Cat meows when I pick him up?

[SAVANNALP]

Squishy usually LOVES when you pick him up. Just today when I went to pick him up he meowed very differently then I’ve heard before. He is eating, drinking, ate catnip. He seems to be slower moving. Hiding more. He’s almost 9. It’s super strange as he’s never been this way before. What should I do?? The picture I attached is circled where he’d freak out if I touched it. Please help me

 

[daftcat75]

None of us can diagnose him from a picture even if we were vets. I would recommend taking him to the vet to have him looked over. If he’s sensitive to the touch or handling, he may need an X-ray to determine if he has an injury or arthritis. If you can’t get him to the vet for whatever reason, then you can pick him up less and perhaps add a joint health supplement like salmon oil or green-lipped mussels to his diet with the assumption he might have arthritis. Those supplements take time to work, if they are going to work at all. And some cats don’t tolerate them well. I do recommend the vet over supplements though. Supplements are only a guess right now. And that’s the best you’re going to get here without a vet visit.

 

[DreamerRose]

That spot has a huge tangle of nerves to it, and most cats are very sensitive if anyone touches it. Mingo is adamant that no one will touch him there, and if he's sitting in my arms on that place, he soon moves around so there is no weight on it. I just learned this about the base of the tail being so sensitive. So I don't think there's anything unusual about it. But it's mysterious why he went for 8 years without letting you know about it.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. From everything you have given us, Squishy is in need of a vet check up. If he is an indoor/outdoor cat, he could have injured himself outside. Or, given his age, he could have injured himself indoors as well. Many cats even when injured or in pain will continue to eat/drink until the issue becomes unbearable to them. Moving slower and hiding more are clear indications that he is not feeling well, and something - one way or the other - is wrong. And, he is a senior now, so he really should be seen by a vet for a thorough senior exam along with a check up about his particular problem at this time. If he has never shown a propensity for extreme sensitivity in that area, that is cause enough to know something is not right.