Help- my cat is not walking on a leg

My 1-yr-old cat, Arty, has just started to not walk on his front left paw since yesterday. At first I was really worried that he broke his leg or something, but I knew by his demeanor that he couldn't have been in that much pain because he was still limping over to me and rubbing against my legs. I picked him up, which he also had no problem with, and let me touch his whole leg, except when I got to his paw. When I put him down I noticed he was licking it a lot. My mom and I tried to get a closer look, but we couldn't see much else besides a lot of unusually bright pinkness around the fur and pads. When I put him down he walked on it for a few steps and then continued limping.

I don't want to spend $50+ on a vet visit if it's just a cut that will heal, but I'm still really worried and don't want to risk something. Could it be something besides a cut that might be really serious?

Thanks for any help in advance. I love him very much so I don't want anything bad to happen to him.

Well, the only thing is, is that cats tend to "hide" their pain or weakness, so if he's limping, he's probably in a pretty good amount of pain. And best to get it looked at rather than having to go to an ER vet over the weekend, where you'll pay hundreds of dollars...

I agree - unless the kitten is acting much much better now, I'd get him to a vet...better $50 now that an ER visit over the weekend, or, worse, something that's easily treatable early on but could get worse. I mean, what if he got a sliver of glass in there?

I know it's not fun, but I honestly would rather be out $50 than not sleep with worry and kick myself if things got worse.

If he is not walking on it and it is pink, there could be an abscess there, due to a thorn or splinter or infection. It will not heal on its own but needs antibiotics, possibly also professional draining and dressing. I would say he does need a vet.

Yeah, you guys are probably right. I think I'll schedule an appointment tomorrow to get him looked asap if he still looks in pain. When I came home today he was walking on the injured foot a lot more, so I'm going to try and take a look at it when he's asleep or something. Thanks for the input- I would hate to go to emergency care which is ridiculously expensive..

Do remember that cats are very good at hiding pain - they are genetically programmed for it. So do not just go on what he looks like. Good luck, I hope you find hte cause.

Originally Posted by jennyranson

Do remember that cats are very good at hiding pain - they are genetically programmed for it. So do not just go on what he looks like. Good luck, I hope you find hte cause.

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Aaaaaaaanddd...let us know!

It appears whatever he had has gone away. He is walking fine now. I looked at his paw and I didn't see anything- this time he actually let me touch it. I'm not sure what it was... maybe something got stuck and he got it out? Either way I'm happy to see he is back to normal and will keep an eye on him. Again, thanks for the help and concern

How do his claws look? It's possible he damaged one and it has healed up.