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My cat's tail was shut in door. Is it broken? He keeps it low now.

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 10 months and 4 days old | 6 lbs

hello i accidentally shut the door on my cats tail, he ran and hissed and i noticed a small tuft of hair near the door but nothing else. he seems to now be keeping his tail low, and when I try to examine it he becomes upset and runs away, other than that he is playing and acting normally. This just happened and I'm worried I may have broken his tail

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Shaneez Wallani, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on September 4th, 2017

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.

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    Answered By Rodrigo Roca, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on October 28th, 2018

    Hello, I am sorry to hear about Dexter. Tail pull injuries are common in cats, especially after being caught in a door. These injuries are very painful and lead to a large amount of inflammation, breaks in the tail bones also happen fairly easily. If Dexter is not holding his tail up fully that can be a sign that there is a break in some of the bones. I would have Dexter evaluated by your vet so that they can treat his pain and inflammation and assess if there are any breaks or other injuries. This is often done by taking an X-ray of the tail. I hope this helps, good luck!

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