We picked up our beautiful rescue cat on Sunday. He'd had an op on his tail, as they think it had been trapped and the end had been damaged. It was healing well, still bandaged up when we picked him up but we were assured that it was healing really well and we could take the bandage off in two days.
So we took the bandage off last night. No blood on the bandage and it looks really nicely healed. However.... the cat is freaking out about his tail. At first we thought he was scared of how it looked as he was fine when we were taking the bandage off and it was until he noticed a few minutes later that he went crazy - trying to catch and bite his tail. We wondered if it was because it looked different, but today we've noticed that he seems to flinch when the tip of his tail touches anything, even gently and that makes him snap at it (maybe he thinks something is biting/hurting him?) It must be really delicate as he's nearly constantly flinching and attacking it.
He drew a little blood this afternoon so I took him to the vet. She gave us painkillers in case it's physical, cat anti-depressants in case it's mental (the stress of a new home and delicate tail) but if neither of those work, she wants to amputate it as soon as next week 
He's curled up purring on my lap at the moment, and is his happy sweet self when his tail isn't bothering him, and we're giving him lots of love. But he looks so stressed when he's moving around and constantly snapping at his poor tail.
What on earth is the best thing to do for him? I wondered if anyone had been through similar with their cat and what the outcome was?
in advance!
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Cat having tail problems. Vet says possible amputation :(
AbandonShark · 05/08/2015 23:14
Thank you cozie
It's so hard to know what to do for the best, wait and see if it feels better when the fur grows back more, or just take off what's hurting him..
The shelter recommended putting on his buster collar and/or a fake bandage, but the vet advised against that as is will just delay the problem. Argh! I will definitely keep an eye out for Lone.
a cat we used to have had half his tail amputated because the end had been damaged (possibly damaged at the vet's while sedated but that's another story 
) anyway he managed fine with half a tail.
A bit earlier to suggest PTS? your rescue boy's tail might just be really sensitive following the initial surgery.
good luck 
Agree with Lone
Your cat needs time to heal and adjust. Next week is a bit early to be thinking of amputation assuming there's no deterioration. With time the wound should heal. However if it remains painful or the cat is sensitive and it's not healing then amputation may be the best way forward.
You're a long way from PTS
...as well as losing a hind leg and his tail, and the cataracted eye etc, he really is outstandingly stupid...
What was your first clue? 
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I suppose the first clue was the way ds found him. He'd got a bit of long grass caught between his toes, (on the leg he lost) and twisted and turned so much trying to free himself that he had actually bound himself tight to the ground with a centimeter-thick grass rope. He was near death from dehydration when he was found, I suppose there may have been some brain damage too.
We definitely improved the local gene pool when he had him castrated! 
Ah I wouldn't knock him too much for that - long grass is tough stuff and can be the very devil for all animals.
Poor lad.
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