Any advice please

Hi

I have fostered a Kitten (approx 11 months), she was left at the side of the road to die after been knocked over and brought into the vet by a passerby. The vet told me she had a bad broken pelvis and needed to be on cage rest. The cat hated the cage....stood on her back legs and constantly screamed and cried to get out.  The vet said she could come out on my lap. Once she was out the cage she appeared happy, loved cuddles, purring etc. I was convinced she was better. The cat seemed to be doing less damage laid on the mat with me then standing on her back legs, shaking the cage like crazy. I then brought her into the vets 4 weeks later. They said her pelvis has not healed at all. They said she has to go back on cage rest for another 4-6 weeks. In the meantime she has been spayed. It works out she has been done before, she had to have 2 incisions so they were double sure. So the little cat then had a cone over her head, in her cage, and had been cut into twice.

The cone has come off but she is still throwing herself around her cage and desperate to come out (at long periods throughout the day). I have had to take a cruel to be kind approach and keep her in the cage. Its heartbreaking, she is crying and clearly in distress to get out. I have let her on my lap...when she is on my lap she is fine...purring happy. But I am not able to let her on my lap anymore as she tries to escape. The other day whilst clearing her cage she scratched me and managed to get out, jump on and off the bed. I obviously put her back in the cage ASAP.

Im just petrified she wont heal and was wondering what happens in this case? Its absolutely heartbreaking. The vet mentioned that in a worst case scenario she could be put to sleep. The pelvis is apparently really bad. I don’t know alot about cats...but she appears not to be in pain at all....just miserable about the cage. She does walk slightly funny, but she goes to the loo and eats fine. She appears completely happy....just not when in the cage – which I know at this present time she must stay in. I am also considering adopting the cat.

Does anyone know what happens if the pelvis doesn’t heal....and can a cat be put to sleep in this case? Its heartbreaking.

Thank you

Also does anyone have any tips on helping with the cage?  I originally had her in the lounge....but I think there was too much going off around her....she never got any rest. I then moved her in the kitchen near the patio doors....this made it worst...she wanted to get out. I have now moved her in the spare room. Seems to have worked better...but it means she is spending long periods of time alone. I have bought toys, cat nip. I literally cant think of anything else?

I honestly don't see how having her in a cage where she is throwing herself against it to try to get out is going to help her heal .  When you say you have tried putting her in these other rooms, do you mean with her still inside the cage, or just put her in those rooms without the cage?  I would think if you put her in a small room without places she could jump up, that would achieve almost the same thing.

Just how big is this cage?  Is it similar to a large dog crate?  Can she see you when she's in it?  Do you move it around from room to room so she can be with you.  Does she have toys in there to play with (that get exchanged with other toys frequently)  Have you tried playing harp music to calm her down, or playing a cat video on a TV placed near her cage to keep her entertained?  Did you mention to the Vet just how frantic she is while she is in the cage? 

I really think the point of the cage is to keep her from jumping up and down off of things and roughhousing too much, so if she could be in a room with no furniture and a low to the ground window, that would be perfect .  Then if you had some of those "on the ground" toys where they can roll the ball in the tracks, those type of things, she might be happy for a while, as long as you visit her OFTEN.

I'm with mrsgreenjeans. Call your vet, tell them how upset and active she is in the crate, and ask if she'd be ok in a small room without things to climb on? She needs to be resting, not fighting the cage-perhaps the vet can offer suggestions to calm her. Mine provided me with a a few spritzes of Feliway calming pheremone when I asked about keeping a cat calm during a trip from the town he came from to the town we live in.....maybe your vet has something up their sleeve too?

Hi thanks guys for the advice

I have put her in other rooms in the cage. Every room I have has a window ledge which she could jump on or off and damage herself further. The cage is quite big, fits bed, litter tray, food bowls...think its one of the bigger ones. The first week she was in...she took a chunk from her face trying to scrape her head under the bars...luckily she has stopped this...I had to put bubble wrap around the bars...but she ripped this off. Her face was such a mess L. I have put toys in....and I didn’t really think about exchanging them for different ones so I went out and bought some more yesterday – thanks never thought of that. I have also been playing her music too – I think this annoys her as she cries even more.

I have told the vet how frantic she is...I have phoned several times...Im beginning to think I am sounding annoying. I felt really uncomfortable at the vets and was made to feel like it was my fault that she had not made recovery as I had let her out on the mat with me. I thought she was getting stronger (she just looks and acts like any other normal cat). I have been heartbroken over it....im dreading my next visit. I have been really strict now. But she is strong, so its getting harder to stop her escaping (I have many scratches). Then there is the incident when she scratched me and jumped on and off the bed L.

Does feliway work? I have bought some clamers for cats this week, but they are in tablet form. No matter how much I crush it in her food she can eat around them.

8 weeks the little kitty has been in the cage. I don’t really know whats likely to happen if the pelvis does not heal. What I do know is that when she is not in the cage she is a happy kitty. It not nice hearing a kitten sooo upset.

Thanks again

Hi thanks guys for the advice

I have put her in other rooms in the cage. Every room I have has a window ledge which she could jump on or off and damage herself further. The cage is quite big, fits bed, litter tray, food bowls...think its one of the bigger ones. The first week she was in...she took a chunk from her face trying to scrape her head under the bars...luckily she has stopped this...I had to put bubble wrap around the bars...but she ripped this off. Her face was such a mess L. I have put toys in....and I didn’t really think about exchanging them for different ones so I went out and bought some more yesterday – thanks never thought of that. I have also been playing her music too – I think this annoys her as she cries even more.

I have told the vet how frantic she is...I have phoned several times...Im beginning to think I am sounding annoying. I felt really uncomfortable at the vets and was made to feel like it was my fault that she had not made recovery as I had let her out on the mat with me. I thought she was getting stronger (she just looks and acts like any other normal cat). I have been heartbroken over it....im dreading my next visit. I have been really strict now. But she is strong, so its getting harder to stop her escaping (I have many scratches). Then there is the incident when she scratched me and jumped on and off the bed L.

Does feliway work? I have bought some clamers for cats this week, but they are in tablet form. No matter how much I crush it in her food she can eat around them.

8 weeks the little kitty has been in the cage. I don’t really know whats likely to happen if the pelvis does not heal. What I do know is that when she is not in the cage she is a happy kitty. It not nice hearing a kitten sooo upset.

Thanks again

Hi thanks guys for the advice

I have put her in other rooms in the cage. Every room I have has a window ledge which she could jump on or off and damage herself further. The cage is quite big, fits bed, litter tray, food bowls...think its one of the bigger ones. The first week she was in...she took a chunk from her face trying to scrape her head under the bars...luckily she has stopped this...I had to put bubble wrap around the bars...but she ripped this off. Her face was such a mess L. I have put toys in....and I didn’t really think about exchanging them for different ones so I went out and bought some more yesterday – thanks never thought of that. I have also been playing her music too – I think this annoys her as she cries even more.

I have told the vet how frantic she is...I have phoned several times...Im beginning to think I am sounding annoying. I felt really uncomfortable at the vets and was made to feel like it was my fault that she had not made recovery as I had let her out on the mat with me. I thought she was getting stronger (she just looks and acts like any other normal cat). I have been heartbroken over it....im dreading my next visit. I have been really strict now. But she is strong, so its getting harder to stop her escaping (I have many scratches). Then there is the incident when she scratched me and jumped on and off the bed L.

Does feliway work? I have bought some clamers for cats this week, but they are in tablet form. No matter how much I crush it in her food she can eat around them.

8 weeks the little kitty has been in the cage. I don’t really know whats likely to happen if the pelvis does not heal. What I do know is that when she is not in the cage she is a happy kitty. It not nice hearing a kitten sooo upset.

Thanks again

The only other thing I can suggest, other than the Feliway, is to play music and DVD's SPECIFIC to cats.  Harp music is supposed to be very calming to cats.  Also, there are other CD's for cats.  Just google "music for cats".  And there are DVD's made to entertain cats.  But don't play them too loud, as cats ears are sensitive to sound.

that she is healing up somewhat. 

You said you were thinking about adopting her.  If the Vet says there is no healing going on, I would ask him what would happen if you just let her out of the cage and that's that (rather than them put her down), since she is not having any issues going to the bathroom, etc, and doesn't seem to be in any pain.  What would happen in the long run?  Maybe early onset arthritis or something?  Then you could cross that bridge when you come to it...could be years down the road? 

If you feel uncomfortable with your vet, then perhaps another one is in order? Your vet should be helpful to both you and your animal, not make you feel like it's your fault it's not healing.......

I wonder if after 8 weeks a second opinion might be worth considering? No wonder she's upset if she's been in the cage for that long. 

I wish you both the very best

Wishing you the best. I would look for a new vet and have her files transferred over and get their opinions. Also for medication buy a syringe and disolve her pill in a small amount of water and squirt it in or ask the vets for a liquid option...

I pill my cat twice a day and he fights my SO sometimes. I open his mouth and toss the pill into the back of his trought and then rub his throat another option is to get it into her cheeks... Normally pills if small enough can just get taken that way.