Caring for my cat after a car accident

Lauriz62
Lauriz62 Icon representing the flag French
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Hi everyone,

My boy is used to going out in the evening and sometimes even during the night. He comes and goes as he pleases.

He was hit by a car, around his hindquarters, this Tuesday evening. We found him on Wednesday morning in our garden, in a really bad way.

We took him straight to the vet, who told us plainly that we were lucky to have found him alive this morning. He’s a real fighter, my boy! She put him straight on a drip and morphine (he was suffering from hypothermia and was in shock). An X-ray was taken: his spine has been badly affected and has shifted. He’s lost feeling in his tail, but he still has some sensation and reflexes in his back legs. The car that hit him definitely wasn't doing 20mph (which is the speed limit on my street).

The vet is quite pessimistic about the future; she told me there’s very little chance he’ll be able to walk again and, of course, a very high chance he’ll remain incontinent.

Today, he’s doing "better". He’s stabilised and his temperature is normal. He ate and drank this morning and gave the vet plenty of cuddles and purrs.

She then spoke to us about the two possible options:

- putting him to sleep

- bringing him home with us

We aren't in favour of euthanasia; my partner and I believe that we don't have the right to decide life or death over animals, whoever they are. So even less so for our own boy.

Therefore, we’ve chosen to bring him back home. But I need some advice...

Have any of you been through this? How did it go? Did your cat recover or was he left with a disability?

For those whose cats didn't recover, how did you manage the disability and the incontinence?

I know we’re going to have to set up a little area just for him so he doesn’t move around. Keep his bowls within reach and change his puppy pads as soon as they’re soiled. Wash him with water very regularly too.

Anyway... I need advice and I think I need some reassurance too... I’ve been devastated since yesterday. I hope you can help me.

Translated from French
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15 answers
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    • ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    I’m so incredibly sorry and heart-broken for you and your little cat, but you did everything you possibly could and made the kindest decision for him. He passed away peacefully, without any suffering and surrounded by love.

    Try to hold on to all the lovely memories you shared and take comfort in knowing he had a very happy life with you. Having been through it myself, I know how sad, resentful, and angry you can feel at the sheer unfairness of it all. Unfortunately, those feelings do stick around for a while as we always find ways to blame ourselves, but time does eventually ease the pain and perhaps another little one will come along later down the line and bring a smile back to your face.

    Wishing you lots of strength as you grieve, but please don’t be hard on yourself—you’ve been a wonderful mum.

    Translated from French
    M
    Mike64 Icon representing the flag French
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    It’s so incredibly tough, but you did everything you possibly could, and sadly, no one can do the impossible. You’ll always have the memories and all the wonderful times you shared with him – hold onto those during the difficult moments. Sending you lots of strength.
    Translated from French
    Lauriz62
    Lauriz62 Icon representing the flag French
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    Sadly, this will be the last time I’ll be giving you an update on my boy.

    We went to see him this afternoon. He’d stopped fighting. I think there was just too much pain for him to endure. He was slowly fading away. It was heartbreaking to see him like that.

    So, we have made the decision to let him go, to end his suffering.

    We’re absolutely devastated... But I think it was the right thing to do.

    I want to thank you all so much for your advice and support over the last few days. It really has helped me a lot.

    Now I just have to try and grieve... I’m going to miss my little sweetheart so incredibly much.

    Translated from French
    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    No one can do the impossible; I think you’ve considered every option for him and done everything humanly possible to ease his pain and keep him with you, despite his disabilities. But if the vet is very pessimistic and your little cat is starting to let go, you might have to think about helping him on his way, as Mike put it so well. Sadly, we can’t work miracles, but we can love them right until the very end by letting them pass away in our arms, peacefully and surrounded by all our love. I’m sending you so much strength, and I’m still hoping there might be a little glimmer of hope left.
    Translated from French
    M
    Mike64 Icon representing the flag French
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    Good evening,

    Yes, it seems the improvement was indeed short-lived, and I’m so sorry for the poor little guy.

    As for making the decision, it is incredibly difficult, but if your vet is pessimistic, a feeding tube will only keep him alive without addressing the issues caused by the accident... no one can make such a choice for you, but do ask plenty of questions about the chances of him remaining paralysed, and above all, try to put yourself in the cat’s shoes...

    Euthanasia is the final act of love we can show them—letting them go and, most importantly, ending their suffering. If you can be there with him until the very end, it will be a good thing for him.

    Wishing you a lot of strength.

    Translated from French
    Lauriz62
    Lauriz62 Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi everyone, The good news was short-lived, I’m afraid. My little boy has no strength left at all. He’s just lying on his side and hasn’t eaten anything since yesterday. So, we have two options: - Either we step things up. The vet would have to fit a feeding tube so he can get some food down him. Even then, she’s told us straight that she isn’t optimistic, even with that. - Or we make the decision to let him go so he isn't suffering anymore. I’m completely lost and devastated. My poor little fur baby... :'(
    Translated from French
    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    That’s honestly brilliant news; your little lad is a real fighter and I completely understand why you want to keep fighting for him. Cats have such incredible resilience; you should never give up on them, as they never cease to amaze us.

    I’m sending a lorry-load of positive vibes your way to share with the little fella, and please do keep us posted on his quite remarkable progress.

    Translated from French
    Lauriz62
    Lauriz62 Icon representing the flag French
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    Thanks for your support. It really warms my heart.

    He’s a member of our family, so of course we’re going to fight for him. I know some people don't see it that way, which is a real shame.

    I spoke to the vet on the phone earlier.

    So, here’s the update:

    Starting with the not-so-good news:

    - He’s still struggling to stabilise his temperature. She tried turning off the heat source they'd provided, and his temperature dropped. So she had to turn it back on. It’s something to keep an eye on tomorrow.

    - She "drained" his bladder and there was still quite a lot of blood. The vet didn't seem too worried about it, though. She told me it was normal since the accident was so recent, and that we’d have to wait until tomorrow to see how things go.

    As for the good news:

    - He moved around on his own this morning to get some food and water—obviously with some difficulty, dragging his back end. But that’s a great sign. It shows he’s got the will to live and is fighting too!

    - He’s still got plenty of reflexes and feeling in his back legs. She took his temperature earlier and he had reflexes in his anus, and also when she "drained" his bladder. His anus contracted slightly when she inserted the thermometer. And similarly, when she "drained" his bladder, he had some reactions. That is really good news. Of course, it’s still too early to tell if he’ll be incontinent or not, but the vet was still blown away by the improvements between yesterday and today.

    Regarding the referral hospital, I’m going to look into the costs. Firstly for a CT scan, which I think would help clear things up. Then, later on, for rehab if that could help him. I’ll have a chat with the specialist vet at the hospital to get all the information I need.

    So I’m anxiously waiting for her to call me back tomorrow. If he manages to stabilise his temperature and doesn't have much blood in his urine, we’ll finally be able to bring him home. I can’t wait to have him back! I’m keeping my fingers crossed that his condition keeps improving. But just the fact that the vet was impressed and more optimistic than yesterday is so reassuring.

    Thanks again to all of you for your support and advice; it’s invaluable to me right now.

    Translated from French
    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    There’s a 10% chance his condition will improve. Personally, I’d give it a go and head to that specialist clinic; they apparently have everything needed for this type of condition. It’s worth a shot, but you should know it’ll be quite pricey. I can see you’d move heaven and earth for your cat, and I truly hope you’re in a position to do it. A CT scan will give you a clear answer on your cat’s condition and whether he’s able to make even a partial recovery. In any case, it’s lovely to see such empathy—it’s actually really heartening because all too often we see owners giving up, even over simple behavioural issues, and just getting rid of the cat. I’ve got my fingers crossed for your kitty; he’s got a wonderful owner, and I wish every cat was as lucky.
    Translated from French
    M
    Mike64 Icon representing the flag French
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    If you can manage it financially, it would be worth finding out more about the injuries your cat has sustained. A CT scan would certainly help you learn more and give you a clearer idea of the prognosis for your cat... their rehabilitation potential and what the future holds. And like everyone else has said, I think it's incredibly brave and noble of you to want to keep your cat, even with a disability. But if their quality of life is going to be non-existent, filled with nothing but suffering and total immobility, you’ll have to try and put yourself in their shoes to make the right decision. I had to make that call six months ago for an elderly dog with chronic arthritis... when their days consist of nothing but pain, you have to find the strength to put your own feelings aside and let them go.
    Translated from French

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