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Original poster

To be worried about my cats limp

34 replies

Waitbytheriver · 16/01/2026 13:01

I have posted in the litter tray but I never seem to get a response on there so I’m really hoping that someone on here has previously had a cat with this and can let me know their experience (or maybe there’s some vets or vet nurses?)

Cat has had a limp for 7 days now. She’s been thoroughly examined and had an xray which hasn’t shown anything. She’s on gabapentin and meloxaid, but day 7 and her limp is still just as bad as day 1. She is confined to one room and I’m trying to make her rest but there’s been no improvement whatsoever. Vets are stumped, they just keep saying to carry on resting because the X-rays dont show anything.

Has anyone’s cat had a sprain before? How long did it take to get better? I am really worried because I feel like if it was a simple sprain, after a week I would at least see SOME improvement??

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Original poster
Waitbytheriver · 21/01/2026 17:40

ChocolateCinderToffee · 21/01/2026 15:39

When my cat had a limp (on a back leg) it was caused by an abscess on his hip. Will she let you feel the whole leg?

Yes she will let me feel her whole leg. It’s been a few weeks now and the limp is still no better. We are back for more X-rays of a different area on Friday. First thing in the morning her limp always much better but as soon as she has gotten up and eaten and walked around a bit, it comes back exactly the same. I’m still restricting her but I can’t stop her walking completely

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ChocolateCinderToffee · 21/01/2026 15:39

When my cat had a limp (on a back leg) it was caused by an abscess on his hip. Will she let you feel the whole leg?

shouldofgotamortage · 16/01/2026 14:39

Sure shes not putting it on? some cats do it for sympathy.

Original poster
Waitbytheriver · 16/01/2026 14:12

testotest · 16/01/2026 14:03

This happened with my cat last year, very similar story to you but it didn’t improve and after going back and forth to vets (also had X-rays which apparently showed nothing) I asked for a referral to animal hospital, we went and had an examination and CT scan but the vet there could already see something different on the X-ray. The CT showed a joint issue and it was already arthritic (my cat was 2.5) he had a total hip replacement in December and is still on crate rest now but expected to make full recovery. If your cats limp doesn’t improve in the next 6 weeks I’d push for a referral to a specialist

Thank you for this! I have another appointment for her next Friday, it will only have been 2 weeks by then but I will see what they suggest if she is still limping. If it carries on and my vets don’t know the answer, I will ask for this, thank you. I’m glad your cat is going to be ok 💕

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BillieWiper · 16/01/2026 14:04

Waitbytheriver · 16/01/2026 13:54

She can weight bear, she has always been able to, just with a prominent limp. She is still jumping (even though I’m trying to make her rest as much as I can). She holds her foot off the floor when she’s sat down so I’m not sure if it’s her shoulder.. holding her foot off the floor makes me feel like it’s her paw but she lets me touch it and press it etc

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Hmmm. It is a bit mysterious. It seems like she's not in pain or impeded too much though which is good x

testotest · 16/01/2026 14:03

This happened with my cat last year, very similar story to you but it didn’t improve and after going back and forth to vets (also had X-rays which apparently showed nothing) I asked for a referral to animal hospital, we went and had an examination and CT scan but the vet there could already see something different on the X-ray. The CT showed a joint issue and it was already arthritic (my cat was 2.5) he had a total hip replacement in December and is still on crate rest now but expected to make full recovery. If your cats limp doesn’t improve in the next 6 weeks I’d push for a referral to a specialist

Dablab · 16/01/2026 13:58

From your updates I'd give it a bit longer. She is weight bearing and using the leg in a variety of ways. Muscle pain can take a while to improve if she's pulled something.

Original poster
Waitbytheriver · 16/01/2026 13:54

BillieWiper · 16/01/2026 13:49

Ok if no licking then it won't be derma/stuff stuck.

But she can't bear weight on it? If the weight bearing seems to be increasing I'd say it's getting better. And it doesn't seem sore to you touching it?

The shoulder/hiss thing makes me think it could be the source of it. Can she still jump/climb etc?

I hope she's better soon x

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She can weight bear, she has always been able to, just with a prominent limp. She is still jumping (even though I’m trying to make her rest as much as I can). She holds her foot off the floor when she’s sat down so I’m not sure if it’s her shoulder.. holding her foot off the floor makes me feel like it’s her paw but she lets me touch it and press it etc

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BillieWiper · 16/01/2026 13:49

Waitbytheriver · 16/01/2026 13:24

She doesn’t lick it at all and yeah she does let us touch it. She hissed at the vets when they touched her shoulder but she doesn’t do that when I touch it so I’m not sure whether that was just her telling the vet to back off or whether that’s where the pain is. But they x-rayd the shoulder and all looks fine, which is obviously great but… confusing because I’m worried something might be being missed

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Ok if no licking then it won't be derma/stuff stuck.

But she can't bear weight on it? If the weight bearing seems to be increasing I'd say it's getting better. And it doesn't seem sore to you touching it?

The shoulder/hiss thing makes me think it could be the source of it. Can she still jump/climb etc?

I hope she's better soon x

Original poster
Waitbytheriver · 16/01/2026 13:48

FancyCatSlave · 16/01/2026 13:37

No he is is too much of an idiot, bless him. He climbs trees all day and jumps from ridiculous heights. He is also a hunter and likes to chase his sister a lot. They are both 2 and whilst I tried to keep him in he was flinging himself around the house so I gave up after 48 hours and left him to it. He actually rested more when not confined if that makes sense. He felt trapped inside and that made him completely wired.

I took him back twice but vet said I just needed to wait and sure enough eventually he stopped limping. He had metacam and an anti inflammatory injection and that was it.

Soft tissue injuries can take longer than fractures to heal and sometimes they just need rest. I also have owned horses and they are even worse at hurting themselves but sometimes you just have to leave them to it. I wouldn’t worry too much if he can stand on it (even if it’s raised most of the time).

Vet thought he had probably landed badly, he had a small amount of swelling but not much. Given how I have seen him launch off our cottage roof that is no surprise. He’s a bit of a wally (but with the most velvet fur and biggest purr).

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That’s exactly like my cat!! Even in the room she’s in, she’s trying to play and finding random things to play with and run around. All of the furniture in there is relatively low to the ground though, so no big jumps. I was hoping the gabapentin would make her a bit sleepy but nope 😆

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FancyCatSlave · 16/01/2026 13:37

Waitbytheriver · 16/01/2026 13:16

Oh really?! Ah thank you this reassures me. I was reading posts on Reddit and people were saying their cats stopped limping after 3 days with a sprain which is what has worried me. Did you keep your cat confined at all while they healed? Mine is in one room but she’s still a cat so not a very good patient lol

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No he is is too much of an idiot, bless him. He climbs trees all day and jumps from ridiculous heights. He is also a hunter and likes to chase his sister a lot. They are both 2 and whilst I tried to keep him in he was flinging himself around the house so I gave up after 48 hours and left him to it. He actually rested more when not confined if that makes sense. He felt trapped inside and that made him completely wired.

I took him back twice but vet said I just needed to wait and sure enough eventually he stopped limping. He had metacam and an anti inflammatory injection and that was it.

Soft tissue injuries can take longer than fractures to heal and sometimes they just need rest. I also have owned horses and they are even worse at hurting themselves but sometimes you just have to leave them to it. I wouldn’t worry too much if he can stand on it (even if it’s raised most of the time).

Vet thought he had probably landed badly, he had a small amount of swelling but not much. Given how I have seen him launch off our cottage roof that is no surprise. He’s a bit of a wally (but with the most velvet fur and biggest purr).

TheMoanerLisa · 16/01/2026 13:27

It was almost impossible to get her to rest but we knew caging her would be too distressing for her. We also just kept her in one room and spent a lot of time with her. We would lay on the floor with her to discourage jumping up on sofas!

Original poster
Waitbytheriver · 16/01/2026 13:24

BillieWiper · 16/01/2026 13:19

Could it be dermatitis or a trauma wound on the pad/between toes? Something like a seed or thorn stuck? Does she keep licking it?

Does she let you touch it/inspect it?

I hope it gets better soon. I mean it must do if vets say there's no evidence of damage?!

She doesn’t lick it at all and yeah she does let us touch it. She hissed at the vets when they touched her shoulder but she doesn’t do that when I touch it so I’m not sure whether that was just her telling the vet to back off or whether that’s where the pain is. But they x-rayd the shoulder and all looks fine, which is obviously great but… confusing because I’m worried something might be being missed

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veganfortheanimals21 · 16/01/2026 13:23

Have they checked for the virus - FVC? It's usually kittens that present limping symptoms in front paws because of this virus. If it is, your cat needs meds immediately as it can be deadly. Limps can also can be a reaction to vaccines.

Original poster
Waitbytheriver · 16/01/2026 13:22

TheMoanerLisa · 16/01/2026 13:17

We had tiny little tortie who went missing for 48 hours. Very out of character. When she reappeared she was limping badly and I imagined all the horrors she could have been through.

Like you, vet could find nothing wrong on examination or from x-ray. He started off with assuming a soft tissue injury. She had pain relief, anti-inflamatories and lots of rest. We never found out what she had got up to on her travels
but it did resolve itself. Probably took about 10 days.

Hope puss is on the mend soon and further investigations aren't needed.

Awww that must have been awful!! I’m so glad she came back though and her injury was nothing serious. That’s really reassuring, how did you make her rest? Did you have to crate rest her? We had to crate rest her last year when she tore her cruciate on her back leg and it was awful! I’d rather not do that again, but if I have to then I have to. For now she is confined to the living room

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Original poster
Waitbytheriver · 16/01/2026 13:20

Lindy2 · 16/01/2026 13:11

How bad is the limp? Are they weight bearing or keeping that leg off the ground altogether?

Can you check there's nothing small in their pawpads or any tissue injury under the fur? Looking when they are asleep is probably best. Mine managed to hide a very nasty cut where the top of their inner leg meets their tummy by keeping that leg in a position where it was impossible to see.

She is weight bearing yes. She is using her leg to walk and scratch her scratch post and make biscuits on her blanket etc. she lifts the paw slightly off the ground when she sits down. She has been thoroughly checked three times and I have looked as well, there’s nothing. I will have another check though just in case

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BillieWiper · 16/01/2026 13:19

Could it be dermatitis or a trauma wound on the pad/between toes? Something like a seed or thorn stuck? Does she keep licking it?

Does she let you touch it/inspect it?

I hope it gets better soon. I mean it must do if vets say there's no evidence of damage?!

Original poster
Waitbytheriver · 16/01/2026 13:18

lisa12000 · 16/01/2026 13:09

Have they taken blood work? When my cat started limping they assumed it was strain etc but also took bloodshot to rule out any thrombosis/heart and kidney problems which can cause a limp. I hasten to add that she developed other symptoms as well such as increased vomitong etc. I don’t expect that it’s this at all but if it’s an older cat it’s worth asking

Edited

No they haven’t taken any blood work. She mentioned arthritis but she is only 3 years old so I don’t know how likely that would be or how they would diagnose it if it is that

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TheMoanerLisa · 16/01/2026 13:17

We had tiny little tortie who went missing for 48 hours. Very out of character. When she reappeared she was limping badly and I imagined all the horrors she could have been through.

Like you, vet could find nothing wrong on examination or from x-ray. He started off with assuming a soft tissue injury. She had pain relief, anti-inflamatories and lots of rest. We never found out what she had got up to on her travels
but it did resolve itself. Probably took about 10 days.

Hope puss is on the mend soon and further investigations aren't needed.

Original poster
Waitbytheriver · 16/01/2026 13:16

FancyCatSlave · 16/01/2026 13:07

When one of mine did a soft tissue injury it took 2 weeks to see any improvement so it may just need more time.

Oh really?! Ah thank you this reassures me. I was reading posts on Reddit and people were saying their cats stopped limping after 3 days with a sprain which is what has worried me. Did you keep your cat confined at all while they healed? Mine is in one room but she’s still a cat so not a very good patient lol

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Original poster
Waitbytheriver · 16/01/2026 13:15

Itsseweasy · 16/01/2026 13:06

Apoligies - this is presumably one of the first things they checked and therefore a silly suggestion but, still - when this happened to one of ours it turned out it was a painful claw. He’s an older boy now and doesn’t go out as much and we hadn’t realised his claws were so long that one was growing back inside his paw pad. We now make sure they are regularly clipped as he wasn’t doing a good enough job on the scratching post!
But claw issues definitely make them limp too.

Yeah so when I first took her they looked at everything, was manipulating her leg, looking all between the toes and feeling her stomach and chest and just everywhere really. They prescribed pain relief and said come back in 5 days if no better, but on day 3 I called them to ask if she could have an x ray. So when she was sedated they had another thorough look. She lets us touch all over her leg and paw and only seems to show any sign of pain when she puts pressure on it to walk

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Lindy2 · 16/01/2026 13:11

How bad is the limp? Are they weight bearing or keeping that leg off the ground altogether?

Can you check there's nothing small in their pawpads or any tissue injury under the fur? Looking when they are asleep is probably best. Mine managed to hide a very nasty cut where the top of their inner leg meets their tummy by keeping that leg in a position where it was impossible to see.

Original poster
Waitbytheriver · 16/01/2026 13:10

Dablab · 16/01/2026 13:02

Which leg? If a back leg, I assume they ruled out a cruciate injury?

It’s her front one. She did tear her cruciate on one of her back legs last year. My vet said the same thing then “she’s just pulled it” but I took her back and asked for can xray and they found the cruciate was torn. However, this time there is nothing showing on the xray

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lisa12000 · 16/01/2026 13:09

Have they taken blood work? When my cat started limping they assumed it was strain etc but also took bloodshot to rule out any thrombosis/heart and kidney problems which can cause a limp. I hasten to add that she developed other symptoms as well such as increased vomitong etc. I don’t expect that it’s this at all but if it’s an older cat it’s worth asking

TheMoanerLisa · 16/01/2026 13:09

surreygirly · 16/01/2026 13:06

fgs your pet is in pain
GO TO THE VET

fgs are you blind or stupid?
READ THE POST

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