Discovering that your cat has been hit by a car can be an extremely worrying time. You will have concerns about what injuries your cat might have. And you are likely to be anxious about what sort of recovery they might make. Whilst some cats sadly do not survive, the outcome for many of our feline friends is perhaps better than you might think. 

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What will happen at the vets?

If your cat has been hit by a car (or if you suspect this to be the case) then your vet will want to see them as soon as possible. They will need to carry out an initial assessment. It may be necessary to give your cat intravenous fluids and provide pain relief. Some cats will also benefit from oxygen supplementation following admission. The priority in this early period is stabilisation of your cat’s condition. This means it is not always possible to determine the full extent of the injuries at this time. In addition, some injuries such as bruising to the lungs (contusions) may develop over 6-12 hours after the initial injury.

Following this initial phase of stabilisation your vet may advise further tests are carried out. This might include blood tests and imaging (either using x-ray or ultrasonography). It is not unusual for some of these tests and any potential surgical treatment to be delayed until your vet is happy that these can be carried out as safely as possible.

What injuries might my cat have?

The number and type of injuries that are seen in cats following a road traffic accident are extremely variable. In one study in 2004 the most common injuries involved the extremities, head and neck, pelvis, and chest. Skeletal injuries (primarily broken bones) were seen in 59% of cats. Treatment requirements can vary considerably depending on the injuries sustained. But it is not uncommon for surgery of some sort to be required.

It would be impossible to cover all potential injuries that might be encountered. However, there are some that we see frequently, and these are discussed in more detail below. 

Long bone fractures

Fractures (broken bones) are regularly seen by vets. The most common bones affected are those in the back legs. It is very common for surgical treatment to be recommended. Small metal implants such as an internal plate and screws are often used to stabilise fractures allowing them to heal in a normal position. Less frequently, a temporary external metal fixator may be applied. The prognosis following repair of a long bone fracture will vary depending on how serious the fracture is. In most cases a good recovery can be expected. However, fracture healing is a slow process. It can take up to 8 weeks – sometimes longer. It is not unusual for a period of restricted activity to be required during bone healing and frequently further x-rays will be recommended to check healing is complete. 

Sometimes fractures are too severe to be repaired and in these cases limb amputation might be recommended by your vet. Although this is a big operation, most cats will live a really good quality of life with three legs.

Pelvic fractures

Fractures to the pelvis are also very common in cats. Sometimes pelvic fractures can be managed with a period of cage rest but often surgery is recommended. This usually involves internal metal implants like those used in long bone fractures. The severity of pelvic fractures can vary but long-term outcome and mobility in most cases is likely to be very good (Meeson & Geddes, 2017).

Jaw fractures

The lower jaw of a cat is called the mandible. This can be divided into left and right sides. These are connected at the front by fibrous tissue in an area called the mandibular symphysis. “Mandibular symphyseal fractures” occur when this fibrous tissue is damaged; causing the left and right sides of the lower jaw to move independently. These are the most common jaw fractures seen in cats. Luckily, they are often relatively easy to treat with surgery. 

Treatment usually involves placement of a small metal wire passed behind the lower canine teeth and tightened below the jaw to stabilise the junction between the bones. The wire is usually removed 6-8 weeks later. Most cats with this injury will have an excellent prognosis. Some cats can be diagnosed with more complicated jaw fractures. In these cases, a CT scan may be advised for better assessment and more effective treatment of these rarer but complex injuries. 

Diaphragmatic rupture

The diaphragm is a thin layer of muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen. It can become torn during a road traffic accident. Such tears reduce the ability of the lungs to fully expand. It can result in abdominal organs, such as the liver, moving into the chest cavity and, usually, difficulty breathing. Diaphragmatic tears require surgical repair. Surgery involves stitching the tear in the diaphragm. It is not unusual for patients to be hospitalised for at least 24-48 hours after this surgery. But the prognosis is generally good. Survival rates of 80-90% are recorded (Robertson, 2021). We would expect these cats to return to a normal quality of life. 

Bladder rupture

Trauma to the abdomen can cause many different injuries. One of the most common of these is a rupture of the urinary bladder. If the bladder wall is torn then urine will leak into the abdominal cavity. This causes animals to become very unwell due to the buildup of toxins. Damage to the urinary bladder is not always immediately apparent following injury, but can develop more slowly. Once diagnosed it is treated surgically. Your vet will make an incision (or cut) into the abdomen and place some stitches into the bladder wall to close the hole. Again, cats generally do very well after surgery.

Tail pull injury

Cats are blessed with fantastically long tails but unfortunately these can be traumatised during road traffic accidents. The bones of the tail can be fractured or dislocated. This may be associated with stretching and damage to the nerve supply to the tail leaving it limp. The nerve supply to the bladder can also be affected. This is potentially more serious as it may mean your cat is unable to urinate. It is not always easy to know if this nerve damage is likely to be permanent and recovery of urinary function can take several weeks. Nerve supply to the tail rarely returns and tail amputation is usually necessary. Other than having a slightly different appearance this is likely to be of little consequence to your cat!

Will my cat survive?

This is a really difficult question to answer. Some cats that are hit by a car sadly do not survive to receive veterinary treatment. However, for those that do, the prognosis is perhaps better than you might think. In one study of 128 cats that were hit by a car, 112 were alive when they arrived at the vets. For these 112 cats the chance of survival was 84%. That’s despite some having quite serious injuries (Rochlitz, 2004).

Can I prevent my cat from being hit by a car?

Sadly, if your cat goes outside then the short answer to this question is probably no. It may be of benefit to prevent cats from going outside at night-time since this is the most common time that road traffic accidents occur. Restricting cats that are used to going outside to a fully indoor lifestyle is likely to result in a reduction in their activity levels and overall quality of life, so sadly isn’t something we’d recommend.

Overview

Many cats are hit by cars every year. Some unfortunately will not survive. However, for those that are brought to the vets there is every chance that with treatment they will be able to recover from their injuries. It is not unusual for surgery to be required as part of the treatment and many cats will need to stay in the veterinary practice for several days, but many do make a full recovery! 

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