Cat limping

[soda1234]

Help! will call the vet tomorrow, but looking for advice meanwhile. my kitten (1 on 2/7/2010) is limping, there is obvious swelling on her rear left paw, she may have trodden on something. Anyone got any ideas?
She's sleeping peacefully at the moment, but can't tolerate the paw being touched

First thing that comes to mind is a bee/wasp sting. Can you see anything in the paw or between the pads which might suggest this?

Any cut or foreign object in it?

If it's a sting the best thing to do is to see the vet as, AFAIK, a bee sting will require different treatment to a wasp sting. Also, if you try to remove it but don't get the whole thing out it can make for further problems.

Something cold, like a pack of frozen peas on the area for a short time, may reduce the swelling a little but really it's one for the vet, especially as you have no idea what has caused it.

Don't try to use human treatment as antiseptics etc which are safe for us can be toxic to cats.

As Vallhala says try checking the paw for any visible wounds. You could also try bathing it in diluted hibiscrub. My cats have cut their paws before and this usually works to clear up any infection and they heal quite fast.

When my cats were kittens I came home from work to a limping cat and could only conclude that he'd climbed the clothes horse and had an untidy landing. (He could never resist a climbing challenge). He was fine the next day.