Please Help - Don't know what's wrong with cat

[hollyx0x0]

Hi All

I really hope someone can help/suggest some possibles on my problem with my cat, I've taken her to the vets and they're not fully sure what's wrong with her.

Just as a bit of background - I recently adopted little Tinks from a rescue centre and they weren't fully sure of her age, but she is between 12 and 24 months old. In her little life she's had 2 litters and unfortunately miscarried the second. She's a really small cat and the vets don't think she will grow much bigger. She has been absolutely fine ever since i got her about two months ago, with lots of energy and very loveable!

However, the other night she jumped off the sofa arm onto the floor and landed on a glass which I had on the floor. Nothing happened, the glass didn't break or anything but after that she struggled to walk/weight bear on her back legs. Since she has been going through periods of not being able to do this and then suddenly she can. Right now she is really struggling and can't seem to sit on her back legs or do anything other than lie flat with her back legs still up and she is constantly pressing them up and down against wherever she is stood. (sorry for the explanation it's really difficult to describe). She keeps making really squeaky, sort of trilling noise too and often wanders off making lots of these noises and then starts crying. I took her to the vets and they're not sure what's wrong and said to monitor her. The said she does have quite narrow hips and her back legs are quite close together and there may have been a problem with her birth, but they're not sure. I just can't bear to see her like this, she is so uncomfortable and I just don't know whats wrong. She gets really low to the floor and that seems to be her only way of comfort, even though when she does her back legs remain bent and constantly pad / tap whatever is underneath them. Even when I pick her up and try to get her to lie in my arms she keeps moving her legs. It's also changed the shape of her back - whenever she has these moments it seems to elongate and her tail goes off to the side and there seems to be a dip between her back and her tail. She stays like this for a long time and then all of a sudden she can move again and can stand upright and can run around.

Has anyone experienced this before and can make any suggestions on what would make her more comfortable? I'm not sure what to do and hate her being in pain!!

Thank you in advance

[Janey]

Hello and welcome. Sorry to hear about your little cat, poor thing. Just a thought, but have you taken a video e.g. with your phone, so your vet can see how she’s behaving. I have done this with my cats, e.g. one time when one was coughing but never did it at the vets, just so they could hear what he was like. Sometimes that can be helpful to your vet. The other thing, did this only start after your cat fell on the glass, and did your vet suggest any X-Rays to check the joints? as I would have thought that would be done. I hope you manage to get it sorted soon, cuddles to your girl x

[Lilith]

Hi and welcome.

This may sound like a totally stupid post on my part (readers are welcome to laugh) but is this what she's doing?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gQFB_Utuf0

Because what you describe is very similar to an unspayed female cat calling (in heat.)

If Tinks is from a rescue I would have thought she'd have been spayed before being homed - but there have been cases of spayed girls still coming into call or mimicking call, and I'm just wondering if the accident with the glass was a coincidence?

If you stroke her back when she's having one of these episodes does she go all soppy and gaga? Is her vagina wet/swollen? They DO sound as if they're in pain when calling, but they're not, just amorous.

So, just a thought, and all the best with her

[Janey]

Hi and welcome.

This may sound like a totally stupid post on my part (readers are welcome to laugh) but is this what she's doing?


Because what you describe is very similar to an unspayed female cat calling (in heat.)

I also wondered that Lilith, not because I’ve actually seen one but from what I’ve heard, and meant to ask but got rambling on Hopefully the vet would know that though and the rescue spayed.

[bobbys girl]

That crossed my mind Lilith. Janeys suggestion of filming her is a good one too. If being in heat isn't the problem, might it be a disc problem?

[lilynmitz]

I agree, it could be she hasn't been spayed and is now in heat, but I'd be surprised if that's the case if she came from a reputable rescue. I would also expect the vet to have twigged this too.

Otherwise I wonder whether she's got a soft tissue injury, perhaps in one of her leg joints or spine, from landing in such an unbalanced way when she fell onto the glass. Perhaps you could ask you vet to try her on some metacam, which is an anti-inflammatory. This would help take down any inflammation in whichever joint is affected. And it would also help to show whether this behaviour is due to pain. If it is a soft tissue injury, they can take a very long time to heal (and even harder to accurately diagnose), so do persevere.