Bella got into a fight with a dog!! :( Graphic**

Our beloved cat, Bella, was mauled by a boxer on Thursday. We were home when it happened. The dog was a stray, it lasted probably 20 seconds, but it was one of the most horrific and panic inducing things I've ever been through. She's a mostly white calico and the sight of blood become apparent right away. I immediately scooped her up and applied pressure while yelling at my husband to find the keys to the van. We rushed to the closest animal hospital (I had on pajamas and no shoes and I was completely frantic, they must have thought I was insane). The car ride there was horrific, it's about a 15 minute drive and the sounds she was making made me think we wouldn't make it on time. She had blood work and X-rays done after the vet assessed the obvious trauma. She only had a large gash from her lips through her cheek. When I scooped her up I thought for sure it was her throat but thankfully I was wrong!!!!! Bella is home with us. She is doing ok, but is still obviously in pain. Tonight (24 hours later) is the first I've heard her purr, she is typically a very vocal and talkative cat, to hear sound from her is pure joy. I've been so unbelievably sad and heartbroken that this happened to our baby. I can't tell you when I've cried this much before. It just completely breaks my heart to think about how scared she must have been and how helpless she was, she is the nicest cat you'll ever meet. She is our homes mascot. She is the cat that our guests ask for when they come over. She'll snuggle anyone and everyone and she is just the absolute sweetest little baby. In researching different ways on how to keep her comfortable while she recovers I stumbled upon TheCateSite. My heart is heavy and I wish she could tell me what I could do for her but I at least hope she knows that we love her tremendously. [emoji]128151[/emoji] Thank you for listening to my rambling.

If anyone has any suggestions or advice on making her comfortable, I'm all ears. Also, she has not eaten or drank anything in 24 hours but she is starting to walk around more so hopefully tomorrow she'll have the desire to at least drink. We currently have her confined to one bedroom, she has stairs to get into the bed so she doesn't need to jump. I also have a heating pad on low with a blanket over it for her to lie on. If your cat has ever had a similar experience how many days did it take before you were certain she would be ok?

Poor baby!  When I was a kid, we had a cat get badly mauled by a dog.  She got stitched up and we put bag balm over the incision a few times a day.  When I say badly mauled, I mean her intestines were hanging out.  It was not pretty and I can't believe she survived.  But she healed up and the bag balm seemed to speed up the healing process.

Bag balm is used on the udders of milk cows but it's useful for a lot of other things, too.  It doesn't smell the best, though.

P.S.  Check with your vet before doing anything.

Poor kitty.  Did the clinic give you something to give her for pain?  Often it's Buprenex which comes in an opaque tube and you put it between the cheek and gum?  If not I would get something for pain from your vet.

Poor little thing! I'm so sorry to hear this.

The thing that concerns me the most is that she hasn't eaten or drunk anything. I guess her mouth is making it painful for her to swallow, but you really need to make sure she stays hydrated. Cats develop fatty liver disease if they go more than a few days without food so it's essential that you get some calories into her soon.

I suggest you get a syringe without a needle and try to squirt a little water into the uninjured side of her mouth. Put the syringe into the corner of her mouth and squirt the water into her cheek rather than down her neck. Give her chance to swallow between squirts.

There are very soft foods available for elderly cats or cats that need to be syringe fed. Could you call your vet and ask what they suggest? 

I've rescued feral cats that have been horribly injured in the past. It's amazing what they can recover from. The fact that the vet allowed her to come home rather than keeping her in is a good sign, I think.

Please keep us posted.

Poor little thing, that's horrible.  I think you have lots of good health advice and all seems to be under control so I will address legalities.  Was this on your own property?  Do you know the dog?  Was the dog roaming at large?  Are there bylaws against dogs and/or cats roaming at large where you live?  Is the dog licensed and does it have it's Rabies shots?  Ditto your cat.  Are the dog owners paying your Vet bill if this was on your property or if both animals were off your property?

Get well quickly Bella.

I currently have a foster who was attacked by a dog - she was protecting her kittens. She was a feral living in a colony but fairly socialised and friendly thanks to the woman who feeds them.

She spent the first several days here hiding in a corner, ignoring her kittens, and only coming out to eat and drink (I assume) when I wasn't in the room. She's still very wary but she's come out of her shell a great deal pretty much in line with how much she's healed up. It's not just the pain but the stress as well. You're doing exactly what needs to be done. Look after her and give her the time she needs.

Norachan has given some great advice regarding food.

Sorry forgot to add maybe some baby kitten mousse type of food would be best for her right now, it's so soft and easy to eat. 

Your poor kitty!    I agree with Norachan about the hydration issue. Unflavored Pedialyte (the Moms2Moms brand is cheaper) might be a good consideration since it will replace lost electrolytes and give her some calories.  You could also add some tuna juice or boil some chicken and add the broth to the Pedialyte. Pain management is probably a good idea because pain will make her unlikely to eat or drink on her own. When cats go without eating, their appetite seems to shut down.  You might also consult a holistic vet about giving her a little coconut oil or slippery elm tea, to soothe the raw tissues.

As for the dog, being at large makes it a threat to the neighborhood. Certain breeds have higher prey drives & once the dog tastes fresh blood, it can encourage future attacks on other small mammals, including human infants & toddlers (God Forbid!!!). 

Please keep us all posted & welcome to TCS! Sending prayers and vibes for healing (physically & emotionally for Bella, and for her family who witnessed the terrible event & its aftermath). sincerely, susan

Thank you everyone for your responses. This has been a nightmare and I've only slept for short spurts during her recovery. Her and I have taken over my sons room so I can keep a close eye on her during the night. Yesterday I brought her out for a few hours and put her on the couch. She slept so deeply for about two hours, she was completely stretched out and took up a whole cushion. I think she really liked being around the voices and in her favorite spot. She did drink water yesterday morning, and she drank quite a bit. She has not eaten though. I'm going to go right now and buy the pedialyte and "mousse" kitten food. I've been offering her wet food and she'll sniff but not eat. I'm sure her mouth is quite sore. This has been such a helpless situation, even our other animals know there is something wrong. We are all just ready for her to be back to her normal self.
As far as the dog is concerned, when it happened my husband grabbed the dog and put her into our kennel in the house. When we returned from the vet I immediately loaded the devil dog (I only say that because of what she did to our baby, we have a dog of our own that we love just as much as our cats) and took her to animal control. I told them exactly what happened, they scanned her and she was chipped. They them asked if I could HOLD THE DOG AT MY HOUSE so the owners wouldn't have to pay their impound fee!!!!!!!!! Um....I have a $700 vet bill, do you think I care about their petty fee????????!!!! We live in a very small country type town in CA, I've had people tell me the cat should have just been put down rather than spend that type of money to fix her. Obviously that wasn't happening!

They should pay their own $@!? Impound fee AS WELL AS your vet bills!!!! If not, they should be prepared to be sued. It's the only right thing to do. In my county the dog would be put down. Your poor kitty!

SarahRamirez said:

Thank you everyone for your responses. This has been a nightmare and I've only slept for short spurts during her recovery. Her and I have taken over my sons room so I can keep a close eye on her during the night. Yesterday I brought her out for a few hours and put her on the couch. She slept so deeply for about two hours, she was completely stretched out and took up a whole cushion. I think she really liked being around the voices and in her favorite spot. She did drink water yesterday morning, and she drank quite a bit. She has not eaten though. I'm going to go right now and buy the pedialyte and "mousse" kitten food. I've been offering her wet food and she'll sniff but not eat. I'm sure her mouth is quite sore. This has been such a helpless situation, even our other animals know there is something wrong. We are all just ready for her to be back to her normal self.
As far as the dog is concerned, when it happened my husband grabbed the dog and put her into our kennel in the house. When we returned from the vet I immediately loaded the devil dog (I only say that because of what she did to our baby, we have a dog of our own that we love just as much as our cats) and took her to animal control. I told them exactly what happened, they scanned her and she was chipped. They them asked if I could HOLD THE DOG AT MY HOUSE so the owners wouldn't have to pay their impound fee!!!!!!!!! Um....I have a $700 vet bill, do you think I care about their petty fee????????!!!! We live in a very small country type town in CA, I've had people tell me the cat should have just been put down rather than spend that type of money to fix her. Obviously that wasn't happening!

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I can't believe the gall of some people!  I don't even know what to say - I can't believe they would even ask that considering what she did!!!

Ginny said:

They should pay their own $@!? Impound fee AS WELL AS your vet bills!!!! If not, they should be prepared to be sued. It's the only right thing to do. In my county the dog would be put down. Your poor kitty!

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I agree 100%!  They obviously were not being responsible pet owners.  What if the dog had killed or maimed a child?  Would they still refuse to take it seriously?  Some people just don't seem to understand that our pets are FAMILY.  They aren't just animals.

Update: We decided to take Bella into the 24 hr emergency vet, today is Sunday and our follow up appt isn't until Tuesday, since she isn't eating or drinking. Last night she was very uncomfortable and kept hiding under the bed or just sitting kind of hunched over. The vet gave us a couple of options and we chose to leave her overnight so they could administer IV fluids as well as her pain meds and antibiotics. I'm hoping when I pick her up in the morning she'll be feeling much much better. It will also allow me to get some much needed rest. For the past three nights I've slept with her in my sons room with the light on dim so I didn't sleep too heavily and I could keep an eye on her. I'm so beyond ready to get past this ordeal and get back to some normalcy. I'm overjoyed that I found this site, I don't feel like such a crazy cat lady that is just overreacting over some silly cat. It truly feels so refreshing to not have to preface everything with, "She's more than just a cat to us".

Alicia and Ginny, I was taken aback when she had the nerve to ask if I could hold the dog (that just almost killed my kitty!!!!!) so that the owner could avoid fees (which I think is only $50!!!!!!). I was still covered in my cats blood, still frantic, and still waiting to get the call that Bella's X-rays and blood work came back ok and she's strong enough for surgery. The nerve to even suggest that I might want to look at this dog for a second longer was pretty annoying. I really felt like animal control had the attitude that she was just a cat, they're a dime a dozen. She is not just a cat, she is our Princess Bella.

@SarahRamirez  that AC person must have been a cat hater.  What an idiot!  I still can't get over it.  It is beyond absurd to ask someone else to pay for an owner's rank irresponsibility!  Let alone the actual victim's family!!!  This make me very angry!  Can you call a news station about this? The public needs to know about this dangerous dog.  

This may seem a bit prejudiced, but every cat hater I have ever known wasn't a person worth knowing in the first place.  Cats are more discerning than dogs.  They make you work for their affection and they aren't submissive to humans.  I think that's why some people don't like cats.  They're insecure to begin with and an animal that doesn't bow down and cower before them makes them feel even more insecure.

I like dogs just fine, but I have always preferred cats.  For one, I like an animal who has a mind of its own.  Also, cats don't stink.  That's a big one.  I have never been around a dog that wasn't smelly.  Even if they were just bathed, that dog smell is still on them and it never goes away.  And cats aren't as slobbery.  When they lick you, their tongues aren't all wet and sloppy.

Alicia88 said:

 
This may seem a bit prejudiced, but every cat hater I have ever known wasn't a person worth knowing in the first place.  Cats are more discerning than dogs.  They make you work for their affection and they aren't submissive to humans.  I think that's why some people don't like cats.  They're insecure to begin with and an animal that doesn't bow down and cower before them makes them feel even more insecure.

I like dogs just fine, but I have always preferred cats.  For one, I like an animal who has a mind of its own.  Also, cats don't stink.  That's a big one.  I have never been around a dog that wasn't smelly.  Even if they were just bathed, that dog smell is still on them and it never goes away.  And cats aren't as slobbery.  When they lick you, their tongues aren't all wet and sloppy.

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Couldn't agree with you more!  

Is your kitty ok?? I know from experience with a kitty who was in pain, if they are hurting, they won't eat. I hope that fluids, pain meds and antibiotics help your Bella feel better!!

And I am just...SHOCKED that the pound would ask you to keep this dog...that ATTACKED your cat?! I mean, if you were to keep it, you wouldn't have brought it in the first place!!!! No one hates animals, but I DO hate animals that should not be off leashes or who have owners that are idiots. I'd also be telling those people they owe you over 1K for vet bills and far more for emotional stress.

I hope your baby is home soon!!! (((hugs)))

This is the best you could have done for her. I'm sure tomorrow she'll be fine. Cats get back on their feet right away after a good dose of IV fluids when they're unable to do take care for themselves for reasons that are not life-threatening. Keep us posted, and the best of energies for your family. TCS is the best site for cat lovers

I went yesterday morning to pick Bella up from the overnight emergency care. She still wasn't eating and they wanted her to remain hooked to the IV for the day so I transported her to our regular vet office. I picked her up before closing and they gave me some canned food and syringes to force feed throughout the next several days. I've never done force feeding so I was nervous and was hoping that being home would relax her enough that she would decide she would eat on her own. So this morning, after realizing she had her own plan, I knew I was going to have to step up to the plate. I watched a couple of YouTube videos and gained the confidence. It's MUCH EASIER than giving medication!!!

She is typically a very vocal cat and she is obsessive about food!! She is starting to meow again but she keeps her mouth closed. Hopefully, as each day goes by her pain will get less and less and we can move on from this craziness. The bags under my eyes are big enough to pack for a week's vacation.

Poor Bella!  I hope she starts to eat on her own again.  I'm so glad you updated us, I was wondering how the poor kitty was doing.  I hope she gets her appetite back too.  Did the vet offer any reason why she doesn't want to eat?  I guess the stress of the attack could be it, but are there other reasons they have told you about?