Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties:
My 16-month-old Bengal cat was, I assume, hit by a car last Tuesday. I didn’t see the event but found him in a dirt hole in shock and visibly injured not far from a busy residential road. I took him to the hospital, and after two days he saw a neurologist, who said he had mild weakness in his back legs.
I’ve had him home for 4 days now and he is no longer on pain meds, but he is so unmotivated to move about. He stays curled up in a ball under a piece of furniture all the time and seems depressed. His body looks and feels remarkably different to me now. His spine has lost its previous curvature and watching him walk around seems so uncomfortable. There is an abnormal curve up right behind the shoulder blades and then a flattening out towards the tail. He did have some internal bleeding in an unknown location; they think was in his abdominal area or the spinal cord. I just wonder if this new curvature is permanent or temporary. Poor guy is getting weaker by the day. I have an X-ray but don’t know how to attach it.
~ Nellie
Siouxsie: Okay, first of all: any of you who are going to snap at Nellie for letting her cat out — don’t even start! We don’t know what country she lives in or anything about her life, and she’s already upset about her cat’s injury. We will delete any harsh or abusive comments.
Thomas: Oh, Siouxsie, there’s no need to hiss. I know the readers are nice people and they wouldn’t do anything like that.
Bella: Anyway, Nellie, we’re so sorry about your poor kitty! We hope he’s starting to feel better by now. Sometimes it takes a long time to recover from an injury like that. It’s just as well that you didn’t send the x-ray because nobody here would know what to make of it.
Siouxsie: The first thing you should do is call your vet and discuss your concerns. If he’s not doing as they think he should at this point in his recovery, they may want you to bring him in for more tests.
Thomas: It could be something as simple as the fact that he’s still in pain. Like Bella said, it takes a long time to recover from an injury where you get so banged up, even if most of the damage consists of bruises rather than serious bone or nerve damage.
Bella: If he continues to show weakness in his hind legs, and particularly if the weakness gets worse, you need to get him to the vet right away in order to prevent permanent nerve damage.
Siouxsie: Another thing you might want to consider, once the vet says he’s sufficiently recovered, is chiropractic care or acupuncture. There are licensed veterinary chiropractors who understand the special construction of cats’ spines and can help correct subtle dislocations of the spine bones and hips in order to relieve pain and restore function.
Thomas: Acupuncture is a great tool for pain management and unblocking the body’s energy meridians, thereby speeding recovery. Again, there are licensed veterinary acupuncturists whose study is devoted solely to animals.
Bella: Whatever you do, don’t take your cat to a people chiropractor! Those people chiropractors can be pretty rough, and they may not understand cat anatomy well enough to use proper pressure and techniques.
Siouxsie: We know how important it is for Bengal cats to get lots of exercise in order to stay healthy and sane, so we wouldn’t want to say you should never let your guy out again. However, if possible, maybe you could make a safe place for him to play in your yard. Cat fence systems and special “catios” are great tools for letting a kitty go outside and stay safe at the same time.
Thomas: That way, you wouldn’t have to worry about him getting hit by cars or maybe even stolen.
Bella: Somebody would steal a cat? Horrors!
Siouxsie: Unfortunately, Bella, some people would steal a cat — especially a rare and special purebred like a Bengal.
Bella: That’s mean!
Thomas: Yes, it is, Bella. But don’t you worry: even though we’re rare and beautiful and special cats, Mama won’t let anybody steal us!
Bella: She’d better not. I’d be so sad if somebody stole you, Thomas.
Thomas: And I’d be really sad if somebody stole you, Bella.
Siouxsie: Fine! You two just go be sad for each other over there. I know you wouldn’t mourn me for even a second if I got stolen. And after I die, I bet you’ll take over my heated cat bed without even a second thought!
Thomas: Siouxsie, that’s not true! I’ve loved you ever since I met you 10 years ago. *sniffle*
Siouxsie: Oh, good grief. Now I’ve gone and made you cry. I’m sorry, Thomas.
Bella: Wow, Siouxsie, you really are nice sometimes, aren’t you?
Siouxsie: Listen, smartypants …
Thomas: Okay, everybody, let’s wrap this up so Mama can feed us.
Bella: Good luck, Nellie, and we sure hope your sweet Bengal boy is doing better now. Purrs to you.
JaneA Kelley is a punk rock cat mom and award-winning blogger. She is a regular columnist for Catster Magazine, and she and the Paws and Effect Gang share a home in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
My 6lb poodle was hit be a car, he slipped away from my husband and was hit iin just a moment, .it crushed his pelvis, but the vets assured us that he did NOT need surgery. Cage rest and lots of it… help going to the bathroom…lots and lots of TLC. He is fine now. Your cat is going to have deep bruising that will develop for a month and sometimes longer after being hit…he probably needs cage rest, regardless of breed or energy level, just to get over the initial pain. Please, he is depressed for a reason, he NEEDS to rest…it took our dog 6MONTHS before he could really be treated normally.
Cats have a huge power within them for healing. He is treating himself by staying still and getting the rest he needs to help make that happen. On the other hand, if you do not feel your vet properly assessed the injury, you might try getting a second opinion. It will at least make you feel better. That is very important, too.
If it were one of mine I would be on the phone with the vet and get some type of answer, or a new vet. It could be that poor kitty is scared which is understandable. I sure hope he is better soon.
THAT’S WHY YOU DON’T LEAVE AN ANIMAL OUT BY IT SELF, PEOPLE THAT LET THEIR
CATS RUN FREE OR LEAVE THEIR DOGS OUT IN A YARD WHEN THEY ARE NOT HOME,
EXSPECT ANYTHING !
Siouxsie said no nasty comments !!! be sensitive or keep your thoughts to yourself !!
A few years back my huge tiger cat, John L., umped down off the couch and suddenly couldn’t walk on his back legs. He didn’t seem in pain but looked pitiful. I took him to a vet and they did x-rays that found nothing. Since he could only scoot, I kept him in a large cage with a litter box and food. After a week he seemed to be able to stand and walk so I let him out. He was never really the same after that. He began to get picky about food and had to go to the bathroom immediatley after eating anything. He still had a huge appetitie but could barely eat. An ultra sound showed nothing. After 10 months and dropping 8 pounds and watching him cry for food he couldn’t seem to eat, I had to put him to sleep. I felt so sorry for him. Let your kitty heal in some kind of confinement until you see he can walk better. He may be in discomfort and you don’t know it. I hope he recovers.
i really hope he feels better soon xx
he might be feeling very sorry for himself (understandable) so if he wants hugs and kisses, give him as much as he wants… if i was you, i’d give him lots of treats too, to try and make him feel better… lactose free cheese and milk are my cats favourite :)
(((huggggs))) to you
-try not to worry about him too much as cats are very perceptive when it comes to what we are feeling…
Jen xx
Dear Nellie, firstly I would like to say how very sorry I am about your kitty and best wishes for his speedy recovery. I agree with all those who said you should get him thoroughly checked out physically to eliminate any problems that might be interfering with his recovery. I think that is an excellent idea. I also thought, that once any physical causes have been eliminated, perhaps he could see an animal psychologist (or behavioural therapist). Here in Australia there are some vets who specialise in animal psychotherapy so perhaps that might be an option for you.
Oh sweet Nellie. I know how deep your pain is right now. I can only imagine the helplessness you feel. Try to be positive when you are with your little guy. I really think it’s a good idea to get a second opinion if you feel that the vet isn’t doing his job. God bless you and your kitty. Kitty head bumps & rubs to you both.
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Awwee poor cat. I think cat is in mental shock right now and according to me you should spend more time with your cat .Do not keep her inside the house whole day take him outside the house try to keep him happy and recover him from that accident. God bless him.