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Cat's tail caught in door: Is it broken? When to go to the vet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 11 months and 27 days old | 10 lbs

Would you happen to know if my cats tail is broken and needs to go to the emergency room asap or just keep an eye on it and apply Neosporin to the wound. My cat got his tail stick in the door when I was closing it and it scraped his fur off the tip.

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on May 28th, 2018

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.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Silvia De Cecco, DVM, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on September 7th, 2018

    Poor Rocky! The fact he can move the tail it is a very good sign but possibly he is painful as he cannot keep it as straight as usual. The lesion/scratch I can observe seems superficial but it has to be cleaned/disinfected and monitored for infection. Therefore if you have the chance to have him checked by your local vet would be ideal so the lesion can be cleaned and appropriate treatment administered (i.e. painkiller). Please post again on the forum if you would like to discuss it further. I hope my answer was helpful. Take care!

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