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
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!
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
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.
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.