Cat's been limping - possible causes?

[NameChange30]

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?

Stepped on something? Perhaps a thorn in the foot? Is your cat licking any part of the leg/foot to sooth itself? Is the leg/foot tender if you touch it?
Also look for any strange growths- my cat had a lump in the hind leg which had to be removed.
Hope your kitty is ok!

House arrest update: not going brilliantly so far!

I contacted SureFlap who are sending us a new front frame (which is allegedly escape-proof, we shall see!) but they have to make it first, so it will take a few days.

Meanwhile the cats have managed to escape several times. I've had enough and boarded up the cat flap. This does mean that girl cat is currently locked out and we'll have to physically open the door to let her in and out. But boy cat is never going to get better if he keeps escaping.

He's been miaowing at us plaintively pretty much non-stop.

Good job we love 'em, eh?!

I remember the wailing! Dreadful, mental torture. I felt so bad when I used to let his brother out and Angus used to just sit there looking me with those big sad eyes. You have my sympathies!

Thanks Ice. They managed to bloody break out of the boarded up cat flap I'd covered it with cardboard and they managed to rip it off. So I've done it again with plastic and insane amounts of brown tape... This is turning into a battle of wills!

Oh no! They sound very determined. Can you put something heavy against both inside and outside?

Oh Lordy! What about if you block it from the outside? Would that survive longer?

Our story is virtually identical to Lemoncurd including the cost. It took about a month for Apollo to stop limping completely. We also couldn't contain him indoors, he went crazy. after 24 hours. Some days go by when we hardly see him, he' loves being outside so much. I'm waiting for the next round of injuries and costs.

Well, the little bastard cat managed to break out again, despite my efforts. Thanks for the suggestions, I'm a bit at a loss as to what we can use to block it (and it is the back door so we still need to be able to go in and out ourselves) but I might try boarding it up from the outside, at least he won't be able to rip it all off so easily.