We have a cat named Patches. He is about 12 or 13 years old now so getting an old man. I just wondered if anyone had experienced anything like this with a cat? Obviously we will be getting him to a vet - he has an appointment on Tuesday unless he gets worse - so I'm only really asking for advice and reassurance that he's gonna be ok ...
So a couple of days ago we went to pick him up and he cried loudly. He seemed in pain when we touched his back. Today I was watching him walk. It appears that there may be something wrong with one of his back legs. He's not putting much weight on it at all, and is holding it at a bit of an angle. All this is making him hobble. It took him almost 10 minutes to get down the stairs this afternoon! I'm not medically trained but to me his ankle area on that foot is sticking out a lot more than on the other foot. When he lies down he lays the leg in a weird angle.
There are many other cats in this area, as well as foxes and badgers who we regularly see in the garden. At first we thought it may just be that he had arthritis or something due to his age, especially as he can no longer jump on the furniture. But after seeing the way he walks today I am thinking he has either hurt himself (possibly sprained or dislocated something?) or he's been in a fight with either another cat or a fox. His fur on that part of the foot is looking orangey-brown instead of white which makes me think it was bleeding at some point which he's now cleaned.
When we did his flea treatment the other day instead of being calm whilst he was held, he was complaining and trying to scratch and bite us.
At best he needs pain killers. That much is obvious. What isn't obvious to us is what the vet may say or do as we've never ever had this with any cat before. All our cats have lived to around 16-18 years old, so he is quite old. I had thought that being old he could have hurt himself whilst outside but it really does seem more than that ... I will try to photograph his two back legs to show you later, to show what I mean.
Has anyone ever had anything like this and know what it might be? Also, is he likely to be given just pain relief or put to sleep? We don't want him put to sleep but would if the vet suggested it
I feel quite bad because the other day I was making dinner and didn't know he was behind me so I accidentally stepped on his tail! Well, I had assumed it was his tail, but now I'm wondering if it was his leg as he's holding it at an odd angle and am wondering whether or not I hurt him accidentally.
Yesterday and today he's spent the day sleeping on the stairs. He's not allowed in the house at night, except for the room where the washing machine and back door is as that is where the cat flap is, so I assume he slept in there all night rather than going out as he hasn't really seemed like he wanted to go out. He's also really off his food, but I don't actually know if this is linked because recently he has been being sick before any of his food is digested - we see the whole biscuits. I keep being told that he "eats too fast" and that it's not really sick, just kind of like when a baby drinks milk too quickly and gets the spit-up after. Although I don't know if this is true or not (and I intend to ask the vet!) he's not my cat so there's not a lot I can do. I would prefer him to eat cat meat as he's quite old and I think he may actually be having trouble chewing the hard biscuits.
I think for me I feel bad for accidentally stepping on him. I probably should've known he would be there as he is ALWAYS in the kitchen when someone is making food! But I didn't see or hear him and stepped on him. Although it was by accident I am concerned that maybe I was the one who hurt him?
Any ideas?
Hope your cat does ok over the week-end.
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