Bad weight snapped tail

[Demillunakittyx]

Hey guys,
This one is for my mum for some advice.

My teenage brother recently found a kitten wandering around in some trees,
He brought it home as it was rather fluffy and looked chunky but on picking up was skin and bones as well as flea infested,

After a trip to the vets the kitten was scanned for a chip and non was found
The kitten was to be put up for a rescue shelter but my mom offered to pay vet fees and keep the kitten herself.

The kitten has a snapped tail, the vets are not concerned and told my mam to feed the kitten on kitten food and water.

Mam has been feeding the kitten on wet food aswell as a constant supply of dry kitten food on offer with water on offer to,
The bathing and flea treatment has helped a lot and managed to de matter his fur.

My mams 6 month old cat (female) spent 2 days hissing and wacking him on the head however after intruding them slowly she now grooms the kitty and keeps him warm.

They gave the baby a age range of 8 to 12 weeks but eyes are still quite blue.

Any advice on the feeding and if the snapped tail should be of concern would be amazing.

Thankyou

 

[Kieka]

Thanks for helping this little one out.

When you say "snapped tail" what exactly do you mean or do you have a photo? Broken tails aren't a major issue. Assuming nothing else is broken, the worst case is the end of the tail dying off and having to be amputated if the blood flow was impacted. But it sounds like it is purely cosmetic from the vets reaction and you'd already see if dying by now if it was a worst case. I had a cat whose tail was broken about two inches from the tip. The tail bent about 45° at the end from the break but it didn't impact my cat any. Depending on where and the severity, it could cause issues with balance but that would be about it. Plenty of cats live with no tail, short tails and broken tails without any trouble or life impact. With your kitten being so young any possible balance issue will never be noticable because your kitten doesn't know any different and will adapt.

Feed sounds good. Make sure he is getting kitten or all stages labeled foods. The nutrition on adult labeled isn't good enough to for a growing kitten. Wet food as the primary is best, especially with young kittens cats really don't drink enough water so having water rich food is better for them. I would phase out the dry, if you can, when he gets older but dry is great for between meals at this age. Kittens really are a bottomless pit for food because food equals energy and young kittens need a lot of energy to grow.

By the way, it looks like it has a fever coat, that will eventually fade as the coat grows out leaving the kitten (most likely) solid black. A fever coat is when the Mom is sick while pregnant and the pigment doesn't fully develop on the kittens fur. When the kittens fur grows out, the new coat will be the color it will be for the rest of their life. It sometimes can take a fully year before all vestiges of the fever coat are gone. But it doesn't indicate any problems with the kitten. I know you didn't ask about it but preemptive because you'll probably be back to ask why the coat is changing over the next few months.

 

[fionasmom]

I also wondered what you meant by snapped tail. Kieka really covered it but I just wanted to add that I have TNRed ferals who had tails damaged from fight where gangrene had set in. I am not in any way suggesting that has happened to your kitty. Tails were entirely amputated at the time of the TNR and everyone went on to live a good life with no tail.

 

[Demillunakittyx]

Thankyou I didn't know that about the coat we don't know who mother is as he was just wondering on he's own, he was walking a little to one side and a little unbalanced the vet did say this would just be who he is and the normal for him due to the broken/snapped tail, & I don't have any photos I will get one tomorrow when I'm at my mums as I myself have 6 kittens (no fault of my own) and 2 rescues,
Yes the tail sounds similar to what you are describing, its broken a Couple of inches off the tip and when he puts it up it kinda goes to one side, the vet didn't seem concerned but gave a list of things to watch out for..

Yes he's on kitten food age 2-12 months he had small but plenty of helping through out the day, he loves to be snuggled in now that the fleas have been managed he's taken place on my mom or brothers bed, he's really friendly but at the same time he doesn't back down when playing with the older cat, mom's chihuahua also grooms him and cuddles him in and tends to be he's guard he is adored by everyone,

I think maybe the broken tail and as you have said about the fur whoever has had this poor baby clearly seen a issue and just thrown him out I don't know how he's survived the state he was in, he's got he's own bed own toys own bowls and he tends to be thriving and doesn't seem to have any hate or aggression in he's little body!

 

[Demillunakittyx]

Less blury photos of him..
He really is the sweetest guy but after not hearing of a broken/snapped tail and the vet giving him the all clear from it was just a tad concerning.
He's had a Corse of antibiotics for good measure as they said at the vets with him been on he's own for only who knows how long,
He's had some drops for parasites and worms
And went though 2 weeks worth of flea treatment aswell as bathing and combing most nights,
And he's back in 3 weeks time to get his shots as they didn't have an exact age and preferred to wait till he was on the mend before giving him the shots,

 

[Kieka]

I would put him at 8 to 10 weeks in the photos. My mom has a lovely black cat who was found abandoned in a box at probably 4-6 weeks old. Also flea infested and super scrawny. Some people

Here is Nightfury now hugging his mommy:

He cried to be picked up and cuddled. Shortly after this photo he got tucked in to bed for a nap (literally put on his blanket, covered with his blanket to the neck and slept for several hours).

 

[Demillunakittyx]

I would put him at 8 to 10 weeks in the photos. My mom has a lovely black cat who was found abandoned in a box at probably 4-6 weeks old. Also flea infested and super scrawny. Some people

Here is Nightfury now hugging his mommy:
View attachment 380285

He cried to be picked up and cuddled. Shortly after this photo he got tucked in to bed for a nap (literally put on his blanket, covered with his blanket to the neck and slept for several hours)

Omg looks identical to my " kitty mittens "!
She was a rescue kitten she was only a few weeks old when we got her from a farm also left in a box with another kitten my mom took one and I did to! My black baby is also the most cuddly baby with a bad case of petting aggression but she's the most lovable baby..

Yes it's hard to determined a age the vet said they were unable to put a age on him but he wanted his treatments to be priority over shots and booked him in for 3 weeks after he's treatments were finished and he was on the mend.

I did also give my mum a tub of the from birth formula just as a little between meals for extra nutrients if he wasn't eating but he seems to love all food, it's just ashame people could let the baby get in the state he was in rather then drop him off at a shelter!


Also this is kitty mittens she was from a farm we had fed her by hand for 3 weeks and she also caught covid 19 and made it through that she is amazing thinks she's the boss now.

I also got a rescue who was showing clear signs of anxiety and had been abused, I had her roughly 4 weeks and she gave birth to 6 beautiful kittens 16 days ago after having 0 trust and constant hissing and hiding away she now dumps her baby on my feet when she wants to go for a break and has the most amazing bond with me and the children and also kitty, I think sometimes aswell you need to be so prepared for the responsibility of rescues as I myself become very paranoid I want them fully checked over and vet fees run up especially when the rescue is pregnant having scans and her being so young back and forth to make sure she will make it,

I just wish I found this baby kitten but my brother wouldn't part with him and am just so glad he's on the mend and able to be given a good chance at life

It's ashame what some people do to animals