As the title says, my girl got her tail caught in a door. I saw her go out and closed the door, but like many cats, her tail flickers all over the place and the tip must have been in the hinge side of the door (the corner opposite the handle). I heard her scream as I was closing it, so of course, I opened it right back up. The door didn't slam shut completely; it just sort of pinched it.
Since then, I've felt all the way down her tail and there was no reaction to suggest she's in pain. She's walking normally and moving her tail as usual. There's no sign of it being at a weird angle or her struggling to hold it properly. What do you think?
I reckon she just cried out because of the initial shock and pain, but some advice would really help put my mind at ease.
Translated from French
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She probably just felt a sharp sting at the time, like when we catch our finger in something. If she’s letting you touch her tail without reacting, then she isn’t in pain—otherwise, she’d pull it away straight away. At worst, she might have a little bruise, but even then, given her lack of reaction, I’d be surprised. I’ve accidentally stepped on my cats' tails before; they let out a yelp to show it hurt in the moment, but then they’re fine. I always check just in case, and if there’s no reaction, there’s nothing to worry about.
You were definitely more shaken up than she was! :P
You should give your vet a ring, but not for the cat—it’d be for you, just to put your mind at rest. :)
I’m certain she’s fine; at worst, it’ll be a bit tender, like when we have a bruise, but nothing more.
To give you an example, a few days ago my kitten was tearing around the house as usual. He had a bit of string (a shoelace) tied to a chair, and while he was running, it got tangled around his front paw. Let me tell you, the impact was quite sharp because he runs so fast and suddenly he was yanked back. He let out a yelp and even hissed. We rushed over to untangle him and he limped for 30 seconds—30 seconds where I was properly worried! My wife gave his paw a little rub and that was it; he’s back to running and jumping around like a little loon again. :)
Anyway, as long as there aren’t any signs of pain or anything out of the ordinary, just try to relax, otherwise you’ll just end up stressing your cat out for no reason. :)
I think I’ll give them a call in a bit. I reckon a vet or a vet nurse will know which symptoms to look out for and what to take into account for this kind of thing.
I noticed she was licking it, but then again, just like she would anywhere else (mind you, she's been grooming other spots too ^^). Do you think I ought to give the vet a ring? Even if it's just to get their take on it, though I know it’s a bit tricky for them to say much over the phone without seeing her. Or, as long as there are no red flags—like her holding her tail strangely, going off her food, or showing signs of pain—should I just keep a close eye on things and leave it at that?
I think it’s just the same as when we catch our finger in a door. We usually let out a proper yelp, even if nothing is actually broken or seriously wrong. I’ll see how she’s doing once she’s woken up.
Sometimes you don’t feel it straight away and the pain kicks in later, but if it were broken or anything like that, I reckon she’d be struggling to hold her tail normally.
Yeah, one time when Kouki was playing at 4 months old, he got his paw stuck under the door. He let out a right yelp, but I managed to slide his paw out and he was fine. It was more of a fright than anything else.
She’s sleeping with her tail curled around her at the moment. It was the scream that was really distressing, more than anything. I’ve looked at quite a few sites with similar stories and if there was a real problem, the tail was always at a weird angle. If it were a break or even a sprain, I reckon it’d be like it is with us; it’s hard to have a broken or even just an injured limb touched without making a sound. I think it’s more the shock than anything else. I’m still keeping an eye out for any "unusual" signs, though.
