My cat has hurt her leg and lower back

[sue11]

Last Friday I noticed that my cat Bandit was limping very badly and could not put any weight on her back leg. I immediately rushed her to the vets, they checked her over thoroughly and came to the conclusion that she probably had got her leg caught while trying to jump down from somewhere, which resulted in her twisting her body awkwardly to get free and injuring both her leg and lower back. She was put on an anti inflammatory and I had to make sure she got lots of rest to recover. The vet thought that by early this week she should have been almost back to normal, but it is now a week later and she is still limping although she is much improved. I have already been back to the vets early in the week to get her checked over again and they seem reasonably happy with her, but I am wondering if anyone else's cat has suffered this and if so, how long did they take to recover? Bandit is quite happy with all of this, she is getting lots of fuss and nice treats in the way of fish and prawns (to build up her strength of course!) and my other cat Ozzie is benefitting from all the treats as well, so I think they both think that their luck is in at the moment!
I am probably just an over concerned owner/slave and worrying too much, but I would appreciate any helpful opinion or comment!
Thanks
Sue

[carmalee]

of course you are worried but it's only been a week and injuries like this can take quite a while to come right - carry on being the brilliant staff member you are to your cats, I'm sure they are enjoying the increased level if personal service (the divine right of felines of course) -have always believed dogs have owners and cats have staff. keep us updated but I'm sure you've little to worry about.

[Barmaid]

Must be worrying, but there has been an improvement.

Although of course, she may be malingering slightly in a cunning plan with Ozzie to keep the tasties at their required level!

Seriously though, these things can take time, I really would not worry. When I injured my own leg and back it took months - no one fed me nice stuff and made a fuss!!!!!

[sue11]

Thanks carmalee and barmaid, my partner Martin thinks that Bandit is putting it on a bit to get the attention! I am sure that you are both right and I need to be a bit more patient and of course keep up with the treats! Barmaid if you hurt yourself again, come round my house and I will feed you treats and stroke your head!!

[wolf63]

Years ago my mum had a friend who had a smallish dog. The dog injured it's leg and was limping. It was taken to the vet and given some medication, but after some time it was still limping - and getting carried by its worried owner.

After a few visits to the vet they were informed that there was nothing wrong with the dog and not to make a fuss of it. I don't suppose the admitted to carrying it everywhere.

As soon as the mutt discovered that it wasn't going to be carried it started walking again - without any trace of the limp.

Animals are good at manipulation us, mere, humans.

[sue11]

That is a funny story Wolf!
I am not carrying Bandit everywhere, but I must admit that I am lifting her down from her bed (both cats sleep in the utility room in beds placed on waste high kitchen units) as I do not want her putting too much strain on her leg. She has managed to jump up to it with no problem, so I don't know why I think that she can't get down again! Also she can get up and down stairs with not too much trouble, so there is no excuse for me to help her there!
How are your 2 monsters? Both my cats are asleep in their cat beds in the lounge enjoying the heat of the sun (when it comes out) through the window!

[Nosha123]

Bless her SUe.... and you too - like me you are obviosuly a big cat lover and a right old softie!!! I agree with everyone here - a muscle or tendon injury will take a while to heal - I would say more than just a week - but the important thing is she is happy in herself, is eating (a lot clearly!!) and is making improvements.

Its always hearbreaking to see your animal not their usual self. Try not to worry too much and just monitor her progress! Harvey Pickle Pants injured his back foot a short while back.. vet says he just must have landed on it hard... I was a right old state.. Straight to the vet �150 emergnecy bill - next day he was fine!

[sue11]

Hi Nosha, glad to hear that Harvey Pickle Pants is fine, even if it did cost you an arm and a leg! Yes I am a right softie and worry over the slightest thing with my precious little darlings, I took Ozzie to the vets once as we noticed that she seemed bit stiff when walking. She also did not seem to like getting on her back legs for any reason. A the vets, the vet put her on the floor to see how she was walking. She casually strolled over to the window with no sign of lameness, got up on her back legs and peered through the window.....she must have done it all for a laugh.......I think the vet was suspecting me of Munchausens By Proxy or something like that!!

[paraffin]

Is it perhaps possible that Bandit could have been run over?
One of our moggies (sadly no longer with us) was run over one time (damaged his back and jaw but survived) and it took some weeks before he was properly back on his feet again despite the fact that he had been treated promptly by the vet.
As long as your vet's fairly happy with her progress, I'm sure that Bandit will be dashing around soon and you'll wonder what all the fuss was about! Good luck.

[sue11]

Hi Paraffin, that did go through my mind, but a sign of this is if the cat's claws have been worn down, normally as they scrape on the road or a surface, trying to resist the impact, thankfully her claws showed no signs of this, so the vet did not suspect that she had been hit by a car.
Sometimes she climbs on a garage roof to catch the sunshine and we did hear a bit of an unexplained noise earlier on that day. We wondered if somehow she fell off the roof. My partner even has the theory that perhaps she was attacked by a predator bird, we have buzzards circling in the area that land on the roofs of houses, athough we have not heard of any cats ever being attacked by buzzards!

[Nosha123]

I bet she was watching the buzzards!!! maybe even trying to jump for one! Harvey Pickle Pants caught a large duck once.. in the river at the back of our house!!!!

I was in the garden and heard this almighy quacking noise... Harveys brother shot across the garden to help him with his catch!!!! I had to shoosh them away and frighten Harvey to drop the duck! The duck was flapping its wings and trying to take off - with Harvey desperately trying to cling onto it!!! Little ******!!!!
Duck got away and no-one was hurt! It was funny though!!!

[sue11]

Ahh, I bet the duck was wondering what the heck was going on! Now my cats are older, the birds take absolutely no notice of them, Bandit crouches down in the garden to make a vain attempt to stalk a bird, I think she is convinced this move makes her completely invisible! Of course the bird knows exactly what she is doing and flies off. Bandit then just resumes her sitting or lying position until the next one lands close enough to her.
I think I have told this story before so apolgies to those that have heard it, but once I saw Ozzie come strolling out of the bushes followed by a guinea pig. I thought at that point, if she sees it she will go for it and went towards it to try to catch it. But then Ozzie turned round to the guinea pig and and they were just sniffing each other's noses as if to say hello. Ozzie carried on strolling off and I grabbed the guinea pig! I found out it belonged to my neigbour who was glad to get it back safe and sound!

[paraffin]

Hi sue11,
I'm not trying to worry you unnecessarily or anything but this "unexplained noise" you heard couldn't have been a shot from an air rifle, could it?
I know that sounds daft, but is it even a remote possibility? It wouldn't be the first time that some moron had taken a pot shot at a moggie. I know this from experience.
Hopefully this is not the case because although I'm honestly not trying to "stir it", are you aware of any neighbours who have an air rifle, for example?
It may be something you might ask your vet's opinion about? If they discount this theory, then it's back to the drawing board!

[Nosha123]

I dont think you are scaremongering Paraffin - its a good point. I would imagine that Sue has already checked all over for any puncture wounds or blood or any signs of entry and wettened fur.
Well worth putting forwards. You see too many stories in the papers these days of cruel people who do this kind of thing to peoples pets.

[paraffin]

Yeah, Nosha, you sometimes find that of course some people react in unacceptable, even cruel, ways especially if a neighbour's cat does its doo dahs or whatever in their garden - that's always guaranteed to get someone's back up!
I'm not going to illustrate it, but I once saw the result of someone's warped "revenge" on a neighbour's cat - it's a sight that will stay with me until I breathe my last.
The trouble being that some people have difficulty confronting a pet owner (in a civilised fashion of course) over some perceived misdemeanours by the animal(s), and find it easier to mete out their own "punishment".

[sue11]

Thanks for your further answers Nosha and Pariffin, hopefully it is not an air rifle shot as the vet checked her all over and I would have thought would have found the entry wound. She was injured in 2 places her lower back close to the tail and her leg, so hopefully the vet's diognosis is correct. Thanks for your further suggestions though, I am continuing to keep a close eye on her for any signs of any change. She has just had a bite to eat and I walked behind her as she came back to the lounge. She almost forgot to limp whilst walking through the hallway and then limped again across the lounge carpet. This could be down to the wood flooring in the hallway providing better support than the lounge carpet or perhaps she is laying it on a bit and just forgot at one point!!!

[sue11]

Sorry Paraffin I just re-read your final answer about the cruelty to your neighburs cat. I don't want to know the details as it would upset me, but I will never understand or accept some people's attitude towards animals. There is never any excuse for cruelty to any defenceless animal or child, both cannot understand why they are receiving the treatment being meted out to them. I am glad that there is equally a lot of people out there who do what they can to protect them.
Cheers Sue

[paraffin]

Glad to hear she's having some food - it's always a positive sign - you'd know for sure it was something serious if she was off her food - our two are never off theirs, so I guess they must be ultra healthy! (or should that be "ultra heavy"?)

[sue11]

She is definately enjoying her food, especially the extra treats, just to build up her strength of course.....I think that when it all gets back to normal, both of the cats will be most unimpressed.
Pariffin, give your cats a cuddle from me!