limp tail

My mom's cat, Aries, has a limp tail all of a sudden. When she's standing, the tail is bent at the base and is hanging straight down. When we touch it, she meows, so I'm assuming she's in some pain. There are no scratches or any indication of an injury on the fur or skin. We're going to take her to the vet because clearly something is wrong, but I'm just wondering if this has happened to anyone else's cat and, if so, what the problem was. She's sitting calmly, so I'm just not sure if this is an emergency or could wait until Wednesday afternoon before going to the vet.

Thanks!

I would call the vet ASAP tomorrow & get her in, don't wait until Wed. afternoon. IMO, it sounds like she broke her tail. Not only is she likely in a lot of pain, but I wonder if there is possibly other damage as well, especially since you do not know what happened. As a side note-I have been known to over-react. But, I would rather over-react than do nothing.

Originally Posted by white cat lover

I would call the vet ASAP tomorrow & get her in, don't wait until Wed. afternoon. IMO, it sounds like she broke her tail. Not only is she likely in a lot of pain, but I wonder if there is possibly other damage as well, especially since you do not know what happened. As a side note-I have been known to over-react. But, I would rather over-react than do nothing.

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I don't think you are over reacting. A cats tail is basically an extension of it's spine and an injury, (especially at the base), could wreak havoc and cause much nerve damage which could then cause more serious issues.

Just because she's sitting calmly doesn't mean she's not suffering. Cats are excellent at hiding their pain and a vet would know best how to deal with the problem.

Healthy vibes to ({({({({({Aries})})})})}) and hugs to your and your mom.

Thanks for the advice. Just to give an update, my mom took her to the vet, and it turned out she had an abcess and tail infection. Poor thing! The vet drained the abcess, but it cause Aries a lot of pain. My mom said that she could hear Aries howling in the background over the phone. I was really mad because that meant the vet must not have given her anesthetic. I think we're going to switch vets. (not just because of that but they possibly missed a diagnosis about something we've been asking about for 2 years). Thanks for well-wishes!

I've had abscesses opened up and the doc never gives pain meds for such a thing. First of all, they use the pain reaction to find the center, (head, if it isn't readily apparent), of the abscess and secondly after it is lanced there is generally immediate relief from having the pressure causing fluid, (pus), removed from that area.

It may not have been pain causing Aries to be crying/howling, she may have been kicking up a fuss simply because the vet was doing anything to her. Some cats, dogs, kids or people don't always react calmly and quietly, no matter what a doctor is doing.

I'm glad to hear she got some vet attention and maybe she will soon again be carrying her tail high.