Brought a stray inside with a damaged tail

[Kairi]

Yesterday we found a little kitty in our apartment's garage, hiding under the dumpster. It started yelling up a storm, but was incredibly skittish and wouldn't dart at the slightest movement.
We went out and got a few cans of wet food, some treats, and a kitty carrier and through much patience, we lured him in and brought him upstairs. We're keeping him in the bathroom right now away from our cat until we can get him to a vet. He has warmed up a lot and doesn't mind being petted now, but still super flighty with movement.

He looks pretty young and he's super small, but stomach is very distended (worms?). Was absolutely filthy, so rubbed him down with a damp cloth, but he's still got some stuff stuck to his head. Any suggestions there?

Here's the big thing, his tail looks mangled and possibly necrotic? It's short and all frayed at the ends and it feels like there's a big knot just above the black bits. Attached pics. I'm unsure though because it doesn't seem to cause him pain (he keeps banging it into things and seems none too bothered) and he doesn't mind it being touched. Still, I didn't wanna mess with it and hurt him, figure it needs x rays.

So anyway, this is a thing. Ultimately we're hoping to keep him and we've named him Calcifer.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
A Christmas miracle that you found him,!! I don't have any good ideas for getting the rest of that gook off, but I'm so glad he has you!!

 

[CL56]

What a lucky love !!!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi! Thank you for helping out Calcifer!!! I don't know what kind of 'stuff' is stuck to his head, but you could try a drop of mineral or olive oil on a soft cloth to see if that would remove it. If not, you could try brewing some chamomile tea (grocery store brand tea bags, which are generally German, you don't want English, and no additives/flavorings) in water, cool the liquid and dab it on the 'stuff', in case it might be a little wound. The tea has both healing and soothing properties, and is safe should he ingest it.

I guess it would be safe to gently dab a bit of the brewed tea on his poor little tail, just to kind of clean it up - as the tea also has antimicrobial/bacterial properties too.

Please keep us posted on how he is doing and what happens at the vets!!

 

[SpecterOhPossum]

Hey, I found an orange stray with a damaged tail in January! Her tail end ended up falling off and now she's got a bob tail. The black I believe is clotted scabbed blood that will come off on it's own when it's healed. I would use some general cat safe wound cleaner (not peroxide/alchol/etc) just to clean it off but don't try to remove it, it could start bleeding

 

[Kairi]

I guess it would be safe to gently dab a bit of the brewed tea on his poor little tail, just to kind of clean it up - as the tea also has antimicrobial/bacterial properties too.

Please keep us posted on how he is doing and what happens at the vets!!

I didn't know you could do this with tea! Thanks for the suggestions, I'll see if we have anything appropriate in our cabinet that can be used. I'll definitely update once I take him to the vet. I've got good hopes since he seems healthy aside from his tail.

The black I believe is clotted scabbed blood that will come off on it's own when it's healed.

That would make sense! Perhaps he won't need too much invasive help for his tail then - that's the wishful thinking anyway, since it doesn't seem to be bothering him. We may have matching orange bob tails in some time then!

Thanks for the help!

 

[fionasmom]

Thank you for helping this little cat. I TNRed a cat with a necrotic tail once....it had gone into early gangrene and was amputated which is not as big a deal as it sounds and it did not cost a lot of money. The cat was an unadoptable wild feral, but is still out there without the tail, and doing fine.

 

[DreamerRose]

He's a real cutie! So attractive. I hope everything goes well with him. I have nothing to add- he seems like such a sweet kitty.

 

[Willowy]

It looks like his tail was degloved at one point, and now the degloved part is dried up. It may need to be amputated or it may fall off on its own. Getting the vet's opinion on it is the best thing, and he needs his shots and tests anyway.

The ears. . .idk, I've taken in several strays with that stuff on their ears and I still don't know what it is. Oil from going underneath cars? Packed-on dirt? No clue. But it doesn't come off easily and I've always ended up letting it grow out and fall off on its own

Good on you for taking the poor guy in!

 

[ArchyCat]

You could use Neosporin for any wounds. But make sure there are no additives, such as pain killers.

Thank you for the rescue!

 

[Kairi]

Updates on Calicfer

Took him and Cyrus to the vet yesterday. Just wanted to get Cyrus looked over while we were there and he's fine.

The vet thinks that Calcifer is about 5 months old. He was tested for his viruses and came up negative, so healthy there and then he was vaccinated and dewormed.
As for the tail, the vet looked it over and said that we should just let it heal on its own. What's on the end seems to be just a large scab. So she said to leave it be and let him clean it on his own and we'll see how it turns out. She didn't recommend surgery.

So at this point we have been letting Calcifer be more included in the household. He and Cyrus have been touching noses sparingly. Cyrus is a little startled by the extreme kitten energy, but I'd say they're getting along surprisingly well.

All we've got left to do is get Calcifer neutered, which the vet recommended doing in about a month.

I'm very pleased with this outcome, I feel like it couldn't have turned out better. Now we've got a very cuddly and sweet little kitty in our life.

 

[Furballsmom]

I'm very pleased with this outcome, I feel like it couldn't have turned out better. Now we've got a very cuddly and sweet little kitty in our life.

I'm thrilled for him and you, beyond words!!

 

[DreamerRose]

That's wonderful! Enjoy him!

 

[Kairi]

It took a couple of days of caution and hiding under the bed, but they've warmed up to each other. Cyrus is still adapting to the high kitten energy, but I've never seen him as playful as he is with Calcifer.
Everything's going well.

 

[Furballsmom]

What a beautiful pair!!