Can you help?

[thegreylady]

On Thurday we we were out for the day leaving our cats with access in and out of the house and with lots of water indoors.
When we returned at 5.30 after going out at about 11.30 we found our 16 year old cat had managed to somehow trap her back legs in the handle of a duspan and wedge said dustpan behind a ladder in the garage. Her back legs were very deeply wounded where she had tried to get free and she couldn't stand.
We took her straight to the vet who said she was very dehydrated and she was an in patient on a drip until Saturday morning. We got her home yesterday. The vet said she was still a bit wobbly but otherwise ok. She is eating (sardines only) and drinking and peeing in a tray by her bed however she will not stand or attempt to walk. If we hold her up she will wobble about a foot forward then lie down again. She is back at the vet tomorrow morning but what should I do to help her in the meantime?
She wont walk to her food I have to put the dish right by her.

[thegreylady]

She seems happy but will only walk back to her bed I'lltry to get a pic. She is drinking well and eating tiny amounts enthusiastically. She seems fine except for the walking.

[thegreylady]

Shows her heading back!

[msrisotto]

The poor thing! Glad she's got you to wait on look after her.

[cozietoesie]

Slow but steady progress is what the vet thought likely? If she's eating/drinking and using her tray then that's good. Well done her.

[cozietoesie]

Is progress being maintained, still?

[thegreylady]

Yes but very slow. She sits in her bed mewing loudly until one of us picks her up then she will be carried in to the the living room for a cuddle. When she wants to be down we put her on the floor and she will make her way back to bed, but she wont come out of bed of her own accord.We daren't risk putting the litter tray back in the porch though. She will now stand to eat and drink which is an improvement and is using a proper litter tray instead of a paint tray with one low side.
It is now over a week since the injury. The actual wounds have healed so it must be stiffness/ strained muscles.
If it stays like this we will manage but I do suspect malingering a bit now.

[cozietoesie]

It's not really........malingering, I suspect - more of an 'If it's going, why not take full advantage of it?' which is subtly different. (And shes an older girl so will take a bit longer to recover than a young cat.)

I bet if you decided to ignore her, she'd leave her bed - but why take a stand on that, eh? Lots of TLC is a good thing for a recovering patient, man or beast.

It's sounding modestly positive.

[thegreylady]

Yes I agree cozie. We tried feeding her brother first this morning. I turned round and there was Madam having left her bed to complain. We have also moved the litter tray to the other side of the room and she is happily using it so we should get her back in the porch soon. It was lovely to see them sharing a bed this morning. I suppose at 16 we dont have many years left with them but they are the nicest cats of the many I have owned (I think).

[cozietoesie]

Well done her - and you all.