The diagnosing of cats is a difficult matter

[rj_anderson]

... 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?

Comments

[mdlbear]

We got our Morticia from a shelter a year ago, at age 8. What I've noticed is that she seems a little bit clumsy compared to our younger cats, and quite a bit more cautious. Yes, she still likes to stand on the window-sill that's five feet off the floor, but she'll take a longer route with less chance of falling.

No real information; just some observations.

[rj_anderson]

Oh, that's interesting! We got Snickers from a shelter at five months, and I noticed right from the beginning that she seemed oddly clumsy for a cat -- sometimes comically so, as when she tried to make what should have been an easy jump onto a chair only to fall short and tumble to the floor again.

Who knows, maybe it's a Calico thing. Thanks.

[mdlbear]

Maybe lack of self-confidence?

[lizvogel]

I completely understand the financial reluctance (we've somehow got three sets of vac's and annual exams all clumped together just as we're about to finally pay off the last cat emergency), but this sounds like something I would get the vet involved in. Could be trivial, could be serious, but a thorough exam + bloodwork should tell you which.