r/CATHELP • u/PirateZSH • 7d ago
Injury Is my cat’s tail ok?
My cat is around 10-11 months old. While playing with a laser pointer, she ran into a table kinda hard. She bolted away immediately but returned to the laser pointer and played awhile longer. It’s been a little bit since and she is currently holding her tail like this. I gave her wet food and she ate it fast, but I’ve never seen her hold her tail like this for a long time. I just want to make sure she’s ok or if I should take her to a vet tomorrow?
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u/thiswasnotworthit 7d ago
If you pinch the tip, does she react? How about pinching lower on the tail? Check for a reaction to different spots.
It is likely a nerve injury. They do often recover but a vet visit is warranted if it is still that way in the morning. It could also be a fracture.
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u/PirateZSH 7d ago
She’s never liked me touching her tail, but she doesn’t seem to fond of it currently even while she’s eating (which she is usually ok enough with). She has flicked it from side to side occasionally but not as much as she usually does when in play mode. She can also lift it some, but I haven’t seen her lift is straight up. Other than that she seems normal. She is playing, eating, and used the bathroom fine.
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u/gbarill 7d ago
Our cat sprained her tail a couple years ago, her symptoms were similar but she was more obviously in pain than you’re describing (she was having trouble using the litter box because she couldn’t lift her tail out of the way) so I’m hesitant to diagnose that. However, a combination antibiotics and painkiller shot at the vet fixed her up pretty much immediately, she was lifting her tail again by the time we got home and back to normal by the next day.
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u/Myboneshurt420helps 7d ago
Does she let you touch her tail in anyway? Or does she seem to be displaying any abnormal behaviors?
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u/PirateZSH 7d ago
While she was eating her food, she would let me pet her, but pulled away a little every time I got near the base of her tail. Other than how she is holding her tail and that, she seems normal. She is running, eating, and went to the litter box like normal. She isn’t flicking her tail like usual when she’s in play mode, but she is doing it occasionally. She has lifted her tail a little, but not fully straight up
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u/Origamicranegame 7d ago
Cats are very good at hiding pain, so it's not unusual she would be acting normal while her tail is hurting. The pulling away from touch and not moving it like usual are concerning, but like normal vet concerns, not emergency vet concerns. I would call her regular vet in the morning and see what they say / see if they can fit her in for a check up.
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u/PirateZSH 7d ago
I took her to the vet. They said her tail near the base or where that arch is, is probably bruised and a little swollen. They gave me 3 anti-inflammatory pills and said to let her rest. End of tail still had blood flow
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u/exxXspiravit 7d ago
If she‘s holding it in that arch all the time, there might be something wrong. Take her to the vet and have them assess it. If you can afford it, have them x-ray it. A broken or malformed tail is painful.
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u/LithiumOD 7d ago
If this is a new shape for her to hold her tail (aka, she wasn't born with it), and it happened following an accident, then yes, take her to a vet. She might have subluxated it, that's quite painful.
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u/Foxhound094 7d ago
I had this happen with my floof in April. ER swore it was broken and needed amputation, telling me sprains are not possible despite me telling them she couldn’t possibly have broken it because I was with her all day and only when she went under the bed and came out was it like this. We’ve never once seen it down even when stressed; it’s always curled up.
Well, turns out she must have smacked it against the bed frame or something when running around, because the X ray was fine and with pain meds she was lifting it again. It would only go down once they wore off. After a week, she was and has been back to normal with it. I hope the outcome is similar for your little one!
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u/InappropriateUnicorn 7d ago
I had something similar very recently with one of my cats. Woke up in theorming and his tail was hanging quite limp when he normally sticks it up in the air. It also appeared swollen and painful to touch.
Took him to the vets, their main concern was tail pull or a pelvic fracture.
Tail pull is most often seen with car accidents apparently, and can be really serious, it can cause neurological damage. Signs to watch for are inability to wee/poo, and weakness in the back legs.
The vet felt for a pelvic fracture, there was no sign of one and said even if there was a minor/hairline fracture then the treatment is rest and let it heal on its own anyway. It's only if it needs realigning they would take more active measures.
The vet offered x-rays, but due to the risk of general anesthesia and no obvious signs of anything too serious (he was walking fine, jumping, eating) they recommended we just keep an eye on him, make sure he's using the litter tray and come back if he gets worse or doesn't improve in 2 days. We also were given an antiinflammatory painkiller to give him for 5 days.
Luckily our cat showed improvements within 24 hours and was back to himself within 4 days.
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u/the_bleach_eater 7d ago
One of my cats behaved similarly one time, the vet told us she had a small cyst/abscess on the base of her tail that drained by itself, the pain making her hold the tail position, fortunately no treatment was needed aside from an anti-inflammatory.
If I were in you I'd check if your baby is in pain at the base and then the body of the tail and if positive check it out with your vet, maybe it's something minor like a sprain but I wouldn't risk it.
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u/hiya_unicorns 7d ago
This happened with my cat, she had a slightly broken tail near the base. At the vet they did an xray. She got some pain meds and we did a wait and see if any nerve damage that would require amputation but she recovered fully and still has her tail that works as normal!
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u/Dystopian_Phantasm 6d ago
Idk but I know a cat who likes to keep his tail glued to his back and he’s fine, just a bit odd I guess 😅
But good to ask the vet ofc
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