Tail Injury

momto3cats

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My cat Charlie injured his tail somehow, last Monday. He had to have the end of his tail amputated on Wednesday. He seems to be recovering reasonably well, but of course I'm still worried. Has anyone had experience with this type of thing? I'd love to hear from anyone who has dealt with a similar injury, to know how long it took for your cat to feel better and to be able to move normally, jump on the furniture etc. And how long does it take for the shaved fur to grow back?
 

Mamanyt1953

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Oh, yes. Several years ago, I had a cat named "Primus." He managed to get his poor tail caught in a closing car door, although that didnt' slow him down from trying to sneak in the car to take a ride. His recovery was quite uneventful, it never seemed to bother him, and the fur was back in a very few weeks. The exact length of time will, of course, depend on how long the tail hair actually is, but it will begin growing back in very quickly.
 
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momto3cats

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Thanks. I hope Charlie will do as well as Primus did. He is acting more normal now, playing and purring and jumping again, but for some reason he keeps holding his tail stiffly curved. I'm guessing it hurts and he wants to avoid letting it touch anything as he moves.
 

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Grandma had a cat, the name of which escapes me now, that lost most of his tail in the belt drive of the washing machine. He was apparently none the worse for his ordeal. He was able to do everything any other cat would do.
 
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momto3cats

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So it turns out that most of his tail has died. He's in surgery right now having it removed and I'm kind of freaking out. This is a lot more upsetting than I would have expected.
 

Mamanyt1953

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Any time surgery is involved we all freak out just a little. But he will be MUCH happier without having to drag around a dead tail. You'll be surprised at how quickly he adjusts and recovers!
 
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momto3cats

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He's home now, wearing the cone of shame and bumping into things.:tongue: He does seem to feel better already, and with any luck he'll be able to recover properly now.
 

Mamanyt1953

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I'll bet he will. And he may seem a little clumsy for awhile. Cats use their tails much in the way that a tightrope walker uses that long pole. It is a counter-balance. Watch him on high, narrow things for a bit, till he gets used to the new tail length!
 

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Had they not removed the damaged portion it would have eventually fallen off. Imagine how freaked out you would have been about that!
I have heard of little kids putting rubber bands on a cats tail and then forgetting that they did it. It causes the tail past the band to die and eventually fall off.
 
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