I hit my cat and I feel terrible about it

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Blue12 Icon representing the flag French
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Evening everyone, I'm writing this because I need some advice and wanted to share what happened two days ago with my cat.

I adore my cat, I really do, but that night I was looking after her sister as well and they were being a real handful. They woke up at 11pm and didn't stop knocking things over until 2am — really heavy things too, like the cat tree and the litter tray. I was already stressed because I was worried they'd hurt themselves with everything falling, and I was starting to get really cross because, being a student, I had a big exam the next day.

At one point, my cat jumped up on the chest of drawers and I just snapped; I smacked her on the nose. Normally I never do that, or I just give her a tiny tap on the nose when she's being naughty — apparently that's a good technique and I've used it before, as do other people — but this time it was really hard. Since then, I've been feeling incredibly guilty and I'm terrified I've hurt her.

She seems to be doing okay, she's still sleeping with me and acting like her usual self (except when I move my hand towards her nose to see if it's painful; she pulls her face away and walks off, so I'm well aware she's shaken up). I'm scared she might have a fracture or a broken nose or something, even though I've managed to have a look at it and nothing seems to have changed except for her birthmark above her nose (she has a sort of stripe/indent there, but I feel like it's gone a bit red), so I'm worried about that. I feel so guilty, I'm beating myself up terribly and I even had a nightmare about it last night.

 

So, I really need your advice to know if it's serious, if I should take her to the vet, or if I just need to calm down.

I'll admit I'm having a bit of a panic attack while writing this, but I really need some advice or to hear from anyone else who has been through this.

Thanks in advance, and I'm fully aware that what I did was wrong.

Translated from French
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    • Werewolf1
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    Blue12

     

    I’d say the positive thing is that reading what you’ve written, it’s clear you’re a real animal lover and that you’d never dream of hurting them...

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    Werewolf1
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    Blue_Cat Right, well, I did the exact same thing yesterday or the day before with mine because he tried to give me a nasty bite. I heard a sound like a crack... I have to admit, I panicked at the time... worried I'd hurt him on the one hand, and terrified I might have actually broken something... It's Sunday today... He seems alright, but I’m going to keep a very close eye on him just in case... I'd always heard you could give them a little tap on the nose when they try to bite or scratch, but I’m really having second thoughts now after reading your reply... I’m definitely learning a thing or two here. Quick question: you said we should avoid even tapping a cat’s nose because it’s an extremely sensitive area... Does that mean we should avoid touching that area altogether, even just to give them a stroke?
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    Blue_Cat
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    Good evening,

    YOU NEVER HIT A CAT, NEVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. Please realise that a blow to the nose can quite literally kill them. And you shouldn't 'gently' tap them either; the nose is one of the most sensitive parts of a cat's body. 

    As long as your cat is breathing normally without making any unusual noises, and isn't breathing through their mouth, we can assume it was painful at the time but hasn't caused any damage other than emotional. Don't try to touch their nose; just leave them be. You are the responsible human here; the cat isn't responsible for anything. Don't dwell on it any further, but never do it again. 

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    Docline
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    It’s highly unlikely you’ve caused a fracture with your hand; it’s not as if you actually punched the poor thing. The absolute rule is: NEVER hit a cat!!! I’ve never understood people who ‘tap them on the nose’ – it’s honestly ridiculous. Either it’s done so gently that the cat thinks you’re just stroking them, or it’s hard enough that your cat will be terrified of you for ages. If they’re really giving you a hard time, it’s worth investing in a water spray bottle. You can pick one up for less than £1, and I’ve heard they’re quite effective at stopping a cat from getting into mischief. (Mine are perfect, of course, so I don’t need one myself, lol)
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