Cat's tail popped when grabbed. Is it broken? What signs to watch for?

I would be concerned if the area is painful or she cannot hold the tail in a normal position as it may be injured or broken. It would be best to bring your cat to a vet ASAP to have the area examined, X-rayed for any breaks, and checked for any nerve or other injuries causing it.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Albhe. This happens more often than you realize! It's very important you do not give him any human pain medications. Many are toxic to cats and are fatal if given. I would keep a close eye on him to see if he has any pain. Pain can be shown by him keeping his tail limp, not moving it, lethargy, or a loss of appetite. If you see any of those signs, have him seen by a vet. I hope this helps.

Poor Tas! This is a common injury, and can be quite painful. Please have him seen by a vet, as they should be able to help determine if there is a fracture based on a physical exam and x-rays, although other diagnostics may be needed. The vet can then treat appropriately, including pain management that is appropriate and safe for use in a cat, as pain medications made for humans can be very dangerous for cats, and pain medication should only be given on the advice of a veterinarian.

Keep an eye on it and give it some time. If the pain gradually recedes and your cat acts fine, then good. If it remains painful, if it is set at an odd angle or if your cat is reluctant to move it, it the tail tip gets dry, hard or gets infected, then get him seen by your vet right away.

Hello, sorry t hear about Lumi. His tail may indeed have a kink there either from some form of trauma when he was really young or from an birth defect. As long as he is not bothering at it then he may have this curled tail for the rest of his life. However, if you think it is painful, then it should be seen by his veterinarian and an x-ray may show if there is a fracture. If there is a fracture and it is causing him pain, then your options may include to manage the pain medically while the tail heals to to remove the damaged part of the tail. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Unfortunately, it's not possible to tell is his tail is broken from these pictures. I would have to examine the tail in-person in order to tell this. The wound does look quite deep though and it's definitely possible that it was broken. These injuries tend to be vary painful, so I would consider going to the ER vet if he seems very guarded and not interested in food - these are signs of severe pain. Otherwise, as long as it's not bleeding profusely, this injury can wait until your regular vet is open tomorrow. For now, you should flush the wound using a syringe or other dispensing device with warm water for five minutes. This may not be easy, because cats tend to hate water getting sprayed on them. I recommend having someone help you with this and wrapping Alexander in a towel to make sure the wound gets flushed well. Below is a link to a demonstration of an eye flush that shows how to restrain her well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDGzdUTUdNI Infection is the biggest concern with these wounds; so after flushing, it's best to apply an antibacterial cream to the wound. In order to keep the wound clean, it's best to flush the wound 1-2 times a day and gently wipe away any big crusts - make sure not to scrub the wound, because this can make it worse. Apply the antibacterial cream after each flushing. I hope that helps and Alexander gets better soon.

I would have Burt checked out by the vet. It is possible he could have suffered an injury to his tail causing it to be painful and may actually have a broken bone. A physical exam and x-rays can be done to see if any trauma has been done to his tail, and the vet can suggest treatment based on the findings of the physical exam and x-rays.