Kitten Fractured Back Leg, Have To Keep Her In A Cage For The Next Few Weeks?

[saleri]

Unfortunately my 6 month old male kitten injured his left back leg pretty badly last night. There seems to be three fractures in his back leg.

Sadly I can't afford an orthopedic surgeon, so I have to go with a cast. However my vet feels confident he'll recover in the next 4-6 weeks.

So picking him up later tonight, but I need to make sure he doesn't move around much. Going to order him this cage:


Hopefully it'll be enough space for food, water, and litter. Is there anything else I can provide?

Anyone that had a cat that injured them selves similarly have any advice on what I should do over the next few weeks?

Honestly mostly worried how he'll react to the smaller litter box since the current one he has access to is larger then the entire cage. Also worried since he is a kitten and has a lot of energy.

Thoughts?

 

[Etarre]

Oh no! So sorry to hear that. I don't have any experience or advice, but hope he heals quickly. It will probably be difficult for him to slow down, but 4-6 weeks is not too long, at least.

How did he hurt himself? (Juniper likes to run into walls while playing, and I try to believe that she's indestructible, but I do worry).

 

[saleri]

Oh no! So sorry to hear that. I don't have any experience or advice, but hope he heals quickly. It will probably be difficult for him to slow down, but 4-6 weeks is not too long, at least.

How did he hurt himself? (Juniper likes to run into walls while playing, and I try to believe that she's indestructible, but I do worry).

Honestly not sure, last night I was asleep and heard a loud sound. I got up and figured Sawyer jumped on my counter again (he started doing this recently) and I noticed a few thing fell. I saw him run around and I was still half asleep so I figure everything was fine and went back to sleep. Woke up to him crying and I saw he was holding his leg close to his buddy and it was clearly broken.

Vet says he's likely to heal in 4 weeks, and 6 is the max, which I hope it the case as well.

 

[saleri]

Will have to keep him in this size cage for two days until the larger cage gets here.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/fadvQy6aLtvhshVQ2

do you think it's large enough to endure two days?

 

[Kieka]

Personally, I'd look for a dog kennel. You really do want to limit movement as much as possible so the smaller it is the better. You may even be able to find some dog kennels on craigslist or offerup for really inexpensive. I know my vet just loaned us the kennel we used for Links broken leg, but we went through an entire ordeal with Link up to that point and I think my vet was feeling sorry for my wallet. The kennel we used was just large enough for him to turn around in, a litter box and his food dish. Plus there was no way for him to break out of a metal kennel; with the mesh windows I'd be worried about a determined cat finding an escape route through the window. But, on the flip side, I've seen foster Moms and people socializing ferals use the one you are looking at with good success.

Do remember that the crate rest should be for the entire time recommended by your vet. We did break Link out of his kennel by putting him in his carrier and taking him with us around the house. But each cat is different.

Here is Link in his kennel:

15391206_10154157601986453_7047938849713664773_n.j

• Kieka
• Mar 28, 2017

Here are some other posts that might help:
What Made Your "confined-to-crate-rest" Cat Relax? Offer Some Handy Tips...
Broken Leg, Surgery, Cage Rest
My Cat Has A Broken Shoulder Bone

 

[saleri]

Personally, I'd look for a dog kennel. You really do want to limit movement as much as possible so the smaller it is the better. You may even be able to find some dog kennels on craigslist or offerup for really inexpensive. I know my vet just loaned us the kennel we used for Links broken leg, but we went through an entire ordeal with Link up to that point and I think my vet was feeling sorry for my wallet. The kennel we used was just large enough for him to turn around in, a litter box and his food dish. Plus there was no way for him to break out of a metal kennel; with the mesh windows I'd be worried about a determined cat finding an escape route through the window. But, on the flip side, I've seen foster Moms and people socializing ferals use the one you are looking at with good success.

Do remember that the crate rest should be for the entire time recommended by your vet. We did break Link out of his kennel by putting him in his carrier and taking him with us around the house. But each cat is different.

Here is Link in his kennel:

15391206_10154157601986453_7047938849713664773_n.j

• Kieka
• Mar 28, 2017

Here are some other posts that might help:
What Made Your "confined-to-crate-rest" Cat Relax? Offer Some Handy Tips...
Broken Leg, Surgery, Cage Rest
My Cat Has A Broken Shoulder Bone

Yeah actually saw your picture when looking this up before.

How big is that kennel?

Well looking at Sawyer's x-ray, it did look pretty bad with three broken fractures, but even then my vet said it would be fine to keep him locked in a bathroom or even a bedroom. She just didn't want him to climb anything.

So I figure a larger holding place for him wouldn't be a bad thing?

I was actually going to let him take some small walks later on in his recovery, plus I will have to take him back every week to be re-bandage so moving him will be necessary to some extent.

Good point with the mesh windows though, I'll have to ask my vet about that. And he has being really jumpy lately.

I don't know, she thinks it's likely he'll recover in 4 weeks and at most 6 weeks, which seems not too bad considering the damages, so it really seems that I just have to prepare to make sure he doesn't jump?

 

[Kieka]

Links recovery was bumpy because we allowed him too much movement too quickly. Having been through that I would strongly encourage you to not engage in walks and limit space as much as possible. Take the limited movement and no jumping to its literal meaning and don’t allow any chance of jumping. A few weeks of discomfort means a quicker and cleaner healing instead of my experience of four months, two surgeries and almost a year of limping from muscle damage (which may have been part of the original injury). Not to mention the approximate $5k in costs between everything.

Link kennel was one of these Frisco Fold & Carry Single Door Dog Crate I didn’t measure it so I am not sure the exact size. He is 13 pounds and very tall. I can easily touch his tail when standing and I am 5’8”.

A note on casts, Links lasted three days. He managed to twist out of it even though it was super tight and well wrapped. I had a cat with a cast when I was a kid and he managed to shake it off after four weeks. Cats can be very grumpy when it comes to casts so monitor him closely to make sure he isn’t making matters worse and stay in contact with your vet.

 

[saleri]

Links recovery was bumpy because we allowed him too much movement too quickly. Having been through that I would strongly encourage you to not engage in walks and limit space as much as possible. Take the limited movement and no jumping to its literal meaning and don’t allow any chance of jumping. A few weeks of discomfort means a quicker and cleaner healing instead of my experience of four months, two surgeries and almost a year of limping from muscle damage (which may have been part of the original injury). Not to mention the approximate $5k in costs between everything.

Link kennel was one of these Frisco Fold & Carry Single Door Dog Crate I didn’t measure it so I am not sure the exact size. He is 13 pounds and very tall. I can easily touch his tail when standing and I am 5’8”.

A note on casts, Links lasted three days. He managed to twist out of it even though it was super tight and well wrapped. I had a cat with a cast when I was a kid and he managed to shake it off after four weeks. Cats can be very grumpy when it comes to casts so monitor him closely to make sure he isn’t making matters worse and stay in contact with your vet.

Yeah I'm just going to have to keep him in there and not let him move too much. Haven't had a chance to read your links, but how long did it take for Links to recover?

That size is actually kinda perfect, although I still like the idea of a more circular environment for him.

Will ask my current vet about this when I pick Sawyer up, but I just got off the phone with Sawyer's old vet, and she thinks it's fine.

Will also have to ask my vet about that cast. Even though we're going to remove it and replace every week I certainly don't want him to remove it on his own.

 

[Kieka]

Since you’re removing and replacing it once a week, I would guess it is more of a hard splint and wrap them hard cast. Since you’re replacing it weekly it should work out a smidgen better. You also aren’t contending with a cat who is a klutz and always gets in trouble.

Links story:

Link broke his leg and was missing for four days. He had a five day hospital stay before a surgery to put a pin in the leg. He was housebound and we allowed him to move around because my vet said limit his jumping so that’s all we did. He was in the house for about five weeks before the vet cleared him for outside activity. He was back outside for about a week or two before I noticed him sitting oddly and we took him back in. He is big and walks heavy, combined with him jumping around and running with his siblings the pin had broke through the side of his bone and was close to coming out of his skin.

Another surgery to remove the pin. Cast on and this time on crate rest for another four to five weeks. Him being him he managed to twist the cast within three days on a Friday night at 9pm. ER vet visit and more X-rays. He was in the crate for four weeks before he was cleared for indoor freedom and another two weeks before outdoor freedom.

He had a noticeable limp until recently (a year later) but multiple exams and X-rays showed the bone was well healed. My vets guess is that he had ligament and muscle damage from the initial injury or possibly from compensating for the injury during the week before the second surgery. He still sits with that leg sticking out oddly but I think at this point it’s more habit or a dull ache.

I did have a cat who broke his leg more severely when I was a kid. That cat didn’t have crate rest but his entire leg was wire wrapped and he had multiple pins holding it together (femur break). My guess is the wires helped stabilize it more plus he wasn’t as heavy or as accident prone as Link so his leg healed up better. That cat you could feel the wire through his skin AND he would limp when it got cold. We called him our old man weather predictor. My vet has told me that if she realized how crazy Link is at the time of his original injury she would have not advised for the pin and would have given him strict crate rest from day one.

Sawyer might be fine with the softer round tent like set up. I know I couldn’t trust Link to not find a way out. My boy is just too much trouble.

 

[saleri]

Since you’re removing and replacing it once a week, I would guess it is more of a hard splint and wrap them hard cast. Since you’re replacing it weekly it should work out a smidgen better. You also aren’t contending with a cat who is a klutz and always gets in trouble.

Links story:

Link broke his leg and was missing for four days. He had a five day hospital stay before a surgery to put a pin in the leg. He was housebound and we allowed him to move around because my vet said limit his jumping so that’s all we did. He was in the house for about five weeks before the vet cleared him for outside activity. He was back outside for about a week or two before I noticed him sitting oddly and we took him back in. He is big and walks heavy, combined with him jumping around and running with his siblings the pin had broke through the side of his bone and was close to coming out of his skin.

Another surgery to remove the pin. Cast on and this time on crate rest for another four to five weeks. Him being him he managed to twist the cast within three days on a Friday night at 9pm. ER vet visit and more X-rays. He was in the crate for four weeks before he was cleared for indoor freedom and another two weeks before outdoor freedom.

He had a noticeable limp until recently (a year later) but multiple exams and X-rays showed the bone was well healed. My vets guess is that he had ligament and muscle damage from the initial injury or possibly from compensating for the injury during the week before the second surgery. He still sits with that leg sticking out oddly but I think at this point it’s more habit or a dull ache.

I did have a cat who broke his leg more severely when I was a kid. That cat didn’t have crate rest but his entire leg was wire wrapped and he had multiple pins holding it together (femur break). My guess is the wires helped stabilize it more plus he wasn’t as heavy or as accident prone as Link so his leg healed up better. That cat you could feel the wire through his skin AND he would limp when it got cold. We called him our old man weather predictor. My vet has told me that if she realized how crazy Link is at the time of his original injury she would have not advised for the pin and would have given him strict crate rest from day one.

Sawyer might be fine with the softer round tent like set up. I know I couldn’t trust Link to not find a way out. My boy is just too much trouble.

Yeah I just got off the call with my vet, it is a splint. Totally forgot what they were called. Had to wear one myself on my middle finger in my younger days...

Wow thanks for sharing the story.

Yeah apparently Sawyer was chewing on the splint, so they'll have to give him a collar to wear at least for now.

 

[saleri]

If anyone's interested in Sawyer's xrays and other treatment stuff.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/upxw8tDti6bmBIf02

 

[Kieka]

Chewing on the splint isn’t uncommon. I’ve seen people put socks over them so that the cat can chew but doesn’t damage the splint. It also is much easier to change the sock if the cat steps in food or gets debris from the litter box on it. Which, a dirty splint is a common issue. You also might want to get some toddler grippy socks and put it over the end of the splint so he has some grip to it. Those splints and casts can be slippery if you have them on a smooth surface. I would have put one on Links if he was more mobile, he tended to just flop and yell at us.

 

[saleri]

Chewing on the splint isn’t uncommon. I’ve seen people put socks over them so that the cat can chew but doesn’t damage the splint. It also is much easier to change the sock if the cat steps in food or gets debris from the litter box on it. Which, a dirty splint is a common issue. You also might want to get some toddler grippy socks and put it over the end of the splint so he has some grip to it. Those splints and casts can be slippery if you have them on a smooth surface. I would have put one on Links if he was more mobile, he tended to just flop and yell at us.

Not a bad idea at all with the toddler grippy sock, thanks!

 

[saleri]

Chewing on the splint isn’t uncommon. I’ve seen people put socks over them so that the cat can chew but doesn’t damage the splint. It also is much easier to change the sock if the cat steps in food or gets debris from the litter box on it. Which, a dirty splint is a common issue. You also might want to get some toddler grippy socks and put it over the end of the splint so he has some grip to it. Those splints and casts can be slippery if you have them on a smooth surface. I would have put one on Links if he was more mobile, he tended to just flop and yell at us.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/wWXctA4U25OV8hj92

Talk about an unhappy cat, I was able to hand feed him some wet food. Don't think I'll be able to put a water bowl in his cage until his bigger home gets here tomorrow cause he was moving/climbing the heck out of his cage.

This certainly won't be an easy 6 weeks for him.

 

[saleri]

Chewing on the splint isn’t uncommon. I’ve seen people put socks over them so that the cat can chew but doesn’t damage the splint. It also is much easier to change the sock if the cat steps in food or gets debris from the litter box on it. Which, a dirty splint is a common issue. You also might want to get some toddler grippy socks and put it over the end of the splint so he has some grip to it. Those splints and casts can be slippery if you have them on a smooth surface. I would have put one on Links if he was more mobile, he tended to just flop and yell at us.

So all throughout the night he smashed himself into the cage, and at a few points got his bad leg stuck on the cage door. Don't know what I can do at this point, he completely knocked over his litterbox as well. And his splint certainly needs to be changed today.

 

[Kieka]

I think I'd remove the cone and see how he does. The combination of the cone and crate might just be too much for him. Probably put a sock over the splint so that he chews on that instead of the splint itself. Since it needs to be changed if he does cause damage to it, it won't matter much.

 

[Etarre]

Awww...poor little guy. Sorry you two are having to deal with this.

Your other cat seems worried, too, and looks like he's comforting your little one in the second pic you linked to.

 

[saleri]

I think I'd remove the cone and see how he does. The combination of the cone and crate might just be too much for him. Probably put a sock over the splint so that he chews on that instead of the splint itself. Since it needs to be changed if he does cause damage to it, it won't matter much.

Yeah I did remove the cone some what. I flipped it back, but my vet today noticed that there were some chew marks. He's at the vet now getting his cast changed.

 

[Kieka]

Sounds like to might be one of those lesser evil type of things.

If you're still getting the bigger tent set up, he might do better. I know Link usually rebels against things like that for a few hours before he settles and waits. But Link is older and has mellowed with age some..... or at least gotten smarter at picking when to make his move. You might try sitting next to the crate and reading out loud or watching something on a phone/laptop/across the room. Maybe being on his level will help him settle. Or you could try what worked with Link of putting him in his carrier to site with you on the couch.

 

[saleri]

Sounds like to might be one of those lesser evil type of things.

If you're still getting the bigger tent set up, he might do better. I know Link usually rebels against things like that for a few hours before he settles and waits. But Link is older and has mellowed with age some..... or at least gotten smarter at picking when to make his move. You might try sitting next to the crate and reading out loud or watching something on a phone/laptop/across the room. Maybe being on his level will help him settle. Or you could try what worked with Link of putting him in his carrier to site with you on the couch.

Yeah he's at the vet now, and I'm sure when I get home later the tent will be at my door and I can set it up. My biggest worry is that he'll try to smash the walls again with his body, and given it's a tent and not a cage it won't be good.

Plus I've being keeping the water bowl away from his cage since there's no way of him not getting his splint wet.