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My cat's tail broke. Should we amputate? Will it affect her mentally?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 1 year and 11 months old | 9 lbs

Hi my cat is 2 years old and she had a broken tailbqhwn we got her as a kitten. The vet aaid it does not cause her any pain so we left it like that. Today my dad never saw her behind him and stepped on the tail thus braking it. The vet did an xray and said we can leave it to heal but ill be weaker than before or amputate it. We decide to amputate but we are having second thouhts so im seeking a second opinion. Should we let it heal? And if its amputated will this affect her mentaly/emotionally?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Lauren Jones VMD

Veterinarian

Published on May 12th, 2017

Ouch! Without seeing the x-rays, it's difficult to provide a terribly accurate opinion regarding Luna's tail. In general, if there is a small fracture near the tip of the tail, these can heal quite well without any lasting problems. However, if there is a fracture closer to the tail base, these can cause more problems when healing (i.e. holding the tail up while using the litter box) and be more painful. Tail amputations do not cause any significant stress beyond the stress caused by any surgical procedure. Most cats recover uneventfully after 10-14 days with the help of some pain medication. To my knowledge, there is not emotional distress caused by tail amputations because cats do not experience the social pressures that people will feel. In most cases of tail fractures, I lean towards amputation. I hope this helps you to confirm your decision!

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