Can't jump up

Hi there

I have a 11.5 year old cat who has always been in pretty good health. I adopted a kitten around 4 months ago. Things have been going ok, but I have noticed lately that my older cat seems to take a while to jump onto the bed or couch.

I thought she was just worn out from playing with the kitten, but yesterday I really watched her. She wasn't jumping up on the bed. She was pretty much pulling herself up on the bed. She barely used her back legs.

The kitten has just been fixed and the playing has stopped for a couple of days. I'm hoping the rest may help, but could there be something seriously wrong???

Well, 11.5 is getting up there. And your cat is probably getting tired with all the playing. And if the cat is playing, that is great. Just as we get older and take the stairs a bit slower, so do they. However, it might be a good idea to take her in to the vet. She could be starting to get arthritis in those old back legs of hers. It couldn't hurt and if so, there are meds to make her more comforatable.

First: Vet check and medication if necessary

Second: If the condition is chronic you might see about building or purchasing some steps that your kitty to use as an initial lift to get up on the bed and couch.

Good Luck!

I agree with the previous poster regarding a vet check. Have them check for arthritis, which can be seen on x-rays. It could also be that she strained her back or something jumping or playing. If she is diagnosed with arthritis, there are many good over the counter medicines you can give her. I wouldn't ask for a Metacam shot if the doctor wants to do that. You can search the forum for Metacam posts and read some of the experiences.

We give Callie Cosequin daily, which really helps her. Adding some steps or chairs for her to jump on will help her, too. Callie hasn't been wanting to jump recently, but we took her with us to my Dad's house for a long weekend and she jumped all over the place while there. I think she's been looking for sympathy here at home. Other than that, she's been fine here at home and has learned alternate ways to get to the water on the bathroom counter and up on our bed.