How easy can a cat's tail break?

We went out to dinner and came back an hour later. Her tail was down. It comes out at the base like she wants to put it up but then it just hangs there. She lets me touch it but she meows, which is not unusual, she is witchy most of the time anyway.

I just don't know what could have happened? I felt it and nothing feels out of place. Could she have sprained it? I guess I need to look up Feline anatomy huh? But any information someone has here would be appreciated.

Thanks!

More then likely a bad sprain. Spooky did that. We never did figure out how it happened. Only thing was that our son had a big Tonka truck at the end of the bed - maybe Spooky jumped down and didn't clear the truck and the tail came down hard.

The sprain was at the base of the tail - was the same way - totally limp/down and didn't seem to hurt him too much when you touched it. We took him in for x-ray to be sure. Nothing broke/cracked, but the vet wrapped about 1/2 his tail.

To top it off, Spooky was going in a show 2 weeks away. After being wrapped for about 7-10 days, he was fine. Tail was normal by show time

Thanks for your reply. It helps to hear about what others have experianced. I just wish I knew how it happened. I need to install cameras in my house.

I have a cat with a bent tail and she is fine.
Her tail was closed in the door years ago.

Well, I only know one person who had a cats tail break. so thtat meaqns it is pretty unlikely since everyone ine ever known pretty much has had cats

cats mask their pain so well it would be hard to tell.

I know HOW a tail could go without any other object involved. When Teppo plays with Da Bird or a string he gets so excited he'll reach up with front paws, then backs up, and loses his balance (yes he is a bit ungainly because he is quite a tubby). At that point he just falls backwards on his BENT tail, and it looks awful. I have told him many times that one day he'll snap it in two, and he should get in shape before more acrobatics. He basically sits his heavy body right on his skinny tail in 90 degree angle. Owie.

Good vibes to your sore-tailed kitty! I once knew a cat that lived all her life with a tail that had a kink in it. She was rescued like that and since the tail had healed into wrong position vet said it would be more suffering to try to reposition it back to straight. Kitty didn't seem to mind.