The U-shaped Cat

I met my future wife Sue at Wordsley Hospital in Kidderminster, UK. I spent one year in the England and Scotland doing clinical clerkships and electives when I was a medical student. One night while I was doing a surgical rotation with University of Birmingham medical students I stopped by Sue's flat in Brierly Hill. There was a knock on the door. It was Les, a biker who lived next door; he was wearing a leather jacket and hob nail boots. Quite intimidating. Les told me as he entered his darkened apartment he inadvertently stepped on his cat. Les weighed 175 pounds and thought the animal got his full force. The cat's back was now shaped like a horseshoe and it wasn't moving; I thought it was a goner. Les had a pathetic look on his face, so I tried to cheer him up. I said: "let's take the cat to the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)." Les's eyes brightened; he said "do ya think there is anything they can do, mate?" I replied: "maybe, but at least we'll get an opinion."

It was 11 pm when we put the cat in a cardboard box and drove to the clinic. The receiving person took the history, but looked very pessimistic. We left and I was sure the animal would die in the next 1-2 days. But I was wrong. After one week of rest, it made a complete recovery.

Most common causes of spinal injuries to cats are from being hit by a car, or by falling from a height. So, after a cat has a spinal injury what is its chance for recovery? Spinal injuries to cats can be reversible, irreversible, or somewhere in between. Spinal cord injuries are treated with corticosteroids and diuretics to prevent the cord from swelling. A cat with mild bruising of the spinal cord will recover in a few days. However, if the cord has been severed, it cannot regenerate and it will be permanently paralyzed. I believe this cat was lucky, resilient and used up one of its nine lives.