I have been feeding some cats for a few years now, and just lately another one showed up. My question is. Just a few weeks ago I noticed around the butt where the tail connects was a spot, couldn't really see what it was, then I noticed all around that area looked funny. Looks either bare or I don't know what. Then about a few weeks later, the other cat has a bent tail. Half way down the tail its bent, almost like it is broke. For the life of me I can't figure out what happened to these cats. I did notice there were burrs in the feeding house that I removed, but I can't tell from the cameras that it is burrs that is causing this problem. The new arrival has very long hair and seems to have burrs on it. The weirdest thing is they both have a tail problem. I could see a problem with one, but not both. I can't imagine anyone getting ahold of them to torture them and I am hoping this is not the case. I'm really sad about this. When I see them in the yard, I call to them, and they do stop and look. They will wait around when I am putting the food out. They usually don't run, and will come back to eat. For two days now I haven't seen the one. I account for them every day on my cameras. I wish they would just stay in the area, I have houses for them to sleep in and a real nice feeding spot too. They would be so safe there. Any suggestions on what could be happening to them.
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Feral Cats
- Thread starter buffy2011
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A picture is worth a thousand words, as they say...really need some pics
Are you meaning like cocleburs or?
I’m sure there are experts on this forum who would be glad to help
Are you meaning like cocleburs or?
I’m sure there are experts on this forum who would be glad to help
I don't know. It's possible a dog or some other animal grabbed them by the tail. One cat that I trapped had a bloody stump of a tail. A kid from the complex where I trapped, told me a dog grabbed it by the tail and was swinging it around. The vet had to completely amputate it. Have you had these cats fixed?
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Sounds like maybe they could have gotten into bramble?
Thank you for being so good to them, putting houses out for them and caring for them. Wow, no matter how much we do, there is still that taste of outdoors. I wish they knew what was good for them.
Thank you for being so good to them, putting houses out for them and caring for them. Wow, no matter how much we do, there is still that taste of outdoors. I wish they knew what was good for them.
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- #5
I had thought about an animal grabbing them by the tail, but not both of them. Yes I have had the one fixed. The other one, no, its a male but not fixed that I know of. I think it has a tipped ear, but hard to tell also. The new comer, not yet. I do spayed and neuter them. I have trail cameras up and that's where I watch them from. If I see the in the daylight and they are coming to eat and I scare them, I do call to them and they will stop. Once I close the door they will come and eat.
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- #6
One cat I did have fixed, the other one no, I think it has a tipped ear. But I had been laid up for a while so couldn't trap if I had to.
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- #7
If I can figure out how to load a picture I will
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- #9
Here is one of the cats tails. I got a good picture of it. I would think it is broken and I wish I knew how this happened. I'm hoping nothing cruel. What are your comments
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- #11
I feel really bad for it but it is a feral cat and I don't think I can even trap it. They are so skeptical when there is something different. I will really give it a try. They only come around at night too. My other concern is what will they do with it. There is no way I can touch this cat to even give it anything. Now I feel so bad.
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- #12
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- #13
This is my other cat with the tail problem. Can you see the spot on her butt. Not sure what is going on there yet either. I'm enclosing two pictures of another feral that showed up on my door step a few years ago. She was missing a tail. Very pretty cat. Actually the first time I saw her I thought her face was gone. From a distance I couldn't see part of her fact. She and another black cat were kinda friends. I had trapped the black cat to get it fixed and they said it had a virus, so I didn't want it to go and die somewhere. So I made that decision, but it was hard. Not long after I did that this other one left and never came back. I felt so bad. I get them spayed or neutered and then they run off. I wish they would stay around. But when they left I had two black and white ones show up. One of them got hit by a car and that's when this other gray one showed up. There seems to be another one to fill its place. I don't see a lot of cats running around where I live but they find there way to my house. My husband gets mad and says that they belong to someone. But I would think if they did they would of taken this cat to the vets for its tail. And also if these cats belonged to someone wouldn't you think they would be in the house when it is below 0. I would think so.
If it's a feral cat the bent tail could be caused by inbreeding. I care for a colony and about half of them have bent tails like that.
Gin's tail twisted right around in a loop.
Marley's tail has a bend in the end similar to the one you are seeing on the first cat's tail.
Of course a vet exam is a good idea when you can get them trapped.
Gin's tail twisted right around in a loop.
Marley's tail has a bend in the end similar to the one you are seeing on the first cat's tail.
Of course a vet exam is a good idea when you can get them trapped.
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- #15
Hello Norachan, Actually the tail on this cat just happened a few weeks ago. I have trail cams up and it looks like it happened on March 26th. I don't have colonies, just two and a third showed up but I haven't seen it in a week now. What I am reading online, is that it is very painful for a cat. I just spoke to a vet and they are telling me it will cost $500.00 or more to amputate the tail if needed. I don't have this kind of money to put into this cat. I've never trapped it yet because I had a few surgery's myself and I am still recovering. Not even sure if I can trap it. It is very leery. But will it be ok if nothing is done with the tail? I would like to get it spayed or neutered if it needs it. I did try when I first seen it but I couldn't get it then. I enclosed a picture so you can see it didn't have this problem.
I would try contacting some rescue groups and see if they could help with the medical cost. A rescue group helps me with injured strays. Or the may have a vet that charges more reasonable amounts. That seems outrageously expensive to me.
Some low-cost spay/neuter clinics will do simple procedures like a tail amputation or eye removal. Call around and see if any will help. If not, well, I think he'll be OK. I've seen a lot of farm cats with messed-up tails and they seem fine, even if it is painful at first. It's not something I'd recommend putting him down for if you can't get it fixed, at least.
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- #18
Oh god I would never put it down for that unless there was a life threating problem. I don't want to see an injured or sick cat out there wondering around and people being cruel to it. I've only put one feral cat down so far. And I did that because the vets recommend it because of having the virus. They said it would end up getting sick and would just go somewhere and maybe be in pain and die. I cried and they even cried, because they didn't want to put it down. My biggest thing for my cat with the broke tail is, will the pain go away? For it to be in pain makes me feel bad, but if I can't catch it, I just hope the pain will go away. I keep watching my cameras to see if he can lift it. But I'm not getting the pictures I want. It seems ok. But you can never tell with an animal how much pain they are in unless they aren't moving.
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- #19
I do know someone that does low spay and neuter. That's where I take these ferals to get that done. Its called Fix Ur Cat. I do have to call her and get her thoughts. This cat was going to go there about a year ago, but I couldn't catch it. And I had surgery after that and now I am able to try again after I call her first.
Most of the time a broken bone will heal on it's own. As it's not an essential weight bearing bone, such as a leg bone, a broken tail won't slow the cat down too much. It will be painful and will probably heal crooked, but I doubt it's anything that would need amputation.
I think when vets do tail amputations it's because the tail is broken nearer the body and is dragging along the ground. Anything like that would obviously hamper a cat quite a lot and most likely get infected too. A broken bone near the end of the tail isn't so serious.
One feral I rescued had a "Historic break" in his back leg. He walked with a bit of a twist to his gait, but the vet said the bone had healed up so long ago there wasn't any need to go back in and try to straighten it.
So, yes, if you can trap him and get him to a vet that would be great but I don't think they'll need to amputate or PTS.
I think when vets do tail amputations it's because the tail is broken nearer the body and is dragging along the ground. Anything like that would obviously hamper a cat quite a lot and most likely get infected too. A broken bone near the end of the tail isn't so serious.
One feral I rescued had a "Historic break" in his back leg. He walked with a bit of a twist to his gait, but the vet said the bone had healed up so long ago there wasn't any need to go back in and try to straighten it.
So, yes, if you can trap him and get him to a vet that would be great but I don't think they'll need to amputate or PTS.
