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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Cat's been limping - possible causes?

33 replies

NameChange30 · 19/09/2016 22:21

Our cat has been limping for a few days. We looked very carefully at his leg and couldn't find any visible injuries or swellings. We thought he might have landed heavily or sprained it. We kept him in for a day in the hope that some enforced rest would help. It seemed to be improving but tonight he's limping as badly as ever. Obviously the wait and hope approach hasn't worked so we will take him to the vet tomorrow. I'm just wondering whether anyone has any suggestions about what the cause might be?

OP posts:
LittleCandle · 19/09/2016 22:24

He might have had a bite deep behind his shoulder. Or something between his toes? I'd take him down, but it most likely isn't that serious.

LineyReborn · 19/09/2016 22:26

How old?

My cat started doing this at age 10, quite suddenly, and it turned out to be arthritis. No other explanation according to the vet.

She reclines on floor cushions now.

LineyReborn · 19/09/2016 22:27

The cat, not the vet.

Icequeen01 · 19/09/2016 22:28

I've had this with one of mine. Turned out he had been bitten ( probably by his brother!) and leg was infected. Unfortunately his joint also got very infected from one of the bites. Took us a good month until he was completely healed and quite a lot of money (luckily he was insured) Try having a look on your cat's leg to see if you can find any bites or signs of an abcess. I would definitely take it to the vet, if it is an infection it can turn nasty.

Original poster
NameChange30 · 19/09/2016 22:32

He's only two so it had better not be arthritis! He's a moggy (so I'd assume less risk of hereditary diseases?) and in very good health generally. He's very active so I think an injury is more likely... maybe a bite as you suggest Little. The limp is the only symptom as far as we can tell - he's still eating for example.

OP posts:
Icequeen01 · 19/09/2016 22:33

Sorry just realised you said you are taking your cat to the vet. Hope all goes well. My poor boy had to have a joint tap and they shaved his leg so he looked like a poodle! Here's a photo I took at the time.

Cat's been limping - possible causes?
Lemoncurd · 19/09/2016 22:35

Our young cat came home with a limp late one night last week. We were worried she'd been hit by a car or something and thought the worst. We took her to the vet in the morning and they couldn't feel anything on inspection, nothing visible either (looking and feeling for abscesses in case she had been bitten), no broken skin or bleeding.

They sedated and x-rayed her and still found nothing! We were told that it must have just been soft tissue damage and she should have strict rest and gave painkillers and anti-inflammatories for a week. The medication seemed to have an immediate effect, although she's not quite perfect yet.

Hope all is ok with your cat and he's better soon.

Original poster
NameChange30 · 19/09/2016 22:43

Thanks all, yes we're definitely taking him in tomorrow. I wonder if we should have been stricter and kept him in completely, but I suppose the vet will advise on that.

Ice Your boy is a beauty! Ours is ginger and handsome too - less hair though Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
NameChange30 · 19/09/2016 22:44

Taking him into the vets I mean.
And kept him in the house.
Hopefully you got my drift Grin

OP posts:
FoxesOnSocks · 19/09/2016 22:49

Hope it's something minor.

Loves a ginger cat - haven't seen my ginger boy for almost a week 🙁 (He's about - food dish is being emptied!)

Lemoncurd · 20/09/2016 13:00

How is he AnotherEmma?
Ours just had another check today, still needs a bit more rest. Really makes you wonder what they get up to!

Original poster
NameChange30 · 20/09/2016 13:09

That's funny, I was opening the thread to update it and then saw your post Lemon - thanks for asking Smile

DH took him to the vet this morning and they have confirmed it's a "soft tissue" injury, as we suspected. No break/fracture or infection thankfully. They've prescribed Metacam and rest - we have to keep him in for 5 days, which he's going to hate us for!

The damage was £56 which could have been worse and at least we don't have to make an insurance claim (it's less than the excess, so no point).

OP posts:
Original poster
NameChange30 · 20/09/2016 13:13

Oh and if anyone has tips for keeping one cat prisoner but allowing the other to come and go...! We have a SureFlap but you can't programme it to be selective about cats going out (just cats coming in). Plus they can escape if it's only locked one way!

OP posts:
Lemoncurd · 20/09/2016 13:33

Glad it's nothing serious. We were charged £300, perhaps I should have refused the x-ray!! Had insurance for our other cat, but not this one.

We shut poorly cat in our dining room for a few days and then set the cat flap to 'in only' (think we have the same type), letting other cat out through the door as and when. Seems to have worked ok, although limping cat isn't showing much interest in going out and on the few times she has slipped out she came straight back in. Might not work if yours is keen to get out.

Original poster
NameChange30 · 20/09/2016 13:50

Lemon Ouch, that is expensive! But it is hard to refuse things like that, I always think about how I'd feel if it was needed after all.

About the cat flap, I meant to say that they can escape when it's set to "in only". Actually I think it's girl cat who escapes (she's the clever one Grin) but he follows her after she's opened it! He miaws plaintively every time we shut him in so it's going to be a challenging 5 days!

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RubbishMantra · 20/09/2016 18:25

Someone posted on here a while back about their cat being able to 'pick the lock'.

According to them, Sureflap were very helpful, and modified it so cat couldn't do so. However, that would mean you being flap-less for some time.

Might be worth giving them a telephone call?

LineyReborn · 20/09/2016 18:30

My cheaper solution when Junior Cat had to be kept in in an emergency was to put her cat cone on. She can't get it through the cat flap and it tends to render her immobile anyway. She just sort of sits and looks puzzled.

Obvs take it off for food and drink etc. But it was a good short term solution.

Original poster
NameChange30 · 20/09/2016 19:03

Rubbish Thanks, yes I'd read about that before and thought I should probably contact SureFlap but hadn't done it out of apathy! Time to stop procrastinating!

Liney Brilliant tip, thank you!

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Icequeen01 · 20/09/2016 21:41

So pleased it's nothing too serious and you got off fairly lightly with the vet bills SmileOurs cost an eye watering £695!

We also had your problem of keeping our cat in whilst letting his brother come and go. We have the Sureflap and had to lock it so neither cats could go out and would have to 'manually' let his brother out and set up the flap so he could come back in whenever he wanted. Hubby and I both work full time but luckily my mum lives next door and could pop over a couple of times a day to let his brother out if he wanted. Really wasn't ideal and a bit of a pain for a few weeks.

Hopefully your boy will recover quickly so you don't have the cat flap problem for too long.

Wolfiefan · 20/09/2016 21:43

Is he neutered? If not he's more likely to fight and get an injury.

Original poster
NameChange30 · 20/09/2016 21:51

Wolfie
Yes he's neutered. We're responsible Wink (in case you couldn't already tell based on the fact that he's microchipped and insured!)

Ice
Apparently SureFlap also do a DualScan cat flap which allows you to programme it to allow some cats out and others not. It costs extra so we didn't get it, but slightly regretting it now!

The cats are crazy tonight! Been cooped up all day so it's not surprising. Plus we gave boy cat his Metacam a few hours ago so he has less pain slowing him down!

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Wolfiefan · 20/09/2016 21:59

Another Emma I wasn't implying you were a crappy irresponsible owner. It's just often people don't seem so worried about getting boys neutered. (maybe as they aren't the ones who come home pg!) just wondering if it was contributing to his likelihood of getting injuries. Clearly not!!
Hope he's well soon.
(We need a Dreamies emoticon!!)
Grin

Original poster
NameChange30 · 20/09/2016 22:04

Don't worry, I didn't think you were, I just think it's so irresponsible not to neuter them, that I can't understand why people don't do it! Plus less chance of injuries as you say. And presumably cheaper insurance.

We're very strict with the Dreamies unlike the cheeky neighbours but he did get a few today!

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 20/09/2016 22:19

Ha! I wish I could say I was strict with the Dreamies! One of mine broke into a neighbour's house the other week and (with the help of neighbour's cat) helped herself to a packet of Dreamies!
Blush
I'm with you on the neutering. Our old cats were adult rescues. Mum was only a few months older than her son. Poor girl. We now have kittens. Kept in until neutered and microchipped etc.
hoping he's better soon. X

Icequeen01 · 20/09/2016 22:27

AnotherEmma I didn't realise that Sureflap did that. Sounds like a perfect solution. Wish we had known that when we put ours in a couple of years ago, I think we would have invested in that. It amazes me the technology we have now for cat flaps. When I think back to when we had our first cats (many years ago!) we had a plastic flap which used to blow open when it was windy and let in every cat in the neighbourhood!

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