm trying my best to think positively rather than negatively!

We animal lovers think of our pets in the same way as our children though don't we, and it hurts me to know she's suffering and I'm not there with her....but again that's my mind running away with me!

Think I need to mop the kitchen floor or something - distractions are needed I think!

Thanks for everything, and thanks for your message too angnjosh.

Just an update, I picked her up from the vets about an hour or so ago.

Once they had given her a general anaesthetic, they shaved her tail and it is full of lacerations. More than likely through fighting. So they haven't xrayed her as the vet also couldn't feel a break in her tail.

She's on anti-biotics and painkillers and has a collar on. We've got to keep her in for 3 days and she's got another appointment on Friday morning.

She's very very disorientated - walking backwards, bumping into things etc, but I'm putting most of that down to the anaesthetic and the collar.

I've got to bathe her tail twice a day and hopefully when we go back on Friday, they'll be happy that it isn't broken, but have said they will xray it on Friday if there's no improvement.

She's got comfy on my sons bed, so I'm in my bedroom so I can keep an eye on her and make sure the others cat don't harrass her!

Hope everything is ok xx hopefully it will be good news on friday, fingers crossed xx

That's great news! If the tail's not broken then some rest, antibiotics and a bit of healing and she should be good as new.

Now you've just got to work out who she's scrapping with ;)