cat query - must his tail go?

[squirmyworm]

sorry I know this is mumsnet and not pets net but you've always been sooo helpful with my many and varied questions..

my lovely half siamese/half ginger tom chappie has done something to his tail. for about a month now it's been drooping and dragging and not at all its perky self. vet says he may have separated the nerves or broken it but that if it hasn't recovered sensation and function by now it prob never will so has advised that we have it amputated on tuesday as if we leave it much longer it may become a problem. anyone any experience of this in their cats? obviously keen to go ahead if we really need to (and he does seem to be a bit uncomfortable) but would hate to lose the tail if there's any hope of recovery....

dp's late and beloved cat sisko had to have his tail amputated after being attacked by a bunch of kids a few years ago

he recovered well, although i think he subsequently had a slight inferiority complex about his lack of tail

(Typing one handed so will keep it brief...)

This happened to my mum's cat when he was 1. It was amputated and he was fine. We all loved him just as much and he seemed happy. Lived until he was 18 too.

It is sad but it sounds from your description like he'd be better off without it.

Hope it goes ok on Tuesday.

just asked dp more details

he said that it would be better to have the tail amputated (unless the vet thinks there is hope of recovery of course!) because if he has no sensation in it, he may catch it etc and this can cause more harm

sisko didn't lose any mobility at all and his balance was fine too after the amputation

dp also added it was funny to see him with a big bald patch around his arse!

Good luck for tuesday SW X

Most cats in Indonesia have either truncated or no tail at all because of inbreeding and our own cat had about 2/3 of a tail. It doesn't seem to affect them at all, they do all the catty things that cats are supposed to do. Hope your cat is better soon.

MY dh chose Edgar from the cats sanc withtout noticing half his tail was missing! HONEstly

he is the barry white of cats now - a love pussy on a diet

well an update

poor chap is now tail less and very cross with the world and me in particular. He has a 'bucket' thing on his head which he spends most of his waking hours trying to remove or bumping into things because he doesn't remember how wide it is. poor thing - wish he could understand it's only for his own good and that it will get better and he'll be able to go outside again.

Aaah poor him. Our cat has had to wear one of those but has learnt how to get it off ? she scrapes the bit of bandage that holds it on against the velcro on dh's bag. Only bit of velcro in the house and she had to find it.

Ooh, yes, ours had to have this done - he was at the vet's for neutering (I think) (many years ago!) and a few days after he came home we noticed his tail was a bit mangled...suspected it had been hanging down while he was out of it, and the occupant of the next cage had chewed it, but maybe not.

Anyway he had to have half or more chopped off, the stump looked funny but he coped fine. And Manx cats manage with almost no tail, don't they?