Question about my cat living under my bed

Hey all.  I hope someone can help me out i'm getting pretty worried about my cat.  On saturday 11/19/11 i took her to a vet because she was walking and meowing in pain.  The vet says she has arthrisis in her back leg (even tho shes only 7)  and ever since then shes been living under my bed.  She comes out to eat, drink and use her litter box but then its right under my bed again.   (before she hurt her leg she was sleeping on my bed.  Is she going under it cause she can't jump up?)

The vet said shes in perfect health she felt no tumors in my cat, no abormatlies, Miss didn't have a fever or anything.  Yet the fact shes living under my bed has me concerned my sisters cat did the same thing before she died of kidney falure at the age of 19.  I'm postive the vet wouldn't lie to me so should i be consurned?  Or is she mearly in pain from her leg and hiding from our german shepard?  I do hope she's ok and if anyone else has an diea why shes suddley living under my bed i'd apreshaeate it.

She did the vet gave me some metacam to help releave the pain but we havent been able to give it to her.  She just comes out and uses the litter box then heads back into my room.  (it says take with food but we cant get near her after she eats to force her to take it)  I also got glyco-flex from the vet too.  My cat ate it yesterday but refused to eat it today.  (It's still under my bed where she's sleeping) 

I should say she wasnt hiding BEFORE i took her to the vet,(i did catch her on friday going under my bed i saw her and picked her up putting her on my bed.  She slept there the whole day like she normally does) I should mention that she was feral and caught at 6 months old all i can think of is me grabbing her and putting her into that cat carrier could of caused some tramic memories to resurface.  She was pretty scared at the vet she kept trying to hide in my coat and i felt horrable because she was cleary SO scared  and she ran into my room when we got home yesterday.  Today she did come out to greet me and is purring when i patted her.  She was just fine a few days ago too she could jump and run.  (we know she'd had problems with her back legs)  I've been debating calling the vet and asking them if this is normal.

(and thank you for the warm welcome :) ) 

thats what my mom said that even though she came out and was being friendly she's still proabably a little shaken up from her trip to the vet .  I guess i'm a worry wart but maybe i should call the vet i went too and talk to a diffrent member of they're staff i  just dont want to tramatize her with another trip in the cat carrier

OMG  i didn't know that!  We havent given it to her yet but i was told to give her a 1/4th of a baby asprin if she was in pain too.  That just scared the crap out of me

the last thing i want to do is kill my cat.  I'll give the vet a call 2morrow i just feel horrable if they want to see her again idk how she'd do with another trip.  God now i really dont know what to do :(

Quote:

Originally Posted by speakhandsforme 

Indeed. I wasn't trying to scare you, just warn you. Obviously any drug has risks associated with it, but metacam is one of the worst for cats. There are other stories online of some cats using it successfully in very, very small doses for many years, but I wouldn't risk it with my cats, and I hope you think long and hard before you risk it with yours.
If your cat continues to hide under your bed, I again suggest taking her to a second veterinarian, getting a thorough physical exam and bloodwork done, and asking about different painkiller options, if you have the resources.
Once again, good luck.

Yea i think ill give them a call back 2morrow as i said i havent given her any of the meds and if the baby asprin is ok for cats i'd honestly rather give her that then the meds  i have them in my cell phone and can call them from my job 2morrow i just dont want to hurt my cat in any way possable (even if i think she's a little tramatised from her vet visit) Hopefully nothing is really wrong with her and she'll be ok.  (I worry to much)

Yea i know they'res another vet down the street for where i live  i'll give them a call 2morrow.  I just worry to easyly i guess ,but when i saw her today she was walking slowly but she hasn't meowed in pain all day so thats always a good thing.  For all i know maybe her lying under my bed is a good thing for her shes away from our dog and she can rest her leg.  I've just never had my OWN cat before she orginally was my sisters but she left her when my sis moved out and she kinda became mine.  (Ill also asume that shes healthy she's 11 pounds i'd like her at 15 but 11's not amaisetaed, i hope) 

Just her hiding  reminds me of my sis's old cat who died of kindey falure while hiding under a bed but she is eatting drinking and using her litter box like normal.  I think i'm reading to much into this than it should be. 

No she's still eatting like normal, using the litter box and drinking too shes acting normal in that reguard.  My mom who had a cat who lived to be 20 thinks its because she can't jump on my bed so there-fore sleeping under it is the next best thing.  She said to give Missy a few days and she should get over the shock of what happened at the vet.  (she's part maine coon is a pretty big cat the vet said 11 pounds was healthy for her)  But she is eatting the same maybe i just scared her either way i do hope shes ok

Honestly she just left my room to use the litter box that seems like a good sign :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by LDG 

If she does have arthritis, you might want to do for her what we do for our handicapped kitty. She can't jump up onto the bed, so we have a series of things along one side of the bed that are each "higher" so she can step up onto them. One is a one-story cat condo. She can get onto the bed from just that, but she has to stretch with her front paws to pull herself up. So we have a tall plastic storage box next to that, so she can just "walk" onto that next level from the one-story cat condo. We put a cat bed on top of the plastic storage box, and the kitties like to use that too LOL. But from there, she can just make a slight step-up onto the bed.
BTW, aspirin is not safe for cats. It IS prescribed, rarely, in small doses. But its side effects are not good long term.
I know the vet trip stressed her out, but I'd really recommend a second opinion from a different vet.
Vibes for your kitty.

sounds like the best thing to do for her is pretty much nothing (in the med department)  we put a step stool  by the kitchen table and i saw her jump up on it and then onto the chair then onto the table i'm debating buying a little kid step stool and putting it on the foot of my bed see if she uses that instead of going under hoenstly ill feel better when shes sleeping in plain sight again

thanks i think she may have eaten it when i put down fresh water for her in my room i couldnt see it.  I do have a question i live with my folks and i do have a door to my room should i shut it so she can't make it back into my room or just wait until she's less fearful or in pain?  I dont know why she has me so conserned

Well i called my vet today they beleive that she is pretty stressed out from her trip to the vet.  The guy that i talked too said as long as shes eatting, drinking and using her litter box she should be ok.  Just give her time to calm down, but if she still is acting anti-soical take her back in a week.  (I'd need to do so on a day off ill be working all weekend)  He did tell me if she stops eatting, drinking and using the bathroom take her to see him A.S.A.P.  She doesnt seem in much pain today and when i got home from work her glyro-flex treat and all her wet food was gone  and it looked like she used the litter box :)  I'll contine to keep an eye on her while i try to take care of myself and this damn cold I have.  I was supose to take myself to seee a doc on saturday but i guess in my mind the wel-fare of my kitty means more to me :)

Good news last night after posting she finally came out of the room for some cuddle time.  She slept on me for a while before going back under my bed for the night, all we can think of is since her leg is still tender and she doesnt want our german shepard to hit her in the back legs like he likes too.  (playing that is) 

So since she wants her own peace and quiet we're gonna get her, her own kitty bed so she can a nicer place to sleep than under my bed.  I'm relived to see her acting more like her old self

Hey all!  I said i'd keep you all updated on how missy is doing so thats what i'm gonna do.  She's doing alot better  The cat finally left my room last night  she was walking around the house acting like her old self that took alot off my mind and i finally was able to sleep threw the night without checking on her.  She's jumping a bit better i think the joint suplent is helping her out.  She ate it super fast when i gave it to her so she thinks its a treat .  All this makes me feel better and so doesnt miss i found her cuddled up next to draco on the floor. the two of them dead asleep :) Also last night she came out TWICE for loves. She's acting more normal now  and I'm SO glad to see it!  At the moment she's laying next to our couch asleep purring her litte heart out.  I'm glad shes ok and I thank all of you for your advice and taking the time to talk to me.  I think i was more worried about my cat than the caat was worried about herself lol.  I'll see if she spends the whole day out of my room  and keep you guys updated on furter progress, but to all of you thanks again!!!

I'm glad as well Ruthyb a few minutes ago she jumped up into her perch and then ran around the house before following me into my bedroom and grabbing something to eat and i think the supplment is helping her a ton as well LDG.  I mean i know i've had a pretty bad cold for the past week but i was so worried about her i havent taken care of myself.  Now that she's acting normal and loving and playful i think i can rest alot easyer knowing she's feeling a lot better. I was watching a movie earlyer and spent almost 3 hours with her asleep on my lap just like she use to do before this ordeal.  Our german sheapard has even been easy on her just licking her instead of trying to play with her.  I think he knows she was in pain as well.  Hopefully she doesnt fall out of the window again since we're pretty sure thats how she hurt her back leg in the 1st place. I'm beyond 100% glad that she's ok as well