Aliens/Poltergeists/Daleks attack cat?

May 31, 2011 4:02 PM

Mystery cat injury. How did this happen? (Description of non-life threatening but odd injury inside)

Today I arrived home to find Pointycat was bleeding from the mouth. Rushed him to vet. They stopped the bleeding, applied pressure, gave him drugs. Prognosis is v. good. Mystery is how did cat get a puncture wound (the size of an erasure they said) on the roof of his mouth & a laceration on his gum? He is indoor-only. No other pets or people at home. Nothing broken or amiss or bloody at home. Anyone seen this before? Are there hidden-in-plain-sight things in my apartment that could do this that I should look for? TIA; I'm a bit freaked.

posted by pointystick to Pets & Animals (11 answers total)

Do you have any plastic zip ties (or something similar in shape/texture) he could have chewed on? How about one of those mouse-on-a-stick type toys that he could have snapped back? Do you have a plant that could have done it? Our cats like to chew on wood paneling that comes loose - is there anything like that?

Chances are, pointycat will recover and be 100% fine. Cats are resilient.

You might watch him when he gets home to see if he avoids any object or area - that may give you a clue about what and where it happened.

Hope it all works out ok!
posted by guster4lovers at 4:08 PM on May 31, 2011 [1 favorite]

I'd guess from the location of the injury that he might have been doing that thing where they rub the sides of their faces on something, usually with mouth partially open, and slipped or miscalculated and stabbed himself in the mouth.

You may never find the item in question, though. I doubt something attacked him while he was standing still, he probably played a role in it and it would be a very long shot that he could reproduce the accident.
posted by Lyn Never at 4:12 PM on May 31, 2011 [1 favorite]

Find likely causes, as time goes by, and show them to cat see if the reaction is one of fear?
posted by Freedomboy at 4:25 PM on May 31, 2011 [1 favorite]

One of the horde of crankycats managed to break his own jaw a couple years ago. The vet said that from the way the jaw was broken (in two places, no less) and the laceration of his lip, it looked like he bit into something and couldn't get loose, so he literally struggled so hard that he broke the bone. Since none of the other animals had a mysterious bite, to this day I have no idea what it was. I think the only thing you can do is hope that pointycat manages to avoid what did that in the future.
posted by crankylex at 4:46 PM on May 31, 2011 [1 favorite]

When cats land too hard, they whack their jaws on the ground. I had a cat who miscalculated a jump, fell two stories, and broke his palate... maybe this is similar?
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 9:04 PM on May 31, 2011 [1 favorite]

A friend of mine had a kitten which managed to push over a box fan that was propping open a window. The window slid down on her head. She got a similar-sounding wound (palate puncture and a couple broken teeth) which healed just fine.
posted by vorfeed at 10:33 PM on May 31, 2011 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks all you guys & gals. I searched my apartment with a friend but we saw nothing obvious. Your suggestions make me think it was probably a freak thing and there is likely no obvious hazard in the house. (No plants in house but I have hardwoods so a splinter is a possibility). He will be in daycare at vet for observation today but I believe he is on the mend.
posted by pointystick at 5:18 AM on June 1, 2011

When cats land too hard, they whack their jaws on the ground. I had a cat who miscalculated a jump, fell two stories, and broke his palate... maybe this is similar?
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 9:04 PM

I think this is it. Your cat probably hit something with its lower jaw; the lower jaw was pushed out of line, then into the upper jaw, where one of the lower fangs pierced the roof of the mouth, and one of the lower jaw teeth lacerated the gum.
posted by jamjam at 8:51 AM on June 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

Does kitty eat hard kibble? I once found a foreign object in a bag of kibble, a little stone-like thing. I now do a quick visual before serving.
posted by theplotchickens at 12:40 PM on June 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Kitty does munch on kibble - afriend suggested that too. Good point. Also think the jumping/banging theory likely. Wonder if he could have hurt self grooming his toes/claws.

Update: Vet said they may have over medicated him so had me bring him back so they could test him & put him on fluids & under observation today & tonight. He is doing well & healing well.

Thanks for all the suggestions & making me feel better about this!
posted by pointystick at 2:56 PM on June 1, 2011

Response by poster: A follow up: Cat is fine. Cause still a mystery. They had to test his kidneys sevral times over the next week & he was put on an IV for 2 days. His kidney function is fine & he is happy & healed.
Thank you!
posted by pointystick at 12:22 PM on July 1, 2011