My cat has a broken leg. How can I help her rest and adjust?

Unfortunately, without performing surgery, there isn't a good way to immobilize a broken hip. Placing a cast on the leg will only add weight to the leg and further pull the fractured hip out of place. Often what we mean by staying still is the equivalent of bed rest in humans. The best way to accomplish this is to get a large dog kennel and make this your kitty's new home. You can place a litter box, food, and water inside the kennel, and he should be confined to the kennel until the hip is stable. This can be quite stressful for a cat, so make sure spend plenty of time with him, find toys that he can safely play with, and consider supplements for stress like Zylkene or Feliway feline pheromone diffuser.

I am so sorry to hear Princess is in pain! Bones take 6-8 weeks to heal if they don’t move at all- like in a cast or splint. You cannot speed up healing. Without a cast or splint the bones will move and delay healing and keep her in constant pain. She also needs pain medication daily for the breaks. If you cannot afford the proper treatment, I would contact rescue groups to take over her care. I hope you can find her some relief soon. Kisses to Princess!

Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Keeping a small kitten quiet can be a challenge especially if healing is to take place, certainly. You may want to ask your veterinarian about whether the use of a sedative may be useful in this situation to help keep him relaxed and calm. A drug such as Gabapenitn may be useful as it can be used as a sedative in cats and also provides pain relief. This medication can be prescribed by your veterinarian. I hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Leo! Which bone is broken in the hing leg? I would try again with a splint and Leo needs to be placed in a dog crate, with an E-collar and sedatives. The only bones in the hind leg that will heal with a splint is the tibia and fibula. The femur usually need surgery to fix and can't be splinted well. So if that is what the vet is trying to splint I would stop. You can try just strict crate rest for 6-8 weeks if it is the femur. Cats are amazing at healing. But if the bone is in multiple pieces I would just amputate. Cats do well with 3 legs. I wish you the best!

It's a little difficult to see in your copy of the x-ray, but it looks like the left femur might be fractured. If the broken bone is above the knee then a cast won't help because it's not possible to stabilize the fracture. If they have recommended pain medication and rest I think that probably is the best option with a broken hip - kittens can heal quickly and it's possible that he will have decent function in the leg. If not, then a surgery called a femoral head osteotomy might be an option once he's big enough for surgery.

I am so very sorry Willow broke her leg! I certainly understand being distraught and upset over this, it is an upsetting situation. Kittens have a great blood supply to their bones due to their growth, and broken bones tend to heal very well; in fact, cage rest is sometimes all that is needed. And yes, splints are often not needed! It can heal without a splint. Kittens can be good at hiding their pain, but one way to tell is if she is eating and drinking. A kitten in pain will not eat or drink, and if she is eating and drinking, that means she is feeling good, so she won't be in pain. If you do have concerns, however, you can give your vet a call to discuss things. I hope this helps!

Hello sorry to hear about Casper. It definitely sounds like Casper will survive especially since he is starting to be more like his normal self. You need to keep him rested without any running, jumping, or rough housing as this can exacerbate his injury. Continue his medications and wait until you can obtain his x-ray to confirm he doesn't have a fracture. Monitor the leg for any swelling, discharge, worsening pain, fever, a decreased appetite, diarrhea, or vomiting. If you note any of these then please have Casper evaluated by a veterinarian. Hope this helps and best of luck.