Cats

[kopend]

i think my girlfriends cat has got arthritis as he is strugggling to jump up onto things
what can we give him - would aloe vera be any help or is that more just for a shiny coat

[Kiki-frog]

Sounds like a trip to the vet would be a good idea. They'd be able to confirm whether it was arthritis or not. Cod liver oil in his food might help

[chaptazbru]

My sentiments exactly.

[Sir Alec]

Phone the vet for advice, or better still, take him for a check up. My cat struggled to jump up and it turned out that he'd been attacked from behind by another cat and was just a bit sore for a couple of weeks. The cat that attacked him belongs to the vet, who lives nearby. I was livid at having to pay for the damage inflicted by his cat!

[kopend]

i dont think he has been attacked to be honest

it just old age he has been getting a bit worse over the last year

so not the cold either as he was like it in the summer


and he not that bad just struggles with the high stuff - i just wanted to try and help him a bit

[chaptazbru]

So, are you going to the vet kopend ?

[Kiki-frog]

How old is he? If he's 16ish, then they do slow down and start to struggle around that age. The main thing is that he isn't in distress or pain. If he'll let you, then gently massaging around his hip joints may help

[Kiki-frog]

But really, it's got to be a trip to the vets. Anything else posted on here can only really be guesswork

[wolf63]

If he is in pain he will probably be short tempered and grumpy.

Take him to the vet just to rule out any injury or something that can be fixed. If it is arthritis then the vet will give you some advice about pain medication and alternative medicines that may help.

With my last cat I had to get a little bit of wood to use as a ramp so that he could get up onto the bed.

[kopend]

i will get her to take him to the vets - and were not sure of his exact age as he was a rescue cat in 1999 when he was about 2 so let say hes 15 appx

[chaptazbru]

Good man.

[wolf63]

Now - don't let the cat see you bringing out the cat carrier. It really is amazing how fast the little monsters can move when they suspect that there is a trip to the vet in their future.

:-)

[Sir Alec]

Too true, wolf. Mine is 14, but he can shift like a kitten when he sees that box!