To Hissy:

Thanks to the links you provided after I posted about my limping Autumn, I am going to have her hips x-rayed because she is exhibiting signs of hip dysplasia. I am hopeful it isn't, but I want to be sure. She is a young mixed breed cat and hip dysplasia is rare in cats to begin with, but she is showing enough signs to warrant further investigation.

I am going to adopt her even if she has hip-dysplasia because If I give her back to the shelter, they will probably automatically euthanize her. She is WAY too sweet and special for me to allow that to happen. Thanks again for the valuable links.

catlover-

You are welcome, but those links were found on a cat health board with a wide variety of folk who know what they are talking about when it comes to health issues. Here is the link, in case you would like to bookmark it for future use:

Cat-Help Online

I took Autumn in for the vet to check her hips out. They were going to automatically x-ray them but I asked if they could give a manual exam first. The vet seems to think (based on her observations and my descriptions) that she indeed pulled a muscle as my mother and I thought. She said that Autumn had good range of motion in her hips and only seemed to walk "gingerly". She said it is possible given the fact that Autumn was cage bound for so many months that her muscles atrophied and she pulled a muscle while chasing the lazer light. She told me to bring her back in for x-rays if she continues to limp or get worse. So that is where it stands for now.

I am glad you are checking it out. Cage life is no life for a cat, thank you for saving her.

For the life of me I do not understand why anyone would "need" to buy a purebred cat from a breeder (no offense, breeders) with so many lovely, unique cats waiting for homes at shelters across the country.

It feels like Autumn has been a part of my life for a long time and I have had her less than a month!!