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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

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Original poster

Any tips to make extended cage rest bearable - for both Dcat and me?

29 replies

soddinghormones · 24/09/2014 14:04

My cat has just had major orthopaedic surgery (hip broken in two places plus hopefully transient nerve damage after being hit by a car). He's recovering well and is coming home tonight but he needs a very long convalescence - one month cage-rest, one month confined to one room, last month allowed the run of the house but not to go outside

He's normally very fit, agile and sociable and is going to hate this. How can I make it more bearable for both of us?

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 24/09/2014 14:11

Gin for you, I suspect.

(But I'm sure you'll get lots of tips for Shuri.)

Lovethesea · 24/09/2014 19:32

I went through this last summer with Huntercat. I put the cage in the garden as much as possible in the day, he lounged, snoozed. I fed him lovely food and more dreamies than he'd ever seen. It was very hard but given they live day to day in the moment I don't think he was as worried about it as I was! I got him out for cuddles and a brush and gave him tons of comfy fleeces and duvets in the cage. He had broken his front leg very badly and needed ortho pins and 4k of petplan work at a specialist vets. Back to slaughtering the neighbourhood again now with no sign of trouble from it. He was only 2 or 3 years old so I thought it worth it for him longterm. Hope Shuri heals well.

cozietoesie · 24/09/2014 22:06

Did you get him back?

Original poster

soddinghormones · 24/09/2014 22:35

Thanks lovethesea - did he not get terribly frustrated being in the garden but still caged?

Yes he's back cozietosie - lots of purring but he's only eaten a couple of slivers of chicken so far

The vet thinks he will make a full recovery - he's already using both back legs and putting his dodgy paw properly on the floor

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 24/09/2014 22:52

That's good progress - it means he should be able to pee and poo fairly easily as well. (Although I'd guess he still has a lot of pain meds in his system?)

I think that your biggest problem is going to be guilt. You have no reason to feel guilty of course but when they fix you with that 'Please just fix it, Mum' and you can't you just have to sort of slink out and you feel really really bad.

I suspect your issue is not so much tonight or the next few days - when he's just back from the vet - it's going to be more next week and beyond when he's looking and behaving more normally and you start to say to yourself things like 'Maybe I could just............' Are the whole family genuinely on board with his treatment plan?

When is he due for a checkup next?

MarshmallowFarm · 24/09/2014 22:59

You will get through it and looking back it will seem like no time at all. To begin with he will be v tired with all the healing so will need to sleep loads. Plenty of visits and cuddles are essential. We found putting puppy pads in the cage on one side is a lot easier than a litter tray for an injured cat. Putting cage in different rooms/garden also good idea. You will be amazed how quickly he will get used to it. Good luck!

Original poster

soddinghormones · 25/09/2014 08:04

Thanks both - he's going back for his first check-up on Monday but the vet gave me his mobile number and told me to call if I was at all worried beforehand

He's eaten a bit, not masses but enough, he's purred a LOT and at the moment seems perfectly happy to stay in his cage and snooze but I know that will change soon!

I'd put vet bed down plus the fake fur mat he normally sleeps on on my bed and a little shallow kitten litter tray (the normal size would have been too tricky to get into), however he's decided to ignore comfy sleeping surface and curl up in the litter tray instead . Not entirely sure what to do about that as it's not v hygienic

Any tips to make extended cage rest bearable - for both Dcat and me?

OP posts:

Original poster

soddinghormones · 25/09/2014 08:14

I'm going to buy him a little dish bed today to see if that can replicate the comfy cat tray experience

I might try puppy pads but a bit unsure if he'd know what they're for?

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 25/09/2014 09:19

Might be a good idea to have a few on hand 'just in case' if they're not too expensive? (I've been thinking to buy a few Age UK bed pads for the cupboard in case Seniorboy has a future temporary problem. I'm lucky in that he's shown no signs of incontinence so far but he's now most elderly and if he was to have a moment or two then he couldn't cope with being permanently excluded from bed for any length of time. (It's a reproof of the sternest order in this household.) I was thinking along the lines of 'When you need them, you might need them then and there'.)

Hope he's doing well this morning. Once the various meds are flushed from his system and he's feeling perkier you might arrive at the 'OK Mum - it was a good game but now it's over isn't it?' stage and that would start to be a stern test for the family. With luck, he'll have a good few days of rest and healing first.

MarshmallowFarm · 25/09/2014 22:13

I have 3 cats and it was the least tolerant, most cantankerous who ended up on cage rest. I thought it would be a nightmare but it wasn't hard until the last week. She had a dislocated hip/leg and a whopping dressing and i think she actually aporeciated the calm of the cage away from the other cats. We let her out after a few weeks for a few minutes but she would crawl back into the cage! She did get bored towards the end so we gave her some toys and just sat with her a lot.

She knew exactly what the puppy pad was for and it was v easy to just scoop them up and put a fresh one in. I bulk bought them from the pound shop. How's it going so far?

Original poster

soddinghormones · 26/09/2014 07:40

Well so far it's all fine . He likes his new memory foam bed and seems to spend all his time luxuriating in there, occasionally rolling over. He's eating (and therefore taking his meds), drinking and weeing though no poo yet despite lactulose and only eating wet food (and industrial quantities of Dreamies )

He seems to sleep a lot - the dc are taking it in turns to go and sit with him while they do their h/w (he was helping dd with Spanish vocab last night!) and whenever anyone's in with him he just purrs and purrs

He's kicking cat litter around everywhere though - managed to fill his waterbowl almost completely yesterday afternoon

He's also incredibly efficient at removing his dressing but thankfully is not having a go at his wound so I might leave it off today

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 26/09/2014 09:47

Sounds promising although (like you I'm sure) I would feel better if he had a good poo. Still, his body has been through an awful lot so maybe it needs just a little longer.

Well done so far.

CrazyTypeOfIndifference · 26/09/2014 10:10

Ah bless him.

One of my cats had his tail amputated this week, and has a very bad fracture and dislocation of the remaining bones in his tail stump.

He's been sleeping in the litter tray for the past 3 days I suppose it must be supportive when they're in pain, because whatever I do dcat won't sleep anywhere else atm.

Original poster

soddinghormones · 26/09/2014 17:28

Still no poo if nothing materialises overnight I'll call the vet in the morning

Hope your poor cat's ok, crazy - I thoroughly recommend the pets at home memory foam bed - Dcat has completely ignored the cat tray (other than to wee in) since we got it and looks very comfy (I'd quite like a human-sized one )

OP posts:

Lovethesea · 26/09/2014 17:41

Glad he's doing OK. Strangely Huntercat wasn't wound up seeing wildlife he couldn't eat. He laid in the sun and snoozed a lot. sometimes he sat up and stared at a bird veeeeery intently, but he didn't seem frustrated he couldn't get in for the kill.

He got broken in the early summer though so I didn't want him to miss his summer altogether. Took Feistycat a while to accept him out of the cage after he got released, she was quite put out

IHaveBrilloHair · 26/09/2014 17:48

One of my cats has just had a leg and a toe amputated, she's not happy about not going out, but is managing well.
we are fussing over hef and giving her lots of treats, luckily she doesn't need to be in a cage.

Somersetgirl1990 · 26/09/2014 18:08

In January my cat picked a fight with what we think was a fox - didn't win and ended up with a pelvis broken in 3 places, a broken tail, massive soft tissue damage and his knee cap dragged out of place so far that when the vet operated he had to cut through a load of tissue to release the knee cap ! He spent about 4 months in a cage and was fine for the most part - got a bit impatient by the end. I think they're so tired from recovering that they just sleep all the time.
We used to get him out every day for cuddles on the sofa quietly in the evening so that he had a bit of a change of scenery from the inside of a cage.
Hope yours makes a good recovery!

Original poster

soddinghormones · 27/09/2014 08:39

Ouch Somerset - that must have been so painful for your boy

We've been taking him out for a few minutes and amazingly he can walk pretty well but most of the time he just wants to lie in his bed. Right now the cage door is open but he doesn't want to come out - he's just curled up, purring

Cozie - we have had poo!!! Bit of a big production number - involved lots of miaowing (which was interesting as it was 1am this morning ) but at least we know everything's working :)

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 27/09/2014 08:59

Oh that's a relief. I get production numbers from Seniorboy as well - he's so pleased with himself - but maybe Shuri was just relieved to have himself cleaned out. It should help his eating as well.

Gimima · 01/10/2018 05:36

Hi anyone out there with a cat with an leg injury ? Mine has got a tendon injury and keeping her happy is hard ie no nite time clubbing x have to take her to vets for exray soon x she's bouncy and very playfull like there's nothing rong with her bit her leg as I can see is !! Help iam so stressed and can't stop worrying for her happiness x

B122YL122Y · 12/10/2018 19:11

Bagheera Baggy Bagpuss just came home today after leg surgery on Tuesday. He's really unhappy in the cage, keeps trying to climb out. He's pooed in the bed and kicked the cat litter everywhere. He refused to eat his dinner in there, so I had to let him out to eat. Not sure how we're going to cope for 6 weeks if he doesn't settle down. He's only young, normally very active, but has a very damaged eye which may or may not recover, as well as a broken (fixed with pins and plates) front leg.

FrancescaH · 12/10/2018 20:33

Hi Gimima and B122YL122Y My cat has damaged her cruciate ligament and our vet advised surgery. Have just got her home, she is in big crate with small litter try. It is horrible she can't have treats as she has kidney problems just has her usual food. She can't have usual meds because of kidneys, is having some that is making her constipated so keeps hopping in and out of try. Has not eaten. I struggled to get anti-biotic down her. She has tried to climb up crate, I was in there with her (it's a big dog crate) so was able to lift her gently down. If there are any vet nurses out there who can give any sort of advice I would really appreciate it. :'(

cozietoesie · 13/10/2018 01:36

How is she doing now?

MrsCatE · 13/10/2018 05:23

Hello Sodding, echo Cozie in asking after her. I have experience of this and can only say they do seem to shut down and sleep a lot - even more than normal - I think cats know they need to rest to recover. Don't want to freak you out but excessive purring can be a sign of pain; one theory is that it's a self-soothing mechanism. Anyway, hope all is good and handhold. X

MrsCatE · 13/10/2018 05:32

Oh dear, a lot of injured cats out there - lucky they have such caring owners. Crossed paws all - I've been through this and come out the other side. My beast sustained serious injuries and had experimental surgery involving a body cast - a couple of years on and you wouldn't know. He's a massive moggy - grumpy bu*ger - but he was like that before the accident so no change there!

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