Odd Behavior

[Clear]

I have an outside cat, he's about 13-15. He's my actual baby, I can dress him up and cuddle him and carry him anywhere, he's super affectionate. I brought thehim inside other day and he wouldn't let me hold him, and ran away hiding in my room. I gave him his food and he wouldn't settle down, and when he finally did he laid by my door. I brought him in again yesterday and it was the same, he was scared and ran off. I picked him up and laid him on my lap in my room and his ears were back, eyes dilated, and he wasn't purring as I pet him. I got him to lay down and out of nowhere he quickly got up and ran too my door. He woke me up a few time throughout the night and I asked my parents not to let him out while I wasn't home.

I got home today and my mom said he seemed fine and let him out, but I know something isn't alright, it's obvious. I went to call for him a little while ago and he wouldn't come out into my yard, he stayed hidden underneath a low tree and I had to carry him inside. I took him too my mom and she felt around to see if he was injured and while he didn't hiss his ears flattened all the way back when she pressed on a spot near his lower back/hip area. There was no sign of a wound or anything though. Is this behavior normal if he got injured by something outside? Or was trying to get away from something? I've been debating on taking him to the vet but I'm not off work until Thursday and don't want him to go without me, should he be fine until then?

 

[ArtNJ]

It very much sounds like an another animal scared him badly, or perhaps even more likely attacked him. You won't see a bite wound from another cat unless you part the fur carefully all over. They can look just like a nail puncture. Sometimes there is only one and not two, depending on the angle of the bite and how much skin is caught.

You must check carefully, because you have a very limited window to treat a bite wound before it gets infected -- and much more costly to deal with. Bite wounds from other cats almost always get infected. Nail wounds very rarely do, so figuring out what you have is key. However, since infected bite wounds can cost $500 to deal with, I always err on the side of taken any suspicious wound to the vet. Better to be told its a nail wound then to not go and get the $500 bill later. If there is a hard area, thats a pus filled pocket. Typically, hair will fall out around the infection at that point.

 

[1 bruce 1]

Do you bring him inside often, or was this the first time he's been inside?

 

[Clear]

It very much sounds like an another animal scared him badly, or perhaps even more likely attacked him. You won't see a bite wound from another cat unless you part the fur carefully all over. They can look just like a nail puncture. Sometimes there is only one and not two, depending on the angle of the bite and how much skin is caught.

You must check carefully, because you have a very limited window to treat a bite wound before it gets infected -- and much more costly to deal with. Bite wounds from other cats almost always get infected. Nail wounds very rarely do.

Since infected bite wounds can cost $500 to deal with, I always err on the side of taken any suspicious wound to the vet. Better to be told its a nail wound then to not go and get the $500 bill later. If there is a hard area, thats a pus filled pocket. Typically, hair will fall out around the infection at that point.

Thank you! I'll look to see if there's any puncture wounds near the sore area

 

[Clear]

Do you bring him inside often, or was this the first time he's been inside?

He comes inside every night and goes out in the morning, he sometimes comes in during the day for treats too.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. He's older, just like my Feeby (15+ yo) and anything can go wrong at any time. It could be an injury or entirely something else healthwise that has been brewing. If you can keep him inside and quiet and make sure he is eating/drinking/peeing/pooping OK, you could probably hold on for a few days before a vet visit. But, if you do find a wound, depending on the severity, you might not want to wait. Check him over and let us know what you do/do not find.

 

[maggie101]

It could also be arthritis. A vet can find out what's wrong

 

[1 bruce 1]

He comes inside every night and goes out in the morning, he sometimes comes in during the day for treats too.

Ahh, that's good that he comes in at night. I was thinking if he wasn't used to being indoors, just being indoors scared him badly. I think the others are right, he could have something like a bite or simply could have jumped off of something and landed wrong and knocked himself out of whack.
Does he allow you to massage the area that's sore?

 

[Clear]

Update!!

Sorry to everyone I didn't respond to! We got an appointment yesterday and I left work early, thankfully the vet said it was only some bruising caused by a fall or something falling on him and it heal it a couple days. I wake up around 6:30 every morning and he came in this morning acting like his normal self, jumped right up on me bed meowing and purring for pets and laid right down to be loved on. Thank you all for you help and concern!!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Thanks for the update!!