my cat was shot in the back

Question
I took him to the vet, thinking he had been hit by a car.  They took x-rays and saw the bullet.  It is beside his spine.  He has no feeling in his legs or tail and no control over his bladder or bowels.  They told me there was a chance he could recover and his is taking antibiotics and steriods.  He is not a happy cat.  I am not a happy owner.  I don't know what to do.  Could you please tell me what his actual chances are and when I would see any improvement?  

Answer
Hi Judy.  Sorry to hear of your sad situation.  How awful people can be!  I hope you will consider keeping your kitty inside after this horrible event.

It's really impossible to tell what his chances are, but I'm glad you're allowing him some time.  The body has an amazing ability to heal itself.  I have a cat whose previous owners took no care of her.  She was hit by a car but managed to survive.  She dragged herself into their yard with a broken jaw and hind-quarter paralysis.  They did nothing, just left her outside to die.  Amazingly, 3 weeks later, she was still alive and was gaining back some control over her hind legs.  5 years later, at 14 years old, she has no evidence she was ever paralyzed.  The only evidence of her accident is a crooked jaw.

I would definitely give the steroids a couple weeks to work, to try to take down the inflammation, and see what the body can do to recover.  If no improvement is shown within the first few weeks, then chances are smaller that he will recover.  

You might also want to consider acupuncture.  Even many conventional vets swear by this therapy to help with injuries such as this.  Your vet may be able to refer you to a vet that performs acupuncture.  It often starts out at three times a week, with improvement seen by the tenth visit.

I do firmly believe paralyzed cats can live happy lives, as well.  There are apparatuses made especially for cats who are paralyzed in their back legs to help them get around.  If you might be interested, you can look at some at www.k9carts.com.