Problems for kitty who lost her tail?

sarahp · Jun 19, 2006

We've adopted a kitty who had her tail amputated just recently after she was in a car accident. She's about 10 months old and is still recovering and sits a little funny and is still gaining strength in her back legs.

Does anyone have any idea what the long term problems are for a cat with no tail? Is she likely to get back and/or hip problems?

She's now a fully inside cat and will hopefully remain that way for the rest of her life (she doesn't even show any desire to go outside at the moment!), so hopefully that will keep her a little quieter.

We do notice that when she sits up, her back is quite straight, rather than the nice curve a regular cat has. We're not sure if that's because her pelvis (which was broken in her accident) is still a bit tender, or if cats normally sit back on their tail a bit, which she can't cause she only had a lil' stump.

sarahp · Jun 19, 2006

Also... she's about 10 months old and really skinny (not surprising given all the trauma she's been through in the last month!), so I'm deciding what to feed her and how much still. At the moment I'm still feeding her the food I got from the shelter - Iams Original. Should I give her a constant supply of kitten food for a little while until she gets to be a regular weight, then decrease it and maybe change to adult food?

She gets her first vet check (free as part of the adoption process) this week, so maybe I'll see what the vet thinks.

jennyr · Jun 19, 2006

My sister's cat had her tail amputated after a fight with a squirrel(LOL) and although it took her a while to regain her balance when jumping, she lived a normal life for many years after.

cearbhaill · Jun 19, 2006

I don't think that lack of a tail will cause her any residual problems, but damage from the accident might.

Once she has fully recovered I would have a thorough exam done, perhaps with a set of xrays, so I have something to refer back to if a problem ever develops.
Beyond that I would take care to see that she gets plenty of good exercise, as keeping muscles toned helps a great deal in keeping joints functional well into old age. Also it will be key to make sure she stays a good weight because obesity will stress already damaged bones.

She will probably experience arthritic symptoms a tad earlier than most cats, but that is a long, long way away. Just love her and give her a super home- and good for you for taking her in!

I free feed kitten food until around seven/eight months, then I feed at specific times as weight dictates. She needs to get some weight on her but keep a very close eye on it. If you have a small postal scale or similar you can keep track of it yourself, or just take her in to be weighed frequently.

sarahp · Jun 19, 2006

Originally Posted by Cearbhaill

I don't think that lack of a tail will cause her any residual problems, but damage from the accident might.

Once she has fully recovered I would have a thorough exam done, perhaps with a set of xrays, so I have something to refer back to if a problem ever develops.
Beyond that I would take care to see that she gets plenty of good exercise, as keeping muscles toned helps a great deal in keeping joints functional well into old age. Also it will be key to make sure she stays a good weight because obesity will stress already damaged bones.

She will probably experience arthritic symptoms a tad earlier than most cats, but that is a long, long way away. Just love her and give her a super home- and good for you for taking her in!

I free feed kitten food until around seven/eight months, then I feed at specific times as weight dictates. She needs to get some weight on her but keep a very close eye on it. If you have a small postal scale or similar you can keep track of it yourself, or just take her in to be weighed frequently.

Great, thanks for your advice!!

goldenkitty45 · Jun 19, 2006

The only experience I know about is my friend's natural manx/maine coon mix. She was born completely tailless. She had few problems but as she got older, she did have some problems with elimintating (poop) and had to be helped at times.

sarahp · Jun 19, 2006

My little girl went to the vet today for her check up, and the vet said she's a little underweight, but would prefer her to be this size than a little overweight as it'll be better for her in the long run ie. less stress on her back legs.

She said she'll probably get arthritis when she gets older but it's a long time away still.

She also said to watch for constipation and blockages since her pelvic area is narrowed from the accident which can cause problems.

Otherwise she got a clean bill of health

Problems for kitty who lost her tail?

sarahp

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jennyr

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