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I kicked him in the face! :O

post #1 of 8
6/18/11 at 7:57pm
Thread Starter 
Sometimes the stars align and things happen exactly at the right (wrong) moment. A few minutes ago I went to swing my feet off the bed right as Garfunkel began to jump up onto the bed. The top of my foot flew straight into his face!

I didn't hear a thud or crack or anything, but it was enough force to knock him about a foot backwards and onto his back. I went to grab him and he skitted away a bit, but let me pick him up the second time I reached for him.

I felt all his bones, browbone, jaw, etc., and everything seems to be okay; he did not mewl or make a face during my inspection. He seems fine... is currently eating some wet food I just put out.

Have I done everything needed to ensure I didn't hurt him? I can't tell if I'm worrying over nothing or if I'm not doing enough worrying. Any advice?
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post #2 of 8
6/18/11 at 9:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by parsleysage View Post
Sometimes the stars align and things happen exactly at the right (wrong) moment. A few minutes ago I went to swing my feet off the bed right as Garfunkel began to jump up onto the bed. The top of my foot flew straight into his face!

I didn't hear a thud or crack or anything, but it was enough force to knock him about a foot backwards and onto his back. I went to grab him and he skitted away a bit, but let me pick him up the second time I reached for him.

I felt all his bones, browbone, jaw, etc., and everything seems to be okay; he did not mewl or make a face during my inspection. He seems fine... is currently eating some wet food I just put out.

Have I done everything needed to ensure I didn't hurt him? I can't tell if I'm worrying over nothing or if I'm not doing enough worrying. Any advice?
I've accidentally done that with my Gus and Liz, so I know how scary that can be, and my heart goes out to you.

Keep in mind, cats bonk into things even when they're playing, so to some degree, they can be pretty resilient - depending on how hard the bonk is. (I know it's especially gut-wrenching when we do it ourselves, though.)

I don't know how hard your foot hit him and, unfortunately, there's no way for any of us to be able to offer complete reassurance since we're not there and (most of us) aren't vets. That being said, when this type of thing has happened with my cats, I've always kept an eye on things that can be indicative of a concussion - nausea, dilated pupils, off-kilter gait, unexplained lethargy, etc. - or internal injuries. With two cats prone to some very unique health issues, I know that the go-to "it's safest to ask a vet" response is not always the most welcome thing to hear when we want an answer now, but since only you know how hard it hit him and can see how he's acting now, that may be an option for you.

If it were my cat, I'd keep an eye on him and see how things go during the night and next day, and talk to a vet if you notice anything weird or have any other reason to be concerned. Hang in there.
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post #3 of 8
6/18/11 at 9:38pm
A kick to the face like that should be nothing. They have tons of padding for their brains unlike us (thats why they can shake their heads left and right twice the maximum speed of your spin cycle w/o getting dizzy) and they are super bendy.

I remember when I first got Wesley and Buttercup people were making fun of me because of how overly gentle I was with them, as they just seem so tiny. Now I know better, and while I wasn't there, from the description I'd do a once over, give him a treat as an apology, and be done with it.
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post #4 of 8
6/18/11 at 10:54pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kristin23 View Post
I don't know how hard your foot hit him and, unfortunately, there's no way for any of us to be able to offer complete reassurance since we're not there and (most of us) aren't vets. That being said, when this type of thing has happened with my cats, I've always kept an eye on things that can be indicative of a concussion - nausea, dilated pupils, off-kilter gait, unexplained lethargy, etc. - or internal injuries. ... If it were my cat, I'd keep an eye on him and see how things go during the night and next day, and talk to a vet if you notice anything weird or have any other reason to be concerned. Hang in there.
Thank you! I did some simple neuro tests, snapped my fingers on either side of his head to test hearing, had him follow my finger with his head, made him (okay, "made him") chase a toy to test coordination - he seems okay! I'll keep an eye out tomorrow as I'll be home most of the day. They have a vet appointment Monday to get the second round of one of their shots (they are 13 weeks tomorrow!) so I'll ask him to double-check that all is well.

I feel better. Thanks.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ducman69 View Post
A kick to the face like that should be nothing. They have tons of padding for their brains unlike us (thats why they can shake their heads left and right twice the maximum speed of your spin cycle w/o getting dizzy) and they are super bendy.
Very true - and that's reassuring. Thanks.
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post #5 of 8
6/19/11 at 8:49am
I hope he's milking you for all you've got! I've done that before to Tumbles as well as tripped over him, kicked him while walking, and all sorts of things like that. It's soooooo scary!! Glad he's doing okay.
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post #6 of 8
6/19/11 at 9:03am
I am always weary about head injuries in cats since several years ago when a neighbors cat ran into my parents compost bin full speed (it was around a corner) and it killed him instantly. I found him at 1am laying there with blood coming out of his mouth.

So now every time one of these cats bang their head I am checking them over and following them around making sure they are OK. I think they get annoyed with me but I need to know.
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post #7 of 8
6/20/11 at 12:14pm
I had that happen between the two of my babies! One was running around the corner, another running too, from opposite end, and wham! face to face. Girl was OK, Beau was hit hard. He actually thew up immediately... it scared me so much. But was ok then, with a good drink of water and wet food I put out for him. No lingering issues.
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post #8 of 8
6/22/11 at 12:18am
My biggest such scare, not so long ago, was me one night running fast down the stairs in very dim lighting, taking two steps at a time (which I always do). That's 160 pounds hitting each step pretty hard. At the time my cat never chilled on the steps. So it came as a wrenching surprise when I felt soft fur under my foot.

Turns out I had missed her by 50/50 chance, and my foot slid over her back to hit the next step. I'm pretty sure had I stepped on her I could have broken her ribs/leg/whatever. Now I'm more careful on the steps, lol.
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