Outdoor cat was hit by a vacuum. How long should I keep him indoors?

Hello, I am sorry this happened to little Shaman. With any head trauma you can see signs and concerns develop over the initial 12-24 hours as swelling can take time to occur in the head. If Shaman is eating/drinking, playing and acting normally, you can monitor for now, as long as you will be home and around to monitor Shaman. If you see Shaman vomiting, weak, tired, wobbly, not playing, not interested in food or other concerns, I would have Shaman seen right away. With no clinical signs at 50 minutes you are unlikely to see any concerns, however just keep a close eye on Shaman. Good luck with him!

Hello, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Until your nearest veterinarian opens, I recommend keeping Psycho as relaxed and quiet as possible. He's likely had a traumatic several weeks! Put him in a dark quiet room with his food, water, and litterbox, and minimize his stress. However, he should be seen by the vet as soon as possible - I'm concerned he may be fighting an abscess (infection) and may require antibiotics to get better. Hope this helps!

Oh no poor Blu! I'm so glad you got him home. It is possible that he was injured on his adventure, and he could be suffering from internal injures causing him to not move much, eat, or drink. I would have him seen by a vet immediately, he needs a physical exam, blood tests, urinalysis, and x-rays. If any injuries are found, the vet can discuss treatment options with you.

In general, it is recommended to keep a cat inside until they are finished with their medication and the wound is completely healed. However, an unneutered male cat will commonly get into additional fights once they go back outside, so Ollie will be at risk to have another bite wound, so your vet may have been encouraging you to keep him inside long term. I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

You should take your kitty to a vet as soon as possible after the accident for an exam as she could have internal bleeding, a ruptured bladder and also broken bones. The fact that she is hiding and only walking slowly is a sign that she is in pain and got injured in the accident. What we perceive as a gentle bump is quite a hard hit for a cat. Please take Mice to a vet ASAP.

Keep an eye on her mentation (is she acting normally, responding normally, she doesn't seem "depressed" or "dull"), the way she's walking (is she bumping into walls, does she have a wobbly or drunken appearing gait), and her desire and ability to eat and drink. Also keep an eye out for vomiting. If it gets to be 12-18 hours after the incident and she's showed no symptoms, you should be in the clear. I hope thats helpful! Thanks for asking PetCoach! Here's some good info regarding brain injuries in pets: http://download.skyscape.com/download/ota/5mvetcf5/documents/pdf/brain_injury.pdf

I am so sorry to hear this! To answer your question- it depends on the severity of the injuries and the overall health of the cat. But the quality of life of the cat in question is the real concern. This sounds like a significant injury that no doubt is causing pain and distress. You did not state whether or not this is your cat, or a cat that is able to be caught, but I would highly recommend taking the cat to a veterinarian as soon as possible to relieve any suffering and hopefully treat the cat's injuries. If this is not possible, I recommend calling local animal control to see if they can assist. I hope this helps and the cat is on the road to recovery soon!