How to Repair Cat Tails

Make the cat as comfortable and immobile as possible to prevent further injury. Transferring your cat to the veterinarian's office can be a traumatic experience, especially when the cat is already in pain. A small crate, carrier or even a box can work well for transferring and inhibiting movement for your cat.

Follow the veterinarian's instructions on how to care for your cat at home. In the case of a paralyzed tail, the veterinarian will most likely want to amputate the cat's tail. Amputation is necessary because the cat's tail will drag and get in the way when urinating and defecating, causing a mess. Some cats experience paralysis in their bladder and sphincter muscles inhibiting their ability to urinate and defecate. The care for such a cat involves stool softeners and aiding the cat in emptying its bladder as well as cleaning the cat daily to prevent odor and infection. This takes time and dedication and can be stressful for cat and human alike. If the cat's tail is broken and the vertebrae are not separated, the cat will need to stay indoors and calm for it to heal on its own. This can involve sedatives for a hyper cat. Sometimes surgery for a separated broken tail is needed and, again, the recovery is staying indoors and calm. If the injury is a laceration, the veterinarian can stitch or bandage it. An E-collar may be needed to keep the cat from licking or chewing the area. An E-collar or Elizabethan collar is a cone-shaped collar attached to a collar on the neck and prevents access from the head to the body of the cat.

Prevent further injury by choosing to keep your cat indoors, providing a cat litter box and scratching post. Most cats with tail injuries acquire their injuries outdoors. Getting struck by a car, getting their tails caught in a fence and then panicking to get out of the situation causes injuries.