hurt kitten

Question
This morning when I woke up, I woke up to one of my kittens screaming. I ran to the kitchen and she was sliding across the floor by her front legs, her hind legs were dragging. I dont know what happend, I did notice my boyfriends golf club bag on the floor so I thought maybe that fell on here because the caddy weighs a ton. We didn't know what to do we can't really afford to take her to the vet, my dad did tell me to call a shelter and get advice but there wasn't one open so we have been keeping her wrapped up. Everytime one of the kittens cleans her and they touch her stomach she gets angry, I felt her stomach and compared it to the others her stomach was swollen and it felt that maybe she has broken ribs, I just can't figure out why she can't use her legs, and her tail. Could you give any advice or opinion?

Answer
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but it sounds like your kittens back is broken. If she can't use her tail or her legs and her belly is swollen, it most likely got broken when the clubs fell on her. Her belly is swollen because she can't urinate and her little bladder is full.

If you don't want this kitten to die in agony from uremic poisoning-which is what will happen if her bladder isn't emptied, then you need to find the money to get her to a vet as soon as possible.

Uremic poisoning is a very painful way to die. Her legs and tail don't feel any pain so the only pain she will be feeling is from her bladder getting ready to burst and/or the toxicity of the urine in her bladder.

I hate to be blunt, but that is the truth. Any help a vet might have been able to give her with drugs can only be done through a window of about two hours after the accident. Steroids might have helped unless her back is broken clean through. Then no drugs would help at all.

You need to get her into a vet's tonight. Please don't let her suffer another 12 hours of this.