Experience with cats' proprioception or interoception,...

[susan n]

...knowledge/sensation of own body parts? Pooka had a recent partial tail amputation due to a household accident. One third of it is gone, one third is shaved, and the other third is normal.

Because of the sutures she must where an e-collar at all times I am not watching her.

On several occasions now when the e-collar was off I have noted she appears to not know the "thing" behind her is her own tail. The first time she saw it the remaining fully-haired section pouffed and she ran. The second time she jumped as if in alarm and I replaced the e-collar quickly.

Just now I had it off and she sat on a newspaper next to me on the floor. Her tail moved and the end with the sutures made a scratching sound on the paper. She was staring at it as though she had no idea it was part of her body.

Does anyone have any insight as to why a cat, a creature that is so very physical, would seem to not have sensation/awareness/knowledge of her own body?

Anyone have experience with something similar that might cast light on what I have observed?
Should read, " Because of the sutures she must WEAR an..."
Her behavior seems to indicate that she does NOT know it is her tail. More as if there was something new attached that she is wary of.

 

[CTU]

I really do not know what to tell you Susan as I have never experienced something like that but I do feel that it must be like when a human wakes up from an operation missing a limb. Cats are very intelligent. I am guessing that she must have been traumatized and she does know that a part of her tail is missing but has a hard time dealing with her new appearance. She must be wondering where the rest of her tail is. In time, the trauma will diminish and she will get used to seeing her tail that way.....

Just guessing here.....

Edit:maybe she does not have the same sensation when she moves her tail Susan or she relives the moment that it happened and it scares her. Maybe she finds the sutures strange or the part of her tail that is missing fur. Really hard to know when they do not talk.....