Worried about Jamie (Leafy Butt)

[chapeaunoir]

Cat experts - Jamie seems to be having some strange walking habits, and I'm not sure if it's just her being goofy, stiff or something really wrong.

Lately, when she gets up from sleeping or just sitting, instead of just trotting off in her usual manner, or stretching the first steps and then trotting off, she seems to move her back legs slowly, kind of tentatively, slightly hitching her back legs, she does this for quite a few steps, then she starts off in her normal manner. I watched her go down the front steps when I let her out, and she usually has two ways of doing this - one step at a time as she scans the area, or she just dances down them. This time she seemed to have to 'work' her way down them.

She's 14 but both our cats (14) are healthy, active and lean. Cassie, her sister, still runs up trees chasing squirrels. Jamie used to climb trees  very, very high and has always been extremely athletic and is a good ratter.

She's still eating fine, purrs when she's happy or worried. I gently inspected her hindquarters, she's bony but she's always been that way and I don't think she's lost weight (we try hard to keep her weight over 7 1/2 lb) and she's a long, tall cat, but that's normal for her. She also didn't object, as if she had some kind of arthritic, painful problem. She has had renal disease but her kidneys improved on last visit.

I have to argue with the DH to take her to the vet, but it takes two of us to get her into the cat carrier, and to be honest, he knows lots more about cats than I do.  He did immediately start watching her when I told him, but he said he didn't see anything different. He's not around her as much as I am, though.

Am I just seeing things? Could this be anything specific?

Thanks for any insight!

[Deleted]

Wild guess - arthritis in her hips? That would make her a little stiffer until she starts moving.

[chapeaunoir]

I asked Pat about that and he said that cats don't get "old dog syndrome" - it acts like it, though - she has no pain when I lightly press her haunches but then I'm not sure arthritis causes pain on palpation. Could it be bursitis somehow? That's painful and really slows you down. Reading has matched some of these things to thromboembolism, but she doesn't have thyroid problems.

ETA: Pat just emailed me - he noted she was having odd behaviour early this morning, as if she was frightened of something and wondered if she had a scare outside. She wouldn't go near him (she loves him) and then went under the bed. When I woke up she was sleeping on top of me. He has a job interview right now but I'll write him again - dang it, it'll be tough to get her into the vet just below July 4!

[Deleted]

I haven't had cats in many years but it does sound like arthritis. My dog (in surgery right now for tumor removal) is 8.5 yrs. She's been the same as your Jamie for the past couple of years. Then again, I've been the same as your Jamie for the past few years:-)
Diamond is often stiff when she first gets up but once moving appears fine. I do give her a natural arthritis canine formula which helps (glucosamine chondroitin chewable for dogs) when she appears to be especially bothered. I don't know other cat ailments that specifically cause joint & muscle pain, or stiffness.

I can sympathize with trying to get Jamie in the cat carrier. When we take my parrot to the vet, we have to bring him in a bathroom and chase him all over; the squawking and flying/running is horrible.

Best for Jamie!

[Deleted]

I'm sorry to hear about Jamie Hopefully it's nothing serious.

Two things came to mind based on my own experiences - has she possibly fallen from something or something got a hold of her & shook her? We think one of two happened to one of my cats. Like yours - we can't keep him in.

Also, look carefully for the beginnings of an abscess in that region - they can be very hard to detect. Look for a tiny little pin-prick sore or swelling. They are almost always caused from a little cat claw puncture (from playing or fighting.) My cats rough house & play (+ my boy is a little bit of a bully) & have had abscesses three times now.

[chapeaunoir]

Thank you, all! Jamie is outside a lot, hunts and gets into things. She also wrestles hard with her sister. Pat and I will check her - she's so furry it's hard to see anything, but she has had fur problems at her back end because sometimes she has a bit of diarrhea and, well, it can be a mess. If there's a combo of conditions, she may have contracted something.

She does get into fights outdoors but only if she has to (unlike Cassie who looks for them), and she roams far and wide - it's one reason I'm worried, there's no telling what she's got into down at the stream or crawling around the wet underbrush.

[titus730]

Here's a vote for taking her to the vet. It might be arthritis in her hindquarters. It might be something more serious.

My Cleopatches was about 19 when her back legs became paralyzed. There were no signs of problems, it happened suddenly one morning. I rushed her to the emergency vet where they discovered she had advanced heart disease. They thought a blood clot or embolism traveled down the large vein along her back.

[chapeaunoir]

Jul 1, 2016 19:09:24 GMT titus730 said:

Here's a vote for taking her to the vet. It might be arthritis in her hindquarters. It might be something more serious.

My Cleopatches was about 19 when her back legs became paralyzed. There were no signs of problems, it happened suddenly one morning. I rushed her to the emergency vet where they discovered she had advanced heart disease. They thought a blood clot or embolism traveled down the large vein along her back.

That's also a worry - thromboembolism.  Pat will be home fairly soon and we need to inspect her and discuss this. Her heart is in very good shape at her last visit only back in November, and her renal disease had improved with better kidney function. She's a little on the delicate side, despite being quite physically strong for such a wisp (she can body slam her 9 lb sister in a wrestling take-down with one paw - literally) so we've had to have her into the vet more. She did have a heart scan.

[Deleted]

My first guess would be arthritis too since it seems to work itself out when she starts moving around. Chloe had some lameness this winter and it was an infection on the inner part of her hind leg (she'd had bloodwork at the vet the week before and I think it was from where they were trying to find the vein in her leg). There was a noticeable swollen lump there when the vet was able to examine her. We also had a feral cat with a blood clot in her front leg last spring, but she was very lame - we thought she'd broken her leg it was so bad and she was crying and panting. It was not a good outcome but it doesn't sound like that is what you're dealing with.

My failproof way of getting a cat into a carrier is to pop a pillowcase over their head then gently scoop them up and put them in. They won't struggle once they can't see what is going on - same idea as blindfolding a horse to load them into the starting gate.

[Deleted]

I hope she feels better soon, maybe some joint meds will be all she needs to loosen things up. Cats do get down in their joints just like dogs do. They start getting stiff after lying down and loosen up after they get moving. Fingers crossed it's an easy fix for all of you.

[chapeaunoir]

My failproof way of getting a cat into a carrier is to pop a pillowcase over their head then gently scoop them up and put them in. They won't struggle once they can't see what is going on - same idea as blindfolding a horse to load them into the starting gate.

That's something to try! Jamie turns completely boneless and acts like a big slinky and keeps sliding out, all four paws stuck out. Cassie develops the powerful ability to suddenly become 100 lb and stick to the floor.

An update: Pat, who is a CCG (Crazy Cat Gent) thoroughly examined Jamie and we've been watching her. Both her hind legs are fine, and she has no pain anywhere, but she's displaying very odd behaviour, and Pat thinks she had a bad scare in the road or somewhere in the back woods last night. She responds immediately to affection from us and seems to want to be near us, will let Pat comb and pick her up, but won't let him feed her - she runs under the bed. She will let me feed her, though. She appears to mistrust floors and is nervous overall - because her tail is so fluffy it's tough to see if it's fluffed out anymore than it is. When we tore out the deck, Cassie the tux freaked out and for three weeks walked around with her tail fluffed out and mistrusting floors and thresholds, going around hitched down on her paws - we think she fell off the deck framework into the mini-tip we had below with old boards, etc.

Tonight she only allowed me to feed her, circled away from Pat but then literally ran out the front door. Then she will stop and go ONLY to her little moss patch in the front yard, or under the bushes, rather than doing her usual rounds.

We'll continue to watch her - if there are any changes, Pat is going to take her to the vet immediately.

[Deleted]

I hope she's ok. Cats are masters at keeping their owners in the dark about what's really going on with them!

If it does turn out to be arthritis, you might try sprinkling some Cosequin over her food. I gave that to my last cat when she was in her mid-teens and exhibited signs of hip pain, and it seemed to make her a little more spry.

[jellybeanscloset412]

She did go back outside so thats good. She is not afraid of being outside.

I hope she is ok.

[Deleted]

My 20 year old walks with her haunches up and stiffness in her legs. She doesn't seem to be in pain either, just old. She's also lost the ability to stand on one back leg and scratch behind her ear with the other. Other than that and her tendency to be really skinny she does just fine.
]
I hope leafy butt is feeling better soon.

[chapeaunoir]

Leafy Butt seems to be hitching down on her hind legs less and doing the slow, stiff walk thing less. Pat is sure it's psychological now, but we're watching her. Since she uses the outdoor catbox (they've got one fixed up under the living room window - they did it themselves) it's hard to see her stools to examine them, but they do go inside a little and Pat is going to take a look as he's very familiar with cat health. Late last night, like 1:00 a.m. when she was still outside, I called her yet again, and she came trotting in from several houses down but then got strange again near the step to our walkway and I had to pick her up.

She would not let Pat feed her this morning and yesterday would only eat under my reading chair and I had to feed her.

Thanks so much for your suggestions! I'm keeping them all in mind to watch for.

Cosequin

I wonder if this would work for me lol.

I worry a bit more because they're 14, though show no signs of age (Cassie still chases squirrels up trees) but it's enough for me to worry about stuff that can happen with senior cats, particularly Jamie with her renal condition.

[val2525]

I'm afraid I'd be taking her to the vet, no matter what DH said. Cats will hide their symptoms and often by the time they DO show you anything, it can be bad. And they can go downhill fast.

But that's just me and probably why I'm still single

[Shirley U Geste]

Another vote for the vet. There is too much going on with her to let it pass.

The behavioral changes can mean a lot of things, sometimes minor and sometimes very serious.

[val2525]

Cosequin

I wonder if this would work for me lol.

Europe uses injectable glucosamine on humans. Works well, from what I've been told. Here, it's not approved by the FDA. My bet is because drug manufactures have quietly lobbied against it as it can't be patented, therefore no profit for the US drug companies.

[Deleted]

Jul 2, 2016 19:07:24 GMT chapeaunoir said:

Cosequin

I wonder if this would work for me lol.

I felt the same way when I saw how well it worked on Cali - I wanted to sprinkle it on all my meals!

Another vote for taking her to the vet. Better safe than sorry, especially with older cats.
Save

[chapeaunoir]

Jul 2, 2016 20:40:33 GMT val2525 said:

Cosequin

I wonder if this would work for me lol.

Europe uses injectable glucosamine on humans. Works well, from what I've been told. Here, it's not approved by the FDA. My bet is because drug manufactures have quietly lobbied against it as it can't be patented, therefore no profit for the US drug companies.

That's behind a great deal of our skyrocketing medical costs - the so-called 'free enterprise' touted in this country is actually just corporate control. Big pharma spends millions lobbying congress to affect what is actually an issue of public health, not private enterprise. But I could go on about that.

We were ready to pack Jamie up but she's acting more normally now - her behaviour is now solely having to do with the laundry room and the DH handling her food. She's running around in her normal manner again but starts the slow weird walk when the DH has her food bowl, then runs under the bed.

I know cats hide their symptoms, it was what worried me, but when I feed her she eats as usual (they both eat like ravening beasts - you can hear them savaging their food out in the kitchen) - but I have to feed her. We're leaving swoon, but when we get back into town I think I'm going to stuff her in her carrier and take her in, anyway. It won't hurt for her to have a six month check and I can get her in quickly. Fortunately, our house sitter is a CPG (crazy pet gent) and has a house full of animals - he'll watch her and I know he'll take her in if need be. If if weren't for that, I'd probably just postpone the trip.

[Deleted]

I wonder if a guy kicked her or scatted her off while she was out? Could be why she has a sudden aversion to Men and was acting a bit gimpy in the hind quarters but wasn't in bad pain. May have just got a glancing blow in and scared her. Or could have thrown something at her or whatever to scare her off, which is why she gives him a look and runs when he has her bowl. Since she's only acting wary of him and not you it seems to be gender related, makes me think she had a run in with a male stranger while she was out and now she's leery of men in general.

Just a theory.

[chapeaunoir]

Hmmm...she may have been eating from a neighbour's food bowl out for their cat (we have cats roaming around quite a bit here in the woods with owners feeding them) and the male owner chased her off - it would make sense. She's gotten into trouble before wandering around in back yards (it's a big woods here and she crawls under fences and climbs trees to jump into people's yards and onto their houses) - she's gotten into fights, had the collar ripped off over her head and had her ear nicked, but only when she's cornered and there's no other way to get out. She hates being yelled at or any particular commotion, and is afraid of people except for ourselves and the house sitter.

The laundry room is where they always eat, so she'll associate it with food.

[Deleted]

I hope she is ok. Could she have pulled something or hit into something running around outside? I know cats are usually agile, but saw my cat trip and mess up while running once.

[chapeaunoir]

She's doing much better now, just the slow walk periodically, but the rest of the time she runs around now in her usual way. We're still monitoring her behaviour and she now lets the DH feed her, but then does the 'slow walk' when she gets outside, then seems to be OK after a bit on the stoop and goes on her way in a normal fashion.

We'll keep an eye on her for a while longer - I have a very low threshold for taking her in.

[Deleted]

I hope leafy butt is okay. It's good that you have a cat sitter who loves pets. At least you can take your trip and know she's in good hands.

I heard someone say that it's so much harder to be a vet than a Dr. because the patients can't talk and express exactly where it hurts.

((leafy butt))

[chapeaunoir]

I'm happy to say that LB is doing much better, she had to stay in for several days (it was rainy and cold anyway, though she likes rainy, cold weather because her coat is so big) and was happy to go running outside again. She's been having some diarrhea (a problem with her) and TMI, I know but her fur gets...well...it's so long that periodically she needs maintenance, and she had no problems at all with the DH handling her while I held her upside down and getting her all cleaned up.

My wondering is if she got too close to some of the fire cracker and snaps flingers the week before July 4 - or some doofus threw something at her when she was peeking in the underbrush and it popped and frightened her. She's very snuggly with the DH again and allows him to feed her with no problem, and has not been "slow walking", which was the most worrisome. Her gait is completely normal, not stiff and we examined her again and she's walking perfectly normally, with no problems reported while we were gone!

Geez - these cats! They're like having kids.

LB thanks everyone and says her human now knows what to be on the lookout for, since she is illiterate in feline (shame on her!).

[Deleted]

Glad to hear - such good news! Thanks for the update.

[val2525]

Now that she's back up to speed, we need pictures

[chapeaunoir]

Here are the two lil' monsters.



She got upset at the washing machine going for her supper (her bowl is nearest to the machine) - usually she's OK with it, but last night she started doing the slow walk thing again and I moved her bowl - she then ate normally and was perkier, wanting to play with her string and catnip pickle. That was the first time in a couple of days that she had trouble and started that hitching 'slow walk'.

Definitely I think now something happened with fire crackers, a guy and in an enclosed space. It may have been completely inadvertent on the part of the guy with the firecrackers - he may not even have seen her lurking around, or he may have thrown one at her, but she's over almost all of it with just that little relapse yesterday. After the washing machine she wouldn't let Pat feed her and I had to, but then she snuggled with Pat in his chair - it's just the laundry room.

[denise15601]

(((((Leafy butt)))