Hi All,
I have a query.
We recently adopted a 8 month old kitten from a friend that was no longer able to look after her due to the children - should have got rid of the children if you ask me!
Anyway...the kitten is in great health, eating well, loves running around with our boy cats and quite happy eating with them too - she's able to fight them off when necessary too.
We have noticed however that she seems a little odd/wobbly on her back legs. She can jump well (at least 1 meter off the ground) but isn't so good when landing. Basically, she doesn't always land on her feet. She also often stretches her back legs out when walking around.
She's not been hit by a car or anything, as this hasn't suddenly come on. She is still able to dart around the house and garden at light speed, we're just a bit worried that perhaps when she was spayed (quite young, at about 8-10 weeks) she may not have grown right or there's a bit of scar tissue causing her some awkwardness. I've looked into CH (Cerebellar Hypoplasia) which may be another possibility but if it is it is quite mild.
Again, she seems completely happy and I'm not about to call an emergency vet or anything, just more interested in what this may be.
Thanks,
Paul
Sort of wobbly back legs
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Lilith
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Re: Sort of wobbly back legs
Hi and welcome - a man after my own heart - I too would have rehomed the brats and kept the cat! 
She sounds pretty able to cope, but I wonder if there could have been some injury in her past that's causing this.
I'm no expert but I once knew an extreme case. He'd been rescued by the local cat lady (my role model in my formative years!) She kept Vincent because as a kitten he'd been used as a football by some (censoreds) - sorry about distressing detail - and throughout his life he was wobbly. She had a smallholding and he was safe there. He'd come running up the path to greet you (after what had happened to him that cat had amazing faith in human nature) and then flop over sideways as his back legs collapsed, pick himself up and continue as normal. This never stopped him mousing and ratting and he lived to a good age and enjoyed life too. It was thought he'd suffered some spinal/neurological damage.
It could be that in your girl's past she's been hurt in a rta, been tripped over, anything, not necessarily deliberate, but she certainly sounds to be enjoying life with you. A vet check might shed more light on the subject but I agree, it doesn't sound like anything urgent. I don't know enough about the effects of spaying, or CH either, but perhaps other members might, and hopefully can come up with more info/advice.
Good on you for adopting her, hope she has many happy healthy years ahead with you and the rest of the gang
She sounds pretty able to cope, but I wonder if there could have been some injury in her past that's causing this.
I'm no expert but I once knew an extreme case. He'd been rescued by the local cat lady (my role model in my formative years!) She kept Vincent because as a kitten he'd been used as a football by some (censoreds) - sorry about distressing detail - and throughout his life he was wobbly. She had a smallholding and he was safe there. He'd come running up the path to greet you (after what had happened to him that cat had amazing faith in human nature) and then flop over sideways as his back legs collapsed, pick himself up and continue as normal. This never stopped him mousing and ratting and he lived to a good age and enjoyed life too. It was thought he'd suffered some spinal/neurological damage.
It could be that in your girl's past she's been hurt in a rta, been tripped over, anything, not necessarily deliberate, but she certainly sounds to be enjoying life with you. A vet check might shed more light on the subject but I agree, it doesn't sound like anything urgent. I don't know enough about the effects of spaying, or CH either, but perhaps other members might, and hopefully can come up with more info/advice.
Good on you for adopting her, hope she has many happy healthy years ahead with you and the rest of the gang
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LittlePenBigHeart
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Re: Sort of wobbly back legs
Hi Paul
Bless, your cat sounds like a livewire! At least she's coping well.
Funnily enough, it sounds like your kitten has the same issue as mine. We adopted her and her brother in May last year and noticed pretty quickly that she didn't seem very steady on her legs. She doesn't do the leg stretching that yours does but she is wobbly on her back legs when she lands and although she can jump, she can't jump as well as her brother. While he can leap onto our kitchen counters, she hasn't even tried, though she can jump onto our bed.
I'm afraid I can't tell you what it is. A few tests at the vet showed she didn't seem to have any obvious injuries and she wasn't malformed in any way. The only way to be certain what was causing her unsteadiness, we were told, was with blood tests, x-rays, etc, and since her quality of life doesn't seem affected at all by her wobbly legs, we decided it wasn't worth putting her through all the stress of it. She's an extremely happy, affectionate, playful girl.
Someone did suggest CH to me as well, but she doesn't do the head bobbing thing and her wobbling is very slight when compared to the videos I've watched of CH sufferers, so I just don't know. But if you do get an answer, will you please let me know?
Bless, your cat sounds like a livewire! At least she's coping well.
Funnily enough, it sounds like your kitten has the same issue as mine. We adopted her and her brother in May last year and noticed pretty quickly that she didn't seem very steady on her legs. She doesn't do the leg stretching that yours does but she is wobbly on her back legs when she lands and although she can jump, she can't jump as well as her brother. While he can leap onto our kitchen counters, she hasn't even tried, though she can jump onto our bed.
I'm afraid I can't tell you what it is. A few tests at the vet showed she didn't seem to have any obvious injuries and she wasn't malformed in any way. The only way to be certain what was causing her unsteadiness, we were told, was with blood tests, x-rays, etc, and since her quality of life doesn't seem affected at all by her wobbly legs, we decided it wasn't worth putting her through all the stress of it. She's an extremely happy, affectionate, playful girl.
Someone did suggest CH to me as well, but she doesn't do the head bobbing thing and her wobbling is very slight when compared to the videos I've watched of CH sufferers, so I just don't know. But if you do get an answer, will you please let me know?
Re: Sort of wobbly back legs
She is definitely a livewire!
Sounds similar, although our little Meeko can jump onto kitchen counters well enough (so she can drink out of the tap...)
I think we're probably in the same place, I was going to mention it to the vet at checkup/vaccination time but I feel that is probably going to lead to the same as yours has said, X-Rays, Blood Tests, etc.
I guess we'll never know, but if we do find anything out, I will be sure to update this thread!
Sounds similar, although our little Meeko can jump onto kitchen counters well enough (so she can drink out of the tap...)
I think we're probably in the same place, I was going to mention it to the vet at checkup/vaccination time but I feel that is probably going to lead to the same as yours has said, X-Rays, Blood Tests, etc.
I guess we'll never know, but if we do find anything out, I will be sure to update this thread!
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Ruth B
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Re: Sort of wobbly back legs
My thought would be towards CH or previous injury.
Personally I would doubt it would be due to the spaying. A charity I support in the UK spays and neuters all there kittens at 12 weeks as long as they are at least a kilo in weight and healthy, and a couple of others charities I follow in the States and Canada do it at 8 weeks if the kitten makes the same weight and is healthy. I have never heard of any adverse effect from it, they actually seem to recover quicker the when they are younger, and personally I am off the opinion that early is better now. I've heard of too many kittens trying to give birth at 6 months and having complications.
Something like a spine and hip xray might be worth it to make sure that there isn't an old injury that is going to get worse in years to come. Otherwise just monitor it and make sure it doesn't get worse.
Personally I would doubt it would be due to the spaying. A charity I support in the UK spays and neuters all there kittens at 12 weeks as long as they are at least a kilo in weight and healthy, and a couple of others charities I follow in the States and Canada do it at 8 weeks if the kitten makes the same weight and is healthy. I have never heard of any adverse effect from it, they actually seem to recover quicker the when they are younger, and personally I am off the opinion that early is better now. I've heard of too many kittens trying to give birth at 6 months and having complications.
Something like a spine and hip xray might be worth it to make sure that there isn't an old injury that is going to get worse in years to come. Otherwise just monitor it and make sure it doesn't get worse.