Incontinence after tail amputation, any experience?

[Justonedayatatime11]

Can’t say too much for fear of being outed. We’re looking to adopt one very special little lady. She’s been through a hell of a lot in a very short life which has recently resulted in her having her tail amputated . She’s currently prone to incontinence pretty much all of the time. Is this something that will improve with time? Am I right in thinking that as her ‘stump’ heals, she may regain more control?

Why was her tail amputated and when? If this was a tail pull injury in the first place then the outlook for regaining control is not great though not completely impossible. It may be many weeks post op before the outcome for her will be clear. I think you need to speak to their vet for advice in more detail about what happened and what is expected for her longer term.

Tail was amputated as a result of a suspected rta, was amputated about 2 weeks ago. She currently seems to have little to no control and the rescue have advised its a case of wait and see. It doesn’t stop me wanting to adopt her, I suppose I just want to know what to expect.

The incontinence is more likely as a result of the RTA and injuries to the nerves etc rather than related to the amputation. It can take months for the cat to regain the use of the bladder and even then not always completely.

Hi there, I have a 14yr old whose tail was amputated about 10 years ago. She is incontinent when asleep, but controls her bladder when awake. We have to make sure that all bedroom and living room doors are closed, otherwise we find wet or smelly patches on duvets etc. She is confined to the kitchen and all chairs are covered with puppy pads. It is manageable and we have got used to chasing the cat out of the bedrooms etc before we go out! She also uses puppy pads instead of a litter tray as she find this easier to use now she is older.

No advice but wishing you and the little lady all the luck in the world

Thank you. Just hoping the rescue decide we’re acceptable! She’s a stunning girl, a breed I’m absolutely fascinated by and i’d like to think we’re able to offer her a lovely life. Fingers crossed it all goes ok!

No advice, but I think you are amazing for taking a cat on, with an issue that would put most people off.

Confirmation this afternoon that she’s coming home . Not for another month, and the incontinence is due to nerve damage sadly. The vet is currently exploring medical options to see if it can be improved.
Toddler she’s the loveliest, most beautiful cat and we’re very lucky to be having her! I appreciate it’s not going to be a walk in the park, but after all she’s been through in her very short life, she certainly deserves a lifetime of tlc and happiness!

So glad to hear she will be coming to you. You sound like the perfect match. Hopefully her bladder control will improve over time, especially once she is settled in a loving home.

Once it’s all finalised i’ll post a pic. She’s incredible. And given what she’s been through, so affectionate and loving!

You're really sweet OP.

Sounds like you and little lady are well matched :)

Went to visit her again yesterday (and didn’t get wee’d on this time!) when she does wee it’s not a great quantity, more a few drips. Hopefully it’s something that will improve with time! She seemed more interested in 4 year old DD than me yesterday! DD was throwing her toy for her and it’s the first time I’ve ever seen a cat fly...
I just want it to be next month so she can come home!

It sounds as though she's leaking a bit rather than having full blown wees, so if her muscle tone improves it might clear up. Glad to hear she's feeling playful!

I hope it does, for her sake more than mine bless her. I cannot for the life of me understand how anyone could put her through so much and then dump her .

I don't want to piss on yer chips OP but it can be a royal PITA owning an incontinent cat. Part of my day job and I have lived with a cat that had intermittent leakage. He was the practice cat but sometimes slept in my flat about the shop. He got frequent UTI's and sometimes he could hold it and sometimes he couldn't. It was partly positional too and the stuff that got ruined and the smell of wee..... Everyone loved him though but he was a constant labour of love to keep well.

I’m not expecting it to be a walk in the park, but she doesn’t deserve to be left languishing in a rescue due to it. I’m lucky in the sense that we have an enormous cat proofed garden so when the weather is good she can be outside most of the time if she wants so it won’t be such an issue during the day.

Good for you OP. I wish there were more people like you in the world. Animals are amazing. Far better than people.

Poor girl. Hope it all works out and respect to you for considering a cat that would be pretty much unhomable for the rescue.

She’s coming home!!!! Just got to wait for last vet visit to the rescue and we should be able to pick her up in the next few weeks! Been advised to think about building her a big climbing frame in the garden and prepare ourselves for one very high energy little madam!

Brilliant news. Good luck!

Oh gosh. Just to add I had a lovely lovely cat with a tail amputated due to an RTA (before I had him). He was incontinent and after a few years became in continent with poo too. He ended up living outside (we are v rural and he has an igloo bed with hot water bottle in an outhouse) as I just couldn’t deal with the smell of the wee and the fact that he got himself in a mess and it was then tramped around the house. Bedding, sofas, carpets. In fact anywhere he went as we was always covered in wee (and later poo). In hindsight I probably would have PTS if I had known how bad it would be. But we loved him dearly so tried hard to accommodate him until his natural end.