My cat echo recently went missing for 2 days which was horrible enough but when he turned up he seemed to be limping on his rear end. We rushed him to the vet thinking it was his pelvis or a broken leg but it was his tail which had been broken. The vet told us to take him home with it being the weekend and to bring him back on monday so they could xray him and operate.

The xrays showed his tail had been completely ripped out of its socket and the vet could insert 3 fingers in the gap on the xray. While he was being operated on the vet found severe nerve damage and his exact words were 'im praying for a miracle that this cat pulls through' he didnt think he would be able to use the toilet again and only gave echo a 10% chance of survival. At this news both me and my partner were absolutely gutted.

We took echo home expecting the worst and i have to say i have never cried so much in my life. I took a week off work to monitor his toilet functions and to keep him clean because his stitches were so close to his anus there was a high chance of infection. He had to go to the vets almost every day for the 1st week but as he improved he had to go back less. After 2 weeks he got the all clear. That was just over a month ago and hes still doing well so (touch wood) it goes to show cats are wonderful creatures and miracles do happen.

The reason im posting is im a bit nervous about letting him out again. My house faces onto fields but echo goes round the front onto the road because of the birds, he loves birds lol. Because of this we havnt dared let him out yet plus hes got a big bald patch on his rump where his tail was. Im just wanting to know if people let there cats out after being hit by a car and if they were ok? Do they tend to learn from their mistakes? Echo is currently driving us mad miowing at the cat flap as he loves playing out. I posted the same question on another forum i go on and the response was keep him indoors which we have been doing but not very easily.

We also have 2 other cats who are outdoor cats and are used to coming and going as they please. We have been locking the cat flap during the day when echo has the run of the house but when were at work and on a night echo is confined to the bedroom with us and the cat flap is opened. As you can imagine this set up is not ideal because he miows in the night waking us up but if we keep him in the frontroom he gets distressed knowing the open car flap and freedom are only on the other side of the door. Plus my hamster lives in the frontroom and if left unattended echo will fling himself at the cage trying to get the hamster and in the mean time aging the hamster several years. Keeping him in the kitchen is also not an option as it is a cellar kitchen so gets cold on a night.


Thanks

Sorry id be keeping him in

__________________






One day i'll learn where the spellcheck is on my phone, so sorry for any mistakes

Cat Fence: Purrfect Cat Enclosures and Cat Fences
Is there any way you could install something like this in your garden?

__________________

Nellie Paddy Mitzy Milo Peggy Murphy

Millie and Monty, the White Devils!

Have to go with PP's suggestion, if not keep the poor thing in!

__________________
Mummy to;

Sooty 9.6.1996 - 28.04.2011 Rest in peace my love!
Storm (Sueragdandy Phantom) 28.02.2010
Benji (Kassaro Benjamin Franklyn) 08.03.2011

I'd keep him in also

__________________


Made by smudge2009
Gloworm - Run free little man. 23.05.2011-06.09.2011

Dont think you will get many saying anything different,I would be keeping him in from now on,infact I would go a step further and I would be keeping the cat flap shut at night and keeping the others in overnight.Purely a personal opinion Good luck with what ever you decide to do.

__________________

I honestly can't say what I'd do (I'm still struggling with the whole letting-the-cat-out thing), but...my friend's cat got hit by a car when she was very young and had her leg amputated. The cat still goes out, but doesn't go near the road.

I would build an enclosure, it`s really not that expence,,,, well alot cheeper than vet bill`s.

__________________
I know I need a spell checker.

No question about it, i would definitely keep him in, you cannot risk it happening again and next time he may not be so lucky as just a tail, it could be his life!!

I'd keep him in and build him an enclosure if he's desperate to go outside. Next time he might not be so lucky.

__________________
Proud Mummy to:

Sam (born June 1999, found August 1999)
Milly (born May 1999, adopted September 1999)
Eva (born 2010, adopted us August 2011)