R.J. Anderson (rj_anderson) wrote,
R.J. Anderson
rj_anderson
  • Mood: curious

The diagnosing of cats is a difficult matter

... I don't have a cat icon*. In fact, I now realize, I have NEVER had a cat icon. This seems like a totally bizarre oversight given my lifelong love of kitties, but anyway...

I've noticed over the past couple of weeks that my eight-year-old calico, Snickers, has started moving quite tentatively, even gingerly at times. She still jumps up onto beds and couches and so on, and jumps down as well -- but when she gets down she stretches herself as close to the floor as possible before making the jump.

If she's in pain, it doesn't seem to stop her moving freely around the house all day, including up and down the stairs, and I can't see any evidence that she's favouring one particular leg or side of her body. She doesn't yelp or yowl when she jumps up or down, only meows at me now and then in a conversational way. Her eyes are clear and bright, her coat sleek, her appetite's as good as ever, and she loves to be petted (even head-butts me until I stroke her). She flexes easily and sleeps in all kinds of positions. But I do get the sense that she's not as comfortable as she should be when walking -- a little wobbly and a little stiff.

Has anybody else had something this happen with one of their cats? I know eight is middle-aged for a cat, but it still seems a bit too young for her to be moving like an old lady.

If she were showing any more alarming symptoms, or seemed to be deteriorating, I'd take her to the vet. But we just spent an unfortunate amount of money earlier this year trying to save our 22-month-old kitten who died of (I think) congenital kidney issues, so I'm hesitant to go that route unless it's really necessary.

Fellow kitty people, any thoughts?

--
* Though for LiveJournal purposes, I suppose Adrien Agreste is close enough.

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Tags: cats, questions for the f-list, snickers
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  • 8 comments

imbecamiel

October 1 2016, 03:27:25 UTC 3 years ago

:( That is really tough to determine. Especially since cats, even more than dogs, do tend to cover up any signs of distress as long as possible... (Unless you get a cat like one of ours, who's an absolute prince of drama and literally - absolutely literally - wants people to hold his paw and hover when he's in physical distress. :P) It could be something like arthritis, I suppose, though eight seems pretty young for that in a cat. You would think if it were some other internal pain/distress it would more likely affect her appetite...

I wish I could give you some more helpful thoughts. I've been through that struggle far too many times with our various animals, and it never seems to get any easier to figure out just how worried to be when something like that starts up.

rj_anderson

October 1 2016, 19:42:35 UTC 3 years ago

I am SO AMUSED at your cat being a Drama Prince. "Hold my paw! I swoon!"

But yes, I would be a lot more concerned if Snickers lost her appetite, or started drinking a lot more water than usual (that's what happened with our kitten) or some such. I'm definitely keeping an eye on that.

imbecamiel

October 1 2016, 20:48:51 UTC 3 years ago Edited:  October 1 2016, 20:50:34 UTC

It is ridiculous how quickly he can transition from genuine distress that has us concerned that he might need a middle-of-the-night vet visit to turning the audience he's gathered into his personal Shakespearean Tragedy. Rolling slowly onto his back, absolutely pathetic expression, stretching out a paw to the nearest person - "The light fades... I die... but I shall not be forgotten..." Yeah, pretty sure you just ate too quickly and gave yourself a stomachache this time, kid.

I'll be praying that whatever is wrong, Snickers gets back to feeling 100% again soon!

deva_fagan

October 1 2016, 10:27:13 UTC 3 years ago

I am sorry Snickers might not be feeling well, and hope things improve soon!

I don't know anything about cats but for what it's worth, our dog Charlie has had periods of a week or so maybe once a year ever since he was around 8 yrs old, where he starts limping when he first gets up or jumps out of the car-- it has always gone away mostly on its own (we have this harness thing we use to help him get out of the car that we use when he's like this) and never seems to have an obvious cause. It's so tough, though, when our beloved pets can't tell us if they are in pain!

rj_anderson

October 1 2016, 19:43:46 UTC 3 years ago

She does seem a little stiffer at some times than others, particularly when she first gets up from a nap, so it could be something similar to what you describe. Thanks.

kerravonsen

October 2 2016, 01:36:57 UTC 3 years ago

If she was a human, I'd start wondering about Plantar Fasciitis, which causes pain in the heel when standing up or walking after a period of inactivity, but then eases once the tendons have stretched due to activity (or prevented by stretching exersises before one stands up). Speaking from personal experience here.
Considering that cat legs and feet aren't the same as humans, it wouldn't be exactly the same, but it might be something similar.

mary_j_59

October 5 2016, 14:46:31 UTC 2 years ago

Does Snickers go outdoors? If so, it's just barely possible she might have Lyme Arthritis. Cats and dogs can get it as well as people. It really isn't terribly likely, though, but if she should prove to have it, it's easily curable.

Otherwise, she's young for arthritis, but that's not impossible, either. My sister's Misty was limping badly once, and we took her to the vet; it turned out she had the feline equivalent of a sprained ankle, having landed badly when she jumped! Mischief is arthritic, slightly, but she's a lot older than Snickers.

How is Snickers doing? Is she better?

rj_anderson

October 5 2016, 23:41:16 UTC 2 years ago

She's a strictly indoor cat and always has been, so I don't think Lyme is likely. She's still moving stiffly and more slowly than usual, though, so I think I will take her to the vet this week or the next to get her checked out.

Thanks for asking!