my mom's cat has been acting a little strange lately.

he's 9 years old, which isn't TOO old for a cat i think, about middle age?

anyway, he's having trouble jumping. he can't even jump onto a table that's 2 feet off the ground. it came on all of a sudden one night.

i'm thinking it's either arthritis or maybe a virus that's causing some edema in his legs.

i'm gonna go see if i can scrounge up some IM prednisone, and we're taking him to the vet tomorrow morning, but, in the meantime, any ideas from tdub?

8/7/2007 3:43:26 PM

I assume he's not obese or anything, right? My parents' cat can't jump on anything because it's a fatass.

8/7/2007 3:49:55 PM

well, he's a little bit overweight, but he never had a problem jumping onto anything until last night, which makes me think it's not arthritis

8/7/2007 3:51:08 PM

^^lol

my moms cat just turned 9 and he can still jump on things like 4 feet off the ground...and hes a fatass also(like 20-21 pounds, i consider that fat for a cat)....9 isnt that old but i wouldnt classify it as middle age...imo, 1-3=young, 4-8=middle age, 9 and up equals kinda up there...might want to tell your mom to look into getting a replacement

[Edited on August 7, 2007 at 3:52 PM. Reason : indoor or outdoor cat? if indoor its probably lazy and obese/weak]

[Edited on August 7, 2007 at 3:53 PM. Reason : all 3 of my moms cats are indoor and outdoor, like half and half]

8/7/2007 3:52:02 PM

indoor

and we had a cat that lived to be 19.

8/7/2007 3:54:05 PM

lol good god...my mom said she knew someone with a 22 year old cat once but she said it shoulda been put down at 20

it probably cant jump good cause it doesnt go outside and get much exercise...its probably just a fat and lazy cat

8/7/2007 4:00:03 PM

yeah, haha, i realize that

it just came on all of a sudden though

like literally, he could jump one day and then couldn't the next

8/7/2007 4:03:04 PM

maybe it just said fuck it i dont feel like jumping anymore

8/7/2007 4:15:06 PM

nah, he acts like he WANTS to jump, he even begins to do it, but ends up just putting his front paws on the table and making this really pitiful noise and then giving up

8/7/2007 4:20:34 PM

is he white?

8/7/2007 5:40:04 PM

Uh. Our 19 year old cat could get up on the bed, couch, etc. just fine till the days his liver started failing him.

Our fatass 8 year old cat can do it too. And then we've got a 7 year old that can jump on top of the fridge

Definitely a visiting the vet situation.

8/8/2007 9:26:06 AM

Our orange cat is pretty fat (pushing 20 pounds) and he loves to chase bugs...he has literally jumped at least 7 feet in the air trying to catch a moth before. When you say the cat makes a pitiful noise, does it sound like he's in pain? Maybe his pads are damaged or he has something in his paw. I have had a cat before that wouldn't limp or anything, but wouldn't jump like they usually did. It turned out they had something stuck in their pad. Have you examined his paws? Either way, I am pretty sure it's warranted for a trip to the vet.

8/8/2007 10:18:22 AM

could it be an ear infection? throwing off his sense of balance?

8/8/2007 12:16:00 PM

so i started him on 5mg prednisone b.i.d., it seems to be helping so far

vet appointment scheduled for tomorrow at 3.

8/8/2007 1:37:15 PM