Is my cat okay?

Hello.

My cat, Miballs, has been acting strange lately. He's been laying in places he normally doesn't lie and it's usually some place away in the corner. Also, he's been a bit more vocal than normal and I just don't know what the problem is.

He was diagnosed with FeLV, but I'm not sure if that's the reason for his behavior. Also, the last time we visited the vet, we were told that he has bad teeth and may need some extractions. Could that be the problem? Oh, and he's walking with his tail down a lot.

I don't know what's wrong, but I need help! Thinking of taking him to the vet this afternoon.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

I would definitely take him to the vet, sounds like something is definitely wrong with him

He needs a vet visit especially because he is FeLV+ but also for the other symptoms which indicate a problem.

I would agree with the others - your cat is not okay and needs to see a vet asap. Cats are experts at not showing when they're sick or in pain so when you see symptoms like this the kitty is feeling pretty bad. He may be in pain due to his teeth (toothaches can be excruciating) or something else. Because your cat may be suffering I would take him to the vet as soon as you can.

Please post an update when you find out more

Thank you for the responses.

I did take him to the vet today and he had X-rays done, though there weren't any physical abnormalities the doctor nor I could see. She prescribed pain medication in hopes of him hurting less (since he was vocal when his ribs were touched).

I just don't understand why he's hurting because all of his fluids, bones, and organs are in tact. Has anyone else gone through this and found it to be something else?

Also, his tail is very limp and lifeless (I also addressed this at the vet).

Please, if anyone has had a similar experience, please share.

Thank you.

Could he have been hit and injured by a car? The limp tail would worry me as that points to an injury of some kind?

No, I don't think so. I think I might bring it up to my doctor because I see the tail as being the major issue now.

Will keep with updates.

You're right to be worried as a limp tail suggests a break somewhere! I'm no expert though! Good luck with him and hope you get some answers soon! Keep us up to date please!

Miballs is not doing well.

He's losing weight as he is lethargic and sleeping all the time (possibly from the pain and inability to move around). It hurts him to walk as he growls and cries, and it hurts me to see him like this. Also, he can't seem to stretch "upwards" because his butt and tail area are limp. He can't sit all the way down (on all fours), he kind of just depends on his two front legs now.

I'm taking him to the vet again tomorrow and will see what we can figure out with X-rays.

hopefully she can find what is causing this, but why wasn't she worried about his tail when you pointed it out to her?

does she know he's an outdoor cat?

as an aside, should a FeLV cat be allowed out, for the sake of it and others?

If there is any sense of rear end or rear leg paralysis one has to suspect cardiomyapathy/blood clot.  This is usually accompanied by severe pain.  This seems unlikely if for no other reason that a) your vet would have caught it and b) it doesn't sound quite like paralysis but i'm not there and i'm not a vet.

Did he do an echo?  Xrays won't show much with soft tissues but an echo will.  If your vet can't do more to obtain a diagnosis quickly, (or get another vet)  given the high level of pain your cat is in, I think you should discuss euthansia for your cat's sake.

So,

Back from the vet and another doctor said she can't figure out what's wrong. She said that he's now lost feeling in his tail, and it might be nerve damage...from what? I wish I knew. The base of his tail is the root of the problem and I just don't know what to do but let time pass and see if he heals on his own. She did give him a steroid injection because the pain meds weren't helping.

Please pray for my little kitty, he's the sweetest boy and he's been through so much.

Thank you.

Thank you for your responses.

Today, I took Miballs to the vet and I have made the heartbreaking decision to have him PTS. The vet said he might have a tumor developing near or on his spine and the root of the cause might be the leukemia. I brought him home today just so my family can say one last good-bye to a member of our family.

Please keep us in your prayers.

Thank you.

I am SOOO sorry! Praying for you....

sorry

I am so sorry! Praying for you and your family!

Aw, that's tragic news! I will be thinking of you x

I'm sorry too. When you feel up to it, you might want to post a thread in Crossing the Bridge.

The TCS team would like you to know that we are so very sorry for your loss. Threads are locked after someone has suffered such a loss, as a sign of respect. We invite you to place a tribute at http://www.thecatsite.com/f/19/crossing-the-bridge as an enduring testimony to your friend.