I hurt a kitten

I feel soooooo bad. I was volunteering today and had put a kitten back in his cage with his mates and had an old man who was a little weird talking to me so was distracted. The cage doors can stick a little sometimes, which it did, so I went to slam a bit harder just as I turned to look at the man, and I didn't notice the little 3 month kitten had just his paw under the cage door!!!

The poor little guy absolutely screamed in pain, and I turned and the little guy who is really sweet and confident was cowering in the back corner with his fur up looking at me with an absolute look of terror on his face and holding his little paw up

After a minute or so he was still not putting any weight on his paw, so I grabbed one of the vet techs and he took the kitten away. He said when he squeezed the kittens paw he seemed fine and was purring before too long, but said he'd put him in isolation for 24 hours just to make sure he was fine.

It was an accident but I feel terrible for hurting the little guy.

There, there. Accidents happen. Since he's so young, most likely he won't remember that little incident. Animals can be quite forgiving to us clumsy humans. At least he was fine. Babies tend to bounce back a lot quicker than older ones.

Aww Sarah *hugs* i know at that time it seems really horrible, but they won't remember it after a while. Accidents unfortunately do happen and people just don't know when to stop talking when you're trying to work!

Accidents happen, i stepped on eazy's paw one night in the dark

accidents do happen, I got Lucky's paw in a drawer last week, I felt horrible, when I heard her cry.

The vet tech said to me "Gee Sarah what are you doing, you're supposed to helping the kittens not hurting them".

Poor little guy has to be separated from his siblings for a day... I took photos of them (before I smashed his little paw), so once I upload them I'll post them. I nearly died from all the cuteness.

You couldn't help it. I'm always treading on Blossom's feet when she gets under mine. I always feel terrible, give her a cuddle & check her paw to see its working alright.

Originally Posted by sarahp

The vet tech said to me "Gee Sarah what are you doing, you're supposed to helping the kittens not hurting them".

Poor little guy has to be separated from his siblings for a day... I took photos of them (before I smashed his little paw), so once I upload them I'll post them. I nearly died from all the cuteness.

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I can't wait to see the pictures

I've done the same thing. It happens....esp. since they all want out of the cage so bad.

Oh, I know that awful feeling... you'd just give anything in the world to be able to say "I'm sorry" in felinese. One time I went to close a window, and Dylan was on the sill, so I carefully eased his plump little self away from the window before I closed it -- but I forgot about his tail! He screeched and ran and hid and I spent twenty minutes working to regain his trust... and to get a look at his tail and make sure it wasn't broken. Thank goodness, he was okay, and he didn't hold it against me.

Aw, hope you're feeling better about it. It feels awful doesn't it? My one seems to be the occasional whack in the face when they sneak up on you on the couch and I'm gesticulating wildly as I talk (is that the right word??)

I know how it feels - once I accidentally kicked Beauty. I was talking to my brother and had seen Beauty on my right. I thought she was staying there so I started moving forwards not realising she had moved to the front of me.

Luckily she didn't hold it against me.

This reminds me of the time I posted up a thread because Sonic's foot accidentally got shut in a door, I felt absolutely awful. These things happen, it wasn't like you did it deliberately! But it is hard not to feel terribly guilty. Sonic was fine, and this little kitten will be fine too, he'll soon forget about it with all those busy playful kitten thoughts going on in his head

yes, it's probably far worse for you than for him...he'll totally forget and go about playing and you'll still feel guilty....I can't tell you how many times I've stepped on Stanley (maybe because he's always under foot ) and he scampers off to play a moment later while I feel guilty the whole day.

I have to say though, it wasn't nice of the vet tech to rub it in...

Originally Posted by JellyBella

I have to say though, it wasn't nice of the vet tech to rub it in...

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He was just kidding - hes a really nice guy who's always giving me heaps jokingly. He assured me the kitten will be fine, and they were just isolating him to make sure he didn't get too rowdy if his paw was still a bit sore.

You know I think that's happend to all of us shelter volunteers, but I know how horrible you feel when it happens. I've accidently steped on a cats paw & caught them in doors before too. I think the worst was a cat that got out of her cage the first night. I came in & she was very frightened. I was the only one there at first. She was freaking out running all over & hitting her head on things. I grabed her to try and stop her from hurting herself. She bit me & I let go. I finally got her to sit still in a corner. I noticed that one pupil was huge and the other was small. I got a carrier & she ran right in, then I was able to get her in her cage & cover her up. I was so afraid she wasn't going to make it. I called the director and lost it. I have always heard that one large pupil is a very bad thing. I started bawling saying I would never hurt a cat & I didn't know what I would do if something happend to her. The director was really cool about it and said that she knew I would never hurt one of the cats and told me to come back the next day and check on her. Sure enough she was fine. I got blood poisoning from her bite, but she is still at the shelter and doing great. It took her a while to learn to like me, but now we are buddies.

I'm sorry that happened. I know you'll be forgiven though. I've accidentally elbowed Popsie in the face before.!!! He'll be sitting right next to me in bed and I'll go to move my arm and then BAM right in his poor little nose. I feel so horrible when that happens but then I kiss him and love him and it's all better.

Aw, Sarah, don't you just feel awful. But it won't be the last time that little guy gets a paw or a tail trampled. If it weren't the door, it would be a foot or something. I'm forever walking on my girls' feet or tails, they chastise me, and I tell them they have to remember that humans are clumsy and klutsy and to stay clear of our feet -- not that that does any good, but it's a useful part of the apology process.