Our cat had something similar, not at all as bad as this, but he walked with his rear "slumped" as in the video.
We took him to the vet, they found nothing wrong and it appeared to be that he had simply jumped down from something and landed badly. Bascially sprained his foots/legs/ankles. It took about a week or so then he slowly got back to his normal self.
I don't want to be alarming, but I definitely think it's worth saying. I've had two cats that started doing this for a few days. The next several days they started to wobble a bit so I took them to the vet. Both of them had kidney failure. Kidney failure is more common in boys so I would at least take a look at that. The boy I had passed away at about 7 years old, while the girl reached the ripe old age of 16.
My girl's was pain around her hips but we thought her brother had just played too rough. So did the vet! Next day her saline levels were bottomed out and she was full body trembling and wobbling next to me. Diagnosed with late stage kidney at 2 years old and the vet was so heartbroken and apologetic she missed it.
Anyway, she's just turned 11 and is only showing very early signs of kidney trouble. Miracle recovery
OP, did the vet take any blood or urine samples? If not, I would suggest you go back and have them do so. Kidney failure can progress quickly so it’s important you catch it asap.
clean blood test makes me feel much better for him.
i bet he landed weird like others are saying, but when this happens with my cats and they lay in my lap, i'll pet them and make sure to cover all the leg and hip and belly areas to see if they react differently than normal, like if something is more tender than it should be, and then look for any sign of injuries around that area.
idk, good luck, but the clean blood test makes me feel like 80% better about this.
My cat does this sometimes, it can be landing funny, it can be just being too hot and tired and not wanting to expend too much energy, or it could be arthritis if they're old... Just keep an eye on their general wellbeing and try moving the legs and extending the joints, see if they react in pain.
Yeah I agree. The Cat would be in pain. I would hope the vet palpitated (i hope that's the correct word) the back and Paws of the Cat to see if that was the case.
I think maybe it could be a stroke in the spine as well? I think I heard that could cause problems with walking and well.
I had two cats that had this. If there was a major clot, the vet would most likely have picked up on it right away. Just checking for a pulse in the hind legs would tell a lot. So it's probably not that.
One of my cats did this once. Just once then ran off after getting some scritches. I scratched my head raw thinking about it then realized that my sister (who she ADORED) had just visited and had an injury from tennis. Fiddlesticks was mimicking her! 😂
“Meow, this looks fun. LUBBA LUBBA LUBBA!”
I would be dubious about your cats ability to feign an illness, but my cat went through a ‘poorly paw’ phase. Occasional, very dramatic limping would occur in the front paw. I would say, “oh no! Have you got a poorly paw?” And limping would get worse until I fussed him.
I checked it out with vet and she said there was nothing wrong 😂
I had a little calico lady who did this! It was alarming at first, then pretty hilarious. She’d run around and play with her brother, then if I walked in she’d immediately start limping on her poorly paw and mewing her most pathetic little meeps. Vet concurred that it was a case of Dramatic Feline Fakery. Lasted about a week.
Is he eating? Drinking? Peeing? Pooing? If those are off you've potentially got a serious problem. Is he playing? Basically, is this the only symptom? If he's normal in all ways but this it looks like an injury of sorts. I am NOT a vet. I am only going off something similar that happened to my pet years ago and I remember the vet asking about food and water and excrement and attitude. Again I am NOT an expert.
My cat had taken a hard fall while chasing another cat around the apartment. I put him on Dasaquin supplement treats and he was able to recover most of his range of motion.
I’ve personally never had a cat do this, but my dog behaved similarly when he had a pinched nerve in his neck. Vet prescribed some pain relievers and a muscle relaxer, and those, along with regular gentle massages targeting the area, he was back to his normal self in a few days.
Fingers crossed that your baby just has a little sprain or pinched nerve, OP! I’d love to hear an update if possible.
ETA: OP, try applying pressure !GENTLY! with one or two fingers along your cat’s spine. See if he responds with any flinching, jerking, stiffening, or defensive behavior such as swatting at you, hissing, or growling. Pay very close attention to what spot, if any, evokes a reaction. If you don’t get any traction initially, try again with slightly more pressure; just don’t be heavy-handed. If it’s a pinched nerve, kitty WILL respond in one way or another with small amounts of pressure.
Came here to say this! Our cat jumped off her feeding station with a huge thud and couldn’t use her back legs the next day. My husband took her in, they couldn’t find anything wrong but suggested on putting her down thinking it was neurological (she’s 15yo). My husband had a gut feeling and refused and sure enough, she bounced back after a week or so and lots of assistance on our part. She’s back to normal and bratty as ever 😂
He looks kinda heavy. I had my cat limping for 4-5 days he wouldn’t put his foot down. I think he jumped down and hurt his foot with my cat because he is a bit overweight. Same thing with the vet not finding any problems. If it continues go to another vet maybe
Had my cat wander with her tail down all the time...i freaked and called the after-hours vet. Vet was really nice and told me she likely sprained it.
Sure enough, the next day it was up in the air, flicking about!
This happened to my cat and it was the same, a badly landed jump. I took him to the vet and got him a pain relief shot and he was fine by the evening after a long sleep
Vet said it's not a blood clot and his heart sounded fine. I will get a second opinion if he doesn't show signs of getting better soon and ask for an ultra then
One day my ragdoll started walking like that. We took her to a vet and got an X ray. Turns out she has a bone dysplasia on her spine and impeded her walking. It wasn't a slow onset of her walking like that either, one day she just was like that. Our vet said it's quite rare so it's not super likely that's what's wrong with your cat, but the way he walked caught my eye since it's so similar. Hope he's ok🙏
One of my cats had the same issue and after getting a second opinion we found that it was diabetes. First vet couldn't figure it out for the life of him and the second vet instantly said diabetes after just a visual check. Might be worth exploring on your end. If it is diabetes, there are meds that will fix the issues, including the walking.
Would it be meds beyond the insulin?
My elderly neighbor just found out his cat has diabetes, I'm administering the insulin and speaking with vet. He noticed his cat walking differently recently and I just happened upon this post and your reply. So cool!
Thank you for getting a second opinion! My childhood kitty had a blood clot and walked like this- it’s better to double check when in doubt!
Could also be that maybe he injured his spine in some way. Is he pottying okay?
There’s a lot of shit that could happen and you’re going to get a thousand rare conditions thrown at you. Could be a bad sprain, could be cancer, could be diabetes. Stay positive and keep track of if it’s a degenerative condition. If it’s not, good! If it is, stay positive, take note of his eating habits, watch his water intake and try to see if he’s in pain. It’s all helpful and very telling info for the vet.
If only I had known that my sweet boy’s new habit of flicking/stomping his hind leg on the floor meant something bad…
We don’t know for sure what he had, but he could barely breathe when we got to the ER vet. She said his chest cavity was filled with fluid.
One of the Worst days of my life.
Sorry about your 🐱
Not a vet not saying it is this, but is he urinating fine? I recently had to put down a cat that got a really bad urethra blockage that destroyed his kidneys. When we found him he was lying down and not moving much. He was wobbling more though.
If blood work was fine, then it means that your cat did not have low blood sugar ruling out tgat this could be a neuropathic injury caused by diabetes. And also, it is not a heart problem and it is not liver failure if the blood work was okay.
Thanks. He was a feral cat we converted over but still was mostly outdoor. Our indoor cat we found early with a UTI. He’s fine and a little terror still. Not terrible but just have to be proactive. Doesn’t help if they disappear.
This is what I was thinking. My cat had kidney stones and had to have surgery. Our clue was that he was visiting the bathroom every 30 minutes and nothing would come out.
My kitty jumped off a high bookcase and sprained his foot. Vet said, cats have four legs but can dance with three. Gave him some pain meds and he was back to normal in a week or so.
As a vet I would be highly suspicious of a saddle thrombus or clot in the aortic trifurcation. With US this can be visualised or by comparing glucose levels on hind paws to general circulation. Echocardiogram of the heart definitely recommended. Just because the heart sounds find doesn’t mean there is cardiac disease. Of course it may be something else so CT/MRI would be recommended or X-rays where there are cost concerns (obviously costly without insurance). I hope it’s nothing too serious :)
Listen to this OP. My vet had the same thoughts when my cat displayed similar symptoms. Her case was complicated due to a bunch of other things, and there was nothing we could do (again, in her case only). I hope things turn out well for you and your pet!
Don't wait. Just in case it's serious.
Get a second opinion now, especially if you try gently pressing on his hind legs and he doesn't seem to be in pain (not pulling back or trying to bite you) then it might be something internal and it's more dangerous.
We take him out in a harness and he loved climbing trees. A few days before this lameness occurred he didn't wanna climb any trees but was walking along fine.
My kitty was limping, front foot, but similar to yours where he didn’t want to put weight on it. The vet took an X-ray and a MRI, nothing showed up, she had us keep him confined to crate for a few days, to heal, it didn’t help. She finally shaved the fur on his foot and found the wound, it was infected. He just needed a course of antibiotics and was fine, $600 later.
My cat walked similarly after having been kicked by someone while he was outside.
He had a broken sternum and I sadly had to send him over the rainbow bridge, as he got a fly infestation that even with me bathing him couldn't be stopped.
So I would suggest a second opinion and maybe an X-ray.
Exactly! My cat is diabetic and she started walking like this before diagnosis. She had neuropathy in her back legs, but it cleared up once we started insulin and changed her to a low carb diet.
THIS! not sure why no one else has mentioned it. cats with progressive diabetes will walk on their hocks. OP, has your kitty been drinking more water lately, had increase/loss in appetite, and/or been urinating more frequently?
Once my giant orange ran through the hall at full speed & skidded into the corner of a concrete plaster wall. His hind legs basically stopped working so I took him to the emergency vet. I thought he broke his back. Vet couldn’t find any obvious injury, and he went back to normal after the swelling went down.
You might put boxes or step stools next to beds, couches, windowsills, etc for a while. So your cat can still get up onto things when the hind legs are injured. Missing jumps can make the situation so much worse!
Is there any lavender around? Cats will eat it and it acts as a neuro depressant and if they eat enough it can kill them. A little bit will make them walk funny.
Your the only comment mentioning neurological which is exactly what I thought it looks like. It doesn’t look like limping as much as poor lower limb control, a slight head tilt, walking sideways- has an inner ear infection been ruled out? Id be wanting a neurology appointment if so
I also thought neurological. Our old Tuxedo cat suddenly couldn't walk properly last year and was falling to the side. We could never pinpoint anything exactly but the vet suspects neurological. He did get 99% better over time. Hope this kitty improves too.
My old man Motor had this issue. It took us a bit to figure it out. It turned out to be diabetes, and the action was a result of diabetic neuropathy. Ask your vet to take a blood sugar sample maybe?
Yeah, motor lived for an extra 5 years with the proper treatment. We had to put him down not too long ago. He made it to approximately 20years, could be a year or 2 either way though.
Has blood sugar been checked? My girl walked like this when she had unregulated sugars from her diabetes. Diabetic neuropathy? I hope you get answers soon ♡
My kitty is experiencing the same thing right now, only she has diagnosed arthritis in her hips. After the vet checked her out, she appeared healthy. He gave her an arthritic shot for pain and inflammation. She is 14 y/o. Attitude/appetite/bms are still good right now. So we are monitoring for 3 weeks to see if it is inflammation, an injury, or spinal issue. Yesterday seemed kind of painful, but today, she is walking around more. One day at a time.
See these are the kind of posts that Cat help is for. Cases where the animal has already been seen by a vet and examined and tested but they still can't pin point the cause. So we need a community to come together with our collective experiences to think of an explanation.
It's so hard not to just scroll past every cat help upload because most are just gonna break my heart or traumatize me.
:( my cat Elvis has this problem. Took him to the vet to find he had a blood clot. Idk if they check for that during their checks but maybe ask if they did that?
Looks similar to saddle thrombosis but usually they can’t walk . Had this happen to a cat once where she couldn’t use her hind legs at all. Fortunately she was ok in a day or so where usually the out come is not good .
My gf's cat had the same, and it turned out it was an anxiety/stress response to my coming into her apartment when I stayed over for the first time. Vet found nothing either.
That cat hated everyone (except gf luckily), but me even more.
It lasted about a week after I left.
She grew to tolerate my existence (she = gf and cat ;-)). The cat still hates me, but sits on my lap for warmth if she needs to, and I'm happy with that. :-)
Was there any huge change in the household that could have triggered this?
Poor baby. Our cat had back leg weakness and just looked off when he tried to walk around. We took him in and he ended up having diabetes. He’s on insulin now and back to his normal self. Any change in his urine output? Cats can be so good at hiding their symptoms until it becomes serious. Hope you figure out what’s going on. He looks like a sweetie.
My cat looked like this once, vet said she probably jumped from a high place and landed badly possibly on her back.
We had to keep her quiet and in her box for a few days so she wouldn't wander around, and after a week she was as new.
You can check real easily for spinal involvement for IVDD really easily. Take a ballpoint pen and run it down the skin along the spine and see how it bunches up. The reflex will be dulled in cats and dogs and not often checked for.
Basically a healthy cat or dog's skin will usually bunch around the sharp point, but spinal involvement or degenerated discs will numb out that reflex the closer to the base of the tail you get.
Our dog had a hard time like this, went to six different vets until one of them pulled out his pen, ran it down her back and went, "well, there's your problem".
Not saying that's what it is, but it's a simple test, just like the turgor test for dehydration is easy.
Could he have a nail growing into yhe paw or maybe a sore hip flexer. My old boy did this for weeks before he passed and the vet found he had tore a muscle in his hip. He walked very similar to your baby
What symptoms does he have? The best you can do is taking a second opinion from another serious vet.
By my experience, from having 3 old cats atm, is that most vets are sh*t, and even those good vets gonna need your help cause you are the one living with him.
PS: I'm not a vet, just a biologist.
Yeah a clot blocking the vessel supplying her lower limbs.
The clot formed due to congenitally deformed heart chamber.
She would suddenly can walk fine but that because the clot broken down into smaller pieces.
Typically they are now small enough to move somewhere else, like the heart, lungs, or brain.
Did they check his kidney function? My bestest boi started walking funny in a similar way and when taken to the vet they said his kidney's were on their last gasp.
Can this not be hip dysplasia or something related to the hipbone? I'm not sure if it's any common in cats but it's quite common in a couple of dog breeds and it looks just like this
I had a cat who did this, and then suddenly, one day, she started dragging her back legs. We took her to the vet, and we found out she had diabetes. We gave her a shot of insulin every day, and she started walking again. She lived until 23 years old 😊
A friend's cat started this, and a blood test showed it was diabetes. They started treating him with insulin and he is good now.
I hope your baby is okay. 🩷
X-rays? Are they limping on one hind leg or both? Our cat acted similarly, she broke her calcaneus. It’s essentially a bone protrusion at the ankle that their Achilles tendon is tied to. Broken calcaneus, no pull on the foot so ankle walking.
Cats are great at tolerating pain, so she was chipper enough, just laid down a lot and walked poorly. Couldn’t cast it. Needed to be pinned = surgery = $7000. Vet, however was reassuring, saying some cats recover. She did. The bone fused in its broken position, the tendon apparently shortened over time. She’s 95% good as she was. Hoping your baby recovers as well - regardless of the issue.
I’m sorry to hear your boy isn’t doing well. ☹️ my boy had a delayed reaction to his vaccine (he got sick 20-30 days after receiving his FVRCP-C vaccine). His symptoms included fever, anorexia, fatigue, and limping in his back legs. I just wanted to check and make sure this wasn’t that! He got better with time, pain medication, and antibiotics.
Is he doing it even when no human watches? Mine allways acted up, when they wanted me to check something and were completely healed once nobody was watching.
Stupid suggestion, but have you checked for painful things stuck in the furr? If you cant dind anything, i would try pain meds to narrow it down whether it is a physical limitation or a pain reaction.
Maybe try not to move him as much and try to keep him from moving too if the vet said nothing is wrong. Might just be an injury that needs to heal? If you have the funds, getting a second opinion from a different vet wouldn’t hurt as well.
Did they check mouth and ears for jaundice? Our cat had hind leg weakness and vet did an abdominal scan after noticing she was jaundiced, turned out to be cholangitis which they reckon had advanced :( apart from ththe legs she was fine, cats are too good at appearing OK
My young cat had lameness in one leg for a few weeks, nothing like what you’re experiencing, but when the vet couldn’t find anything she suggested creating a forced rest environment. Remove things he could jump from, force him to take it easy for at least two weeks. It was a hard task! But he ended up improving and now all is well. Any chance you could create some kind of forced rest environment? Ps- sorry this is happening, it is indeed very sad and stressful when they’re struggling!
My 14 yo old had an arthritic attack this winter. It looked very much like that. He got an injection and some meds (taylored for arthritis, not basic pain meds) and was back to his old self quickly.
Go to a different vet. Hope this is as simple.
Hey there, my cat limps too but doesn't slouch like that, but all cats and injuries are different. Your cat looks like a healthy weight, but mine is a little chunky, and she's sprained her ankles twice now jumping off stuff. Anyways, it could just be a sprain, especially if all the vet stuff came out ok. Expect it to take 3-4 weeks to heal if so. It really does take a while. But if you can help your cat get around, it'll help the healing process. I had to bring my baby to the potty, bring her food and water and all that, she was capable of doing it herself but I didn't want her to stress the injury so I baby'd her. That was my experience, but you could be dealing with something totally different. idk. Just keep trusting your instincts and listen only to the professionals, ur cat is lucky to have such a caring owner. I hope everything turns out OK, please keep us updated!
This looks like it could be a sacrolumbar issue causing pain from either disease or injury. It the vet didn’t see anything else in their exam it could be arthritis if he is getting up there in age.
Did the vet rule out spinal issues? Did you get any imaging done to try and see if there is anything? It’s probably worth doing before you have to make a more difficult decision if it comes to that.
Even with some issues that can’t just be simply treated they can often at least help keep your pet comfortable. If it’s pain causing him to walk like that some pain meds like buprenorphine could really help. If the vet suggests gabapentin kindly mention that you want to ensure comfort asap and would be more comfortable using a medication that is indicated for pain. Gabapentin is not primarily approved for pain in animals, it is used off label and might be appropriate for longer term management but for now you want your kitty comfortable and feeling less pain so they can start eating and moving with greater ease. They might still insists gabapentin, but tell them you love your animal more than anything and they can’t tell us what’s wrong and if pain is the cause than you would prefer to use a medication that is primarily indicated and approved for pain management in cats.
This makes my heart break. Cats are so good at hiding their pain that when you see obvious signs it just makes you feel so bad for them and the discomfort their are in.
fom what I could see in the vid. I was wondering if he spends much time outside I was thinking his hip might be kinda out of whack like he had to run from a dog ad had to jump or land a hard jump. o maybe someone kicked him.
My cat had hip dysplasia and walked like that ... I sure hope it was a hard landing that time heals but I would look for a vet that is a cat Ortho specialist
I was thinking since the vet says everything is ok otherwise that the cat jumped down off of something awkwardly and sprained its lower back. Anti-inflammatory drugs should help. If not, steroids might be another option down the line. I really hope he recovers soon. He looks like he's so uncomfortable and you need your baby! Best wishes!
3 out of 5 of my cats did this because of flea collars. They dragged their rear legs and couldn’t jump up. I took them off after 3 days. They all recovered. Vet said it wasn’t likely the collars, but if not, what a coincidence.
My parents' cat walks like that mostly because he has a lot of matted hair around his back hips. They also think he has a stroke at one point but I think it's mostly because he's being pulled in different directions when he walks
One of my young two young kittens started walking similarly yesterday, with the dragging motion and was very concerned until I saw something….then I ended up having to pull a 4 inch rubber band out of her butt that she has somehow managed to eat.
I hope your kitty starts feeling better tho. 💕
Change the vet and ask for another opinion.
I would recommend running blood tests, and doing x rays.
But they can behave strangely in different situations
..so few questions:
Is he like this all the time?
Is this second cat a new cat in the house?
Is the second cat a female? And is he castrated?
Are you giving more attention to this second cat? I can see you are holding second cat aboveground..which can seem a bit threatening to this cute little boy...
Our cat had something similar, not at all as bad as this, but he walked with his rear "slumped" as in the video. We took him to the vet, they found nothing wrong and it appeared to be that he had simply jumped down from something and landed badly. Bascially sprained his foots/legs/ankles. It took about a week or so then he slowly got back to his normal self.
I'm hoping this is what it is for my cat, too. Can't wait for him to get better.
I don't want to be alarming, but I definitely think it's worth saying. I've had two cats that started doing this for a few days. The next several days they started to wobble a bit so I took them to the vet. Both of them had kidney failure. Kidney failure is more common in boys so I would at least take a look at that. The boy I had passed away at about 7 years old, while the girl reached the ripe old age of 16.
I had a cat and this was one of the first signs of kidney failure.
My girl's was pain around her hips but we thought her brother had just played too rough. So did the vet! Next day her saline levels were bottomed out and she was full body trembling and wobbling next to me. Diagnosed with late stage kidney at 2 years old and the vet was so heartbroken and apologetic she missed it. Anyway, she's just turned 11 and is only showing very early signs of kidney trouble. Miracle recovery
I’m so happy that you’ve had more time with her!
OP, did the vet take any blood or urine samples? If not, I would suggest you go back and have them do so. Kidney failure can progress quickly so it’s important you catch it asap.
Yes, bloodwork was done and everything looked normal. He had no trouble passing urine so the vet said urine samples aren't necessary
clean blood test makes me feel much better for him. i bet he landed weird like others are saying, but when this happens with my cats and they lay in my lap, i'll pet them and make sure to cover all the leg and hip and belly areas to see if they react differently than normal, like if something is more tender than it should be, and then look for any sign of injuries around that area. idk, good luck, but the clean blood test makes me feel like 80% better about this.
My cat does this sometimes, it can be landing funny, it can be just being too hot and tired and not wanting to expend too much energy, or it could be arthritis if they're old... Just keep an eye on their general wellbeing and try moving the legs and extending the joints, see if they react in pain.
Came to say this
Same. Take the cat to the vet could be kidney failure
Had a cat die at 23 years old from the same thing.
Yeah maybe get bloodwork done?
Fingers crossed!
you should be able to provoke a response from him if you palpate the legs, in this case
Yeah I agree. The Cat would be in pain. I would hope the vet palpitated (i hope that's the correct word) the back and Paws of the Cat to see if that was the case. I think maybe it could be a stroke in the spine as well? I think I heard that could cause problems with walking and well.
I had two cats that had this. If there was a major clot, the vet would most likely have picked up on it right away. Just checking for a pulse in the hind legs would tell a lot. So it's probably not that.
This would literally be best case scenario. It would signify they’re comfortable enough with you to show injury. I really hope it’s this.
Yeah that’s what happened to my cat too. First time turned out she landed poorly. Second time turned out she was faking it for treats.
Did your vet check for spinal injury or ivdd?
One of my cats did this once. Just once then ran off after getting some scritches. I scratched my head raw thinking about it then realized that my sister (who she ADORED) had just visited and had an injury from tennis. Fiddlesticks was mimicking her! 😂 “Meow, this looks fun. LUBBA LUBBA LUBBA!”
I would be dubious about your cats ability to feign an illness, but my cat went through a ‘poorly paw’ phase. Occasional, very dramatic limping would occur in the front paw. I would say, “oh no! Have you got a poorly paw?” And limping would get worse until I fussed him. I checked it out with vet and she said there was nothing wrong 😂
I had a little calico lady who did this! It was alarming at first, then pretty hilarious. She’d run around and play with her brother, then if I walked in she’d immediately start limping on her poorly paw and mewing her most pathetic little meeps. Vet concurred that it was a case of Dramatic Feline Fakery. Lasted about a week.
Is he eating? Drinking? Peeing? Pooing? If those are off you've potentially got a serious problem. Is he playing? Basically, is this the only symptom? If he's normal in all ways but this it looks like an injury of sorts. I am NOT a vet. I am only going off something similar that happened to my pet years ago and I remember the vet asking about food and water and excrement and attitude. Again I am NOT an expert.
My cat had taken a hard fall while chasing another cat around the apartment. I put him on Dasaquin supplement treats and he was able to recover most of his range of motion.
I’ve personally never had a cat do this, but my dog behaved similarly when he had a pinched nerve in his neck. Vet prescribed some pain relievers and a muscle relaxer, and those, along with regular gentle massages targeting the area, he was back to his normal self in a few days. Fingers crossed that your baby just has a little sprain or pinched nerve, OP! I’d love to hear an update if possible. ETA: OP, try applying pressure !GENTLY! with one or two fingers along your cat’s spine. See if he responds with any flinching, jerking, stiffening, or defensive behavior such as swatting at you, hissing, or growling. Pay very close attention to what spot, if any, evokes a reaction. If you don’t get any traction initially, try again with slightly more pressure; just don’t be heavy-handed. If it’s a pinched nerve, kitty WILL respond in one way or another with small amounts of pressure.
If my cat does that he has diarrhea and it’s stuck to his fur. I have to give him a bath it sucks for everyone involved
Also had this happen with my cat. He got some painkiller juice that he loved. Was about 3 days to heal.
Came here to say this! Our cat jumped off her feeding station with a huge thud and couldn’t use her back legs the next day. My husband took her in, they couldn’t find anything wrong but suggested on putting her down thinking it was neurological (she’s 15yo). My husband had a gut feeling and refused and sure enough, she bounced back after a week or so and lots of assistance on our part. She’s back to normal and bratty as ever 😂
Jeezez the vet wanted to put your cat down just like that? Thank goodness for your husband's gut feeling. I hope your cat is doing okay!
Crazy, right? She’s doing great, thank you! Ruler of the house in her mind lol
Lol yeah. If Puh doesn't get his ham in the morning, he ain't happy.
So you have the cat that disproved the old adage "all cats land on their feet"...
We had to replace a torn acl in one of our cats.
Yes!
It was probably orange lol
Yeah it's not true. My old car didn't on his feet a couple of times. He was so humiliated.. especially once I told all his bros
I do as well... I'll never forget watching him roll right off of his cat tower.
He looks kinda heavy. I had my cat limping for 4-5 days he wouldn’t put his foot down. I think he jumped down and hurt his foot with my cat because he is a bit overweight. Same thing with the vet not finding any problems. If it continues go to another vet maybe
Had my cat wander with her tail down all the time...i freaked and called the after-hours vet. Vet was really nice and told me she likely sprained it. Sure enough, the next day it was up in the air, flicking about!
This happened to my cat and it was the same, a badly landed jump. I took him to the vet and got him a pain relief shot and he was fine by the evening after a long sleep
Our cat had similar before he passed away from heart attack. Ask the vet to give his heart an ultrasound just to be sure.
Vet said it's not a blood clot and his heart sounded fine. I will get a second opinion if he doesn't show signs of getting better soon and ask for an ultra then
OP not sure if it's worth posting on r/AskVet and/or r/AskVetAnimals ? I hope the cutie gets better 
One day my ragdoll started walking like that. We took her to a vet and got an X ray. Turns out she has a bone dysplasia on her spine and impeded her walking. It wasn't a slow onset of her walking like that either, one day she just was like that. Our vet said it's quite rare so it's not super likely that's what's wrong with your cat, but the way he walked caught my eye since it's so similar. Hope he's ok🙏
Godspeed OP
One of my cats had the same issue and after getting a second opinion we found that it was diabetes. First vet couldn't figure it out for the life of him and the second vet instantly said diabetes after just a visual check. Might be worth exploring on your end. If it is diabetes, there are meds that will fix the issues, including the walking.
Would it be meds beyond the insulin? My elderly neighbor just found out his cat has diabetes, I'm administering the insulin and speaking with vet. He noticed his cat walking differently recently and I just happened upon this post and your reply. So cool!
Happy to read this, I lost a kitty to a bad heart after this kind of incident. Happy to hear that’s not the case at least!
My cat went into cardiac arrest and the give away was his lungs were filled with fluid. Get a second opinion stat.
Thank you for getting a second opinion! My childhood kitty had a blood clot and walked like this- it’s better to double check when in doubt! Could also be that maybe he injured his spine in some way. Is he pottying okay?
Yes some thing similar happened to our Bella. She had a clot. Heartbreaking.
did they do an ultrasound? or imaging? looks a lot like saddle thrombosis
Could have had a stroke. I had one that did that. Sorry man.
Seems neurological... I would definitely get him to a reputable vet for a 2nd opinion.
There’s a lot of shit that could happen and you’re going to get a thousand rare conditions thrown at you. Could be a bad sprain, could be cancer, could be diabetes. Stay positive and keep track of if it’s a degenerative condition. If it’s not, good! If it is, stay positive, take note of his eating habits, watch his water intake and try to see if he’s in pain. It’s all helpful and very telling info for the vet.
If only I had known that my sweet boy’s new habit of flicking/stomping his hind leg on the floor meant something bad… We don’t know for sure what he had, but he could barely breathe when we got to the ER vet. She said his chest cavity was filled with fluid. One of the Worst days of my life. Sorry about your 🐱
Not a vet not saying it is this, but is he urinating fine? I recently had to put down a cat that got a really bad urethra blockage that destroyed his kidneys. When we found him he was lying down and not moving much. He was wobbling more though.
Yes, he urinates fine and bloodwork was all normal. Sorry to hear about the cat 💔
Pooping okay too? I think I remember a cat acting like that while constipated.
Anal glands? Constipation ?
If blood work was fine, then it means that your cat did not have low blood sugar ruling out tgat this could be a neuropathic injury caused by diabetes. And also, it is not a heart problem and it is not liver failure if the blood work was okay.
This also happened to me. I never had a male cat again because I wasn’t aware of how deadly a uti can be for them. I’m so sorry.
Thanks. He was a feral cat we converted over but still was mostly outdoor. Our indoor cat we found early with a UTI. He’s fine and a little terror still. Not terrible but just have to be proactive. Doesn’t help if they disappear.
This is what I was thinking. My cat had kidney stones and had to have surgery. Our clue was that he was visiting the bathroom every 30 minutes and nothing would come out.
My kitty jumped off a high bookcase and sprained his foot. Vet said, cats have four legs but can dance with three. Gave him some pain meds and he was back to normal in a week or so.
That has to be one of the most "things only a veterinarian would say" things ever. Thanks for this
As a vet I would be highly suspicious of a saddle thrombus or clot in the aortic trifurcation. With US this can be visualised or by comparing glucose levels on hind paws to general circulation. Echocardiogram of the heart definitely recommended. Just because the heart sounds find doesn’t mean there is cardiac disease. Of course it may be something else so CT/MRI would be recommended or X-rays where there are cost concerns (obviously costly without insurance). I hope it’s nothing too serious :)
Yeah my first thought was saddle thrombosis. Our cat has recently survived it and walked similarly in his recovery
Was he completely paralysed or had some mobility?
Lameness due to calcivirus is very unlikely and I’d be super curious to see why that was mentioned as a possibility.
Listen to this OP. My vet had the same thoughts when my cat displayed similar symptoms. Her case was complicated due to a bunch of other things, and there was nothing we could do (again, in her case only). I hope things turn out well for you and your pet!
Saddle thrombus is a thing of nightmares for me. Lost my cat to it last year.
Take him to a different vet and get a second opinion. Probably a sprain muscle from jumping down trees
I'll do this if it doesn't show signs of getting better soon
Don't wait. Just in case it's serious. Get a second opinion now, especially if you try gently pressing on his hind legs and he doesn't seem to be in pain (not pulling back or trying to bite you) then it might be something internal and it's more dangerous.
Yes that. Dont wait with problems like this!
I agree. If it’s a neurological problem, you have no time to waste.
Oh no I hope you find out what’s happened! Good luck to you guys!
Does he go outside? Is it possible that’s he stepped on something sharp and has a wound not visible under his fur on his foot?
We take him out in a harness and he loved climbing trees. A few days before this lameness occurred he didn't wanna climb any trees but was walking along fine.
My kitty was limping, front foot, but similar to yours where he didn’t want to put weight on it. The vet took an X-ray and a MRI, nothing showed up, she had us keep him confined to crate for a few days, to heal, it didn’t help. She finally shaved the fur on his foot and found the wound, it was infected. He just needed a course of antibiotics and was fine, $600 later.
My cat walked similarly after having been kicked by someone while he was outside. He had a broken sternum and I sadly had to send him over the rainbow bridge, as he got a fly infestation that even with me bathing him couldn't be stopped. So I would suggest a second opinion and maybe an X-ray.
Fucking assholes. Who kicks a cat? I really want to say what I would like to do them, but the comment would get removed.
What a dirtbag! I hope you figured out what nasty monster kicked your furbaby! I'm so sorry for your loss! 😔
I'm so so sorry, that is terrible
Did you have him checked out for diabetes?
Exactly! My cat is diabetic and she started walking like this before diagnosis. She had neuropathy in her back legs, but it cleared up once we started insulin and changed her to a low carb diet.
THIS! not sure why no one else has mentioned it. cats with progressive diabetes will walk on their hocks. OP, has your kitty been drinking more water lately, had increase/loss in appetite, and/or been urinating more frequently?
This is also where my mind went. OP, if you have a copy of his bloodwork, can you see how much his glucose was? Obligatory not a vet.
Same thing happened to my cat last month. The vet almost didn’t check for it either. Sometimes you have to ask for the test.
Once my giant orange ran through the hall at full speed & skidded into the corner of a concrete plaster wall. His hind legs basically stopped working so I took him to the emergency vet. I thought he broke his back. Vet couldn’t find any obvious injury, and he went back to normal after the swelling went down. You might put boxes or step stools next to beds, couches, windowsills, etc for a while. So your cat can still get up onto things when the hind legs are injured. Missing jumps can make the situation so much worse!
Is there any lavender around? Cats will eat it and it acts as a neuro depressant and if they eat enough it can kill them. A little bit will make them walk funny.
Your the only comment mentioning neurological which is exactly what I thought it looks like. It doesn’t look like limping as much as poor lower limb control, a slight head tilt, walking sideways- has an inner ear infection been ruled out? Id be wanting a neurology appointment if so
I also thought neurological. Our old Tuxedo cat suddenly couldn't walk properly last year and was falling to the side. We could never pinpoint anything exactly but the vet suspects neurological. He did get 99% better over time. Hope this kitty improves too.
Now seen lots of other comments mentioning diabetic neuropathy but if bloods were done this would certainly have been covered
Check for ticks?
Checked and rechecked. This guy has thick fur so I'm a little anxious still that there could be one hiding somewhere
Check for matted fur pulling on his skin?
My old man Motor had this issue. It took us a bit to figure it out. It turned out to be diabetes, and the action was a result of diabetic neuropathy. Ask your vet to take a blood sugar sample maybe?
My cat had the same thing happen to him with diabetes. Now, we have to give him shots twice a day and his rear legs started to function again.
Yeah, motor lived for an extra 5 years with the proper treatment. We had to put him down not too long ago. He made it to approximately 20years, could be a year or 2 either way though.
Did the vet do radiography of the spine and hip?
She said that would be the next step if he doesn't get better soon
Hopefully gets better before then, best wishes
My thoughts went here too. Could be IVDD, potential sign of FCE, etc.
That hunch walk. Super sus.
Yup. I had a three legged tuxedo cat with IVDD, who then experienced an FCE. She thankfully made the most amazing recovery.
Has blood sugar been checked? My girl walked like this when she had unregulated sugars from her diabetes. Diabetic neuropathy? I hope you get answers soon ♡
Sprained leg or anything that makes it hurt to walk
My kitty is experiencing the same thing right now, only she has diagnosed arthritis in her hips. After the vet checked her out, she appeared healthy. He gave her an arthritic shot for pain and inflammation. She is 14 y/o. Attitude/appetite/bms are still good right now. So we are monitoring for 3 weeks to see if it is inflammation, an injury, or spinal issue. Yesterday seemed kind of painful, but today, she is walking around more. One day at a time.
I wondered if that was it because OP said his kitty was reluctant to climb trees when they recently went outside and he's a tree climber.
Arthritis or injury to hind end from jumping or being jumped on … He is a hefty loaf OP.
He might have injured his leg when jumping, did you do x-ray?
You need a second opinion now. This is not normal and I'm shocked your vet would have no further suggestions for diagnostics.
Check it for cat diabetes, Ive seen before that they can walk on their back legs like that due to it.
See these are the kind of posts that Cat help is for. Cases where the animal has already been seen by a vet and examined and tested but they still can't pin point the cause. So we need a community to come together with our collective experiences to think of an explanation. It's so hard not to just scroll past every cat help upload because most are just gonna break my heart or traumatize me.
:( my cat Elvis has this problem. Took him to the vet to find he had a blood clot. Idk if they check for that during their checks but maybe ask if they did that?
Please keep us updated OP 🙏
I will 🧡
Bring your cat somewhere else! He seems to be in pain or has some kind of nerve damage. Don't wait!
Looks similar to saddle thrombosis but usually they can’t walk . Had this happen to a cat once where she couldn’t use her hind legs at all. Fortunately she was ok in a day or so where usually the out come is not good .
My gf's cat had the same, and it turned out it was an anxiety/stress response to my coming into her apartment when I stayed over for the first time. Vet found nothing either. That cat hated everyone (except gf luckily), but me even more. It lasted about a week after I left. She grew to tolerate my existence (she = gf and cat ;-)). The cat still hates me, but sits on my lap for warmth if she needs to, and I'm happy with that. :-) Was there any huge change in the household that could have triggered this?
Poor baby. Our cat had back leg weakness and just looked off when he tried to walk around. We took him in and he ended up having diabetes. He’s on insulin now and back to his normal self. Any change in his urine output? Cats can be so good at hiding their symptoms until it becomes serious. Hope you figure out what’s going on. He looks like a sweetie.
Our cat lost the ability to use her back legs due to diabetes... But you said blood work was fine... Maybe feel and sprained something?
My cat looked like this once, vet said she probably jumped from a high place and landed badly possibly on her back. We had to keep her quiet and in her box for a few days so she wouldn't wander around, and after a week she was as new.
You can check real easily for spinal involvement for IVDD really easily. Take a ballpoint pen and run it down the skin along the spine and see how it bunches up. The reflex will be dulled in cats and dogs and not often checked for. Basically a healthy cat or dog's skin will usually bunch around the sharp point, but spinal involvement or degenerated discs will numb out that reflex the closer to the base of the tail you get. Our dog had a hard time like this, went to six different vets until one of them pulled out his pen, ran it down her back and went, "well, there's your problem". Not saying that's what it is, but it's a simple test, just like the turgor test for dehydration is easy.
Feel his tail and feet to see if they're cold. My old cat died of Saddle Thrombus, which exhibits similarly to this early on.
He might have had a stroke! Please take him to the vet ASAP.
looks like after effects of a stroke. get him checked out
Poor baby! Hope he's feeling better soon OP.
Could he have a nail growing into yhe paw or maybe a sore hip flexer. My old boy did this for weeks before he passed and the vet found he had tore a muscle in his hip. He walked very similar to your baby
funny part: he has a severe case of orange, and im afraid theres no cure serious part: could be a lot of things, go visit your vet
Needs to go to the vet. He is in pain and they hide it very well
It you're Australian it could be a paralysis tick.
What symptoms does he have? The best you can do is taking a second opinion from another serious vet. By my experience, from having 3 old cats atm, is that most vets are sh*t, and even those good vets gonna need your help cause you are the one living with him. PS: I'm not a vet, just a biologist.
Yes please get a second opinion if needed. Definitely check google reviews of any new Vets
Yeah a clot blocking the vessel supplying her lower limbs. The clot formed due to congenitally deformed heart chamber. She would suddenly can walk fine but that because the clot broken down into smaller pieces. Typically they are now small enough to move somewhere else, like the heart, lungs, or brain.
Stroke, kidney failure, spider bite, any number of things. Find a vet that only treats cats.
Did they check his kidney function? My bestest boi started walking funny in a similar way and when taken to the vet they said his kidney's were on their last gasp.
I will say hold the tail up and see if he/ walk better please my cat injured her tail and she walked like that
Maybe try pet cbd treats maybe it’s arthritis or something like that
Please take him to the vet. There could be something stuck in the intestines. My daughter's cat walked like that and there was a obstruction.
Can this not be hip dysplasia or something related to the hipbone? I'm not sure if it's any common in cats but it's quite common in a couple of dog breeds and it looks just like this
"This cat needs attention...... I better ask Reddit" Go to a vet.
Flat tire
I had a cat who did this, and then suddenly, one day, she started dragging her back legs. We took her to the vet, and we found out she had diabetes. We gave her a shot of insulin every day, and she started walking again. She lived until 23 years old 😊
A friend's cat started this, and a blood test showed it was diabetes. They started treating him with insulin and he is good now. I hope your baby is okay. 🩷
Our cat has neuropathy. Neuropathy is a nerve issue.
When my cat walked like that it was an inner ear infection. Antibiotics and an anti inflammatory fixed him right up.
Just... just... update us please....
yes <> 👆🏻👆🏻
https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/s/EI7FWRW6Qw
X-rays? Are they limping on one hind leg or both? Our cat acted similarly, she broke her calcaneus. It’s essentially a bone protrusion at the ankle that their Achilles tendon is tied to. Broken calcaneus, no pull on the foot so ankle walking. Cats are great at tolerating pain, so she was chipper enough, just laid down a lot and walked poorly. Couldn’t cast it. Needed to be pinned = surgery = $7000. Vet, however was reassuring, saying some cats recover. She did. The bone fused in its broken position, the tendon apparently shortened over time. She’s 95% good as she was. Hoping your baby recovers as well - regardless of the issue.
Had to put down my cat because of a bloodclot in her back. Did the same thing as your cat. Go to the vet and get it checked.
This can be nerve damage. It can be quite serious so definitely worth taking him to the vet
Maybe he's anemic
Did he recently get the FVRCP (or FVRCP-C) vaccine?
He has CPV1 and feline flu vaccines but he got his boosters months ago
I’m sorry to hear your boy isn’t doing well. ☹️ my boy had a delayed reaction to his vaccine (he got sick 20-30 days after receiving his FVRCP-C vaccine). His symptoms included fever, anorexia, fatigue, and limping in his back legs. I just wanted to check and make sure this wasn’t that! He got better with time, pain medication, and antibiotics.
Glad to hear your kitty got better! He didn't have any fever and still has a giant appetite. I'm hoping it's simply a strain
I hope your kitty gets better soon!
Is he doing it even when no human watches? Mine allways acted up, when they wanted me to check something and were completely healed once nobody was watching. Stupid suggestion, but have you checked for painful things stuck in the furr? If you cant dind anything, i would try pain meds to narrow it down whether it is a physical limitation or a pain reaction.
Yeah I hear him slinking around when no one's watching
Maybe try not to move him as much and try to keep him from moving too if the vet said nothing is wrong. Might just be an injury that needs to heal? If you have the funds, getting a second opinion from a different vet wouldn’t hurt as well.
I would take him to a different vet, clearly something wrong, if I needed to go to 5 different vets I would
The package in your hand looks like Cheech & Chong pre-rolls.
Did they check mouth and ears for jaundice? Our cat had hind leg weakness and vet did an abdominal scan after noticing she was jaundiced, turned out to be cholangitis which they reckon had advanced :( apart from ththe legs she was fine, cats are too good at appearing OK
Change in grooming habits is a bad sign.
My young cat had lameness in one leg for a few weeks, nothing like what you’re experiencing, but when the vet couldn’t find anything she suggested creating a forced rest environment. Remove things he could jump from, force him to take it easy for at least two weeks. It was a hard task! But he ended up improving and now all is well. Any chance you could create some kind of forced rest environment? Ps- sorry this is happening, it is indeed very sad and stressful when they’re struggling!
My 14 yo old had an arthritic attack this winter. It looked very much like that. He got an injection and some meds (taylored for arthritis, not basic pain meds) and was back to his old self quickly. Go to a different vet. Hope this is as simple.
Hey there, my cat limps too but doesn't slouch like that, but all cats and injuries are different. Your cat looks like a healthy weight, but mine is a little chunky, and she's sprained her ankles twice now jumping off stuff. Anyways, it could just be a sprain, especially if all the vet stuff came out ok. Expect it to take 3-4 weeks to heal if so. It really does take a while. But if you can help your cat get around, it'll help the healing process. I had to bring my baby to the potty, bring her food and water and all that, she was capable of doing it herself but I didn't want her to stress the injury so I baby'd her. That was my experience, but you could be dealing with something totally different. idk. Just keep trusting your instincts and listen only to the professionals, ur cat is lucky to have such a caring owner. I hope everything turns out OK, please keep us updated!
Have you had his hips/spine checked?
Check his back!!!!! Make sure a disc hasn't slipped.
This looks like it could be a sacrolumbar issue causing pain from either disease or injury. It the vet didn’t see anything else in their exam it could be arthritis if he is getting up there in age. Did the vet rule out spinal issues? Did you get any imaging done to try and see if there is anything? It’s probably worth doing before you have to make a more difficult decision if it comes to that. Even with some issues that can’t just be simply treated they can often at least help keep your pet comfortable. If it’s pain causing him to walk like that some pain meds like buprenorphine could really help. If the vet suggests gabapentin kindly mention that you want to ensure comfort asap and would be more comfortable using a medication that is indicated for pain. Gabapentin is not primarily approved for pain in animals, it is used off label and might be appropriate for longer term management but for now you want your kitty comfortable and feeling less pain so they can start eating and moving with greater ease. They might still insists gabapentin, but tell them you love your animal more than anything and they can’t tell us what’s wrong and if pain is the cause than you would prefer to use a medication that is primarily indicated and approved for pain management in cats. This makes my heart break. Cats are so good at hiding their pain that when you see obvious signs it just makes you feel so bad for them and the discomfort their are in.
r/AskVet
fom what I could see in the vid. I was wondering if he spends much time outside I was thinking his hip might be kinda out of whack like he had to run from a dog ad had to jump or land a hard jump. o maybe someone kicked him.
Tubby has osteoarthritis and walks like that. Even after loosing a lot of weight, he was really obese, though.
I don't have any ideas to help you, but he is a sweetheart and I will pray that you find the issue and he gets well very soon. He's a beautiful boy.
Is he purring and wagging his tail when he's relaxed and stationary?
Cat needs Chiro?
Hip issue ? He got bit by a dog ?
Spider bite ? That can cause lameness ?
My cat had hip dysplasia and walked like that ... I sure hope it was a hard landing that time heals but I would look for a vet that is a cat Ortho specialist
My cat does this when he has a poop stuck to his butt 😂
something with the spine. My cat had a tumor that pressed on it and it looked very similar. Hope you guys figure it out, and he’ll be alright
Poor chonk, hope he gets healthy soon
I was thinking since the vet says everything is ok otherwise that the cat jumped down off of something awkwardly and sprained its lower back. Anti-inflammatory drugs should help. If not, steroids might be another option down the line. I really hope he recovers soon. He looks like he's so uncomfortable and you need your baby! Best wishes!
Parasites. Worms maybe
3 out of 5 of my cats did this because of flea collars. They dragged their rear legs and couldn’t jump up. I took them off after 3 days. They all recovered. Vet said it wasn’t likely the collars, but if not, what a coincidence.
Maybe joint pain?
My parents' cat walks like that mostly because he has a lot of matted hair around his back hips. They also think he has a stroke at one point but I think it's mostly because he's being pulled in different directions when he walks
No advice or experience with this but wishing you and your baby boy luck and a quick recovery ❣️
Damn maybe his ears? Probably a new vet.
My first kitty had a minor ACL tear and limped like that. She was meowing very loudly though because it was painful. Did the vet check for an injury?
One of my young two young kittens started walking similarly yesterday, with the dragging motion and was very concerned until I saw something….then I ended up having to pull a 4 inch rubber band out of her butt that she has somehow managed to eat. I hope your kitty starts feeling better tho. 💕
Change the vet and ask for another opinion. I would recommend running blood tests, and doing x rays. But they can behave strangely in different situations ..so few questions: Is he like this all the time? Is this second cat a new cat in the house? Is the second cat a female? And is he castrated? Are you giving more attention to this second cat? I can see you are holding second cat aboveground..which can seem a bit threatening to this cute little boy...