Cat Limping Intermittently

[ileen]

My 4-5 year old cat Luciano started limping on his rear right leg the other day. He doesn't always do it. As near as I can figure, he does it when he wakes up from sleeping or lying in the same position for a while. It's possible he injured himself jumping when I wasn't around, and when he jumps down now that leg does a quick flinch. After a few limping steps, his gait becomes normal and he isn't making any grunts or noises to indicate pain. His jumping ability has become less graceful, and sometimes he needs two tries to get up on the table or bathroom sink.

I will continue to monitor to see if he improves, stays the same or worsens. He's not the type of cat that will lie still for an examination. If I try playing with his feet while he's sleeping and he wakes up, he'll try to claw or bite me or go lie somewhere else, depending on his mood, so I don't think I'll be able to examine him.

Does anyone have any advice for me?

 

[Jcatbird]

If you can’t look then if it continues, a vet check. Kitties don’t like to show pain so when mine do, it’s worrisome. I had a kitty hurt her foot recently and the vet prescribed a pain pill. She just strained it. The pill helped. She regained use quickly but it had scared me. She isn’t much on me looking at her feet either.
I also put down a heating pad. She did lay on it. Of course, all the kitties like to do that anyway but it may have eased her paw a bit.
How is the foot today?

 

[verna davies]

I agree that a vets vist would be a good idea if it continues. If he is limping then its obviousy bothering him. Your doing the right thing by monitoring him and hopefully he will he fine in a day or so.

 

[FeralHearts]

One of my ferals had a bum leg for a bit. She would all of a sudden limp or not be able to put weight on it for a minute or two. It was very intermittent for a few months. Week or so - no issues, then it would be back for a day or two and so on.

I made a vet appointment and the next day she managed to get herself bitten in the other leg. :-\

Once antibiotics were given for the wound as a precaution - her other leg healed up too. The best guess they had, since there were no breaks in the bone etc was that she had some sort of infection and since completing the antibiotics - she's been fine on her leg.

So I agree with the others if it continues, even off and on, I would get kitty checked out.

XOXOXOXOX

 

[ileen]

Thanks all. He is still lying on his right side, which to me means it can't be hurting that much. I'm guessing he tweaked his knee or lower since I was able to palpate (is that the right word) his hip without issue.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Hi ileen - Sorry to hear about Luciano! I hope he continues to improve. You asked for any advice and one bit of advice I might have is to not allow him to run or jump or do any Zoomies for a little while, so you can see if the limping improves. But also, if he is still limping beyond 4-7 days, I would definitely take him in to the vet for a check-up. Whether he's a young, thin playful kitty or a slightly "weightier" inactive kitty, the knees are notorious for being the weakest joint in the cat's body. Or he could have strained or torn a ligament or something in his leg during some rambunctious play (like you mention, RE: possible jumping).

If the leg hurts, cats will usually do well in self-limiting their movements -- if it seems like he is hurting (from what you know of him and from what you observe), at the least you could try taking him in to get some very temporary pain meds to aid his healing and comfort level.

 

[ileen]

Update: I still haven't seen him doing zoomies, but he did jump across a fairly long jump that required him to push off from that hind leg and he had no issues doing it. There's no chance for a re-do because it's from the loft in my bedroom across to the top of my closet, about a seven foot drop onto the floor. I haven't seen him limping in a few days. I believe he's on the mend.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

That's great news!