unfixed male cat suddenly limping

indie-n-button

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Hello!
 

So I've currently had the cat in question for a year, he was a skinny little stray that I picked up while I was in the park and have looked after ever since. He's currently un-neutered due to not being able to find a vet who I completely trust to do the task (most of the vets I've come across over here are simply money looters and know next to nothing about animal care :/ Also, I'm currently residing in Pakistan, so). He's a rather skinny little cat too and is INSANELY active, always walking around the house and bugging my other cat (a 9 month old Balinese). He's also very vocal and yells at everything lmao.

Anyway, the problem started yesterday when he woke up from a nap and suddenly started limping really badly. He's an indoor only cat (though he does go onto the balcony, and this is only when he's supervised) too, by the way.

I don't recall him having any sort of accident or anything, he didn't yelp or anything, he just woke up with a really bad limp :/ But once he started walking around again he was fine after a few hours and the limp was almost none-existent! Then he went to sleep again and when he woke up he was limping again :/

I felt around his leg and nothing seems to be out of place and nothing hurts when I touch along his leg. He only growls and spits when I touch his paw, especially his pads. But I looked around the pad area and can't really see anything wrong? There's no cuts or anything, though the edges of one of his toe-pads seems a little hard? It's kind of hard to see what with all of his squirming and his pads being pretty much black :( I put some coconut oil on his pad and he seemed to like that (I warmed it a bit so) I just want to know if any of you guys have had the same problem?

Also, he's jumping and running around fine and he's grooming/eating/pooping exactly like he used to before the incident. He's just really cranky and hates it if I touch his paw. Maybe it's broken? Though it feels exactly like his other paw ;-; I'm really worried about him and I don't think I'll be able to get him to a vet, though I'm trying to do some research just in case we can somehow find  good enough vet for him ;-;

Please respond soon!! We're all very distraught, especially his little Balinese friend, Button :(
 

misterwhiskers

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Can you take a pic of his paw right now?

My suggestion is to wait 24 hours before overly worrying unless some other symptoms show up. My 3 year old fixed male was completely off one of his paws for about 18 hours, then went back to using it. Now he's completely normal. I think he just "hit a funny bone" so to speak, or just hyper extended a muscle.

I would try to limit his jumping,however, for the time being.

Please let us know how he's doing?
 
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indie-n-button

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I sadly can't, my phone is in for repairs at the moment :/

It's roughly been more than twenty-four hours, it happened yesterday morning (it's half three in the afternoon now). But after I put the coconut oil on, I spotted what could possibly be a splinter? He kinda claws at the door when we shut him into his bedroom and loves to scratch at these pieces of wood we've got upstairs, so perhaps he somehow got a splinter due to that? I managed to get the splinter out which was SUPER tricky Dx He was wailing and screaming and thrashing around, it was really upsetting :(

But he's finally settled down and is sleeping at the moment, I'll put on some more coconut oil later on and see how he goes. Hopefully he'll be better by the end of the week (though he's already improved AMAZINGLY since the splinter came out) and I won't have to take a trip to the money-grabbing vets!!!

Also I think the 'hard' parts of his pad might've been a scab that covered the splinter? Because that isn't there now that the splinters gone... hmmm, this really was a pretty strange case :S
 

di and bob

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If he goes outside at all, it could be an abscess from a cat bite. My toms get these quite often. They limp for a few days and then the abscess will burst and drain. When I see them limp I start them on an antibiotic (liquid put in tuna juice). I get it by asking a vet for an over the counter antibiotic for a feral cat that can't be brought in. Limping can be caused by MANY things, so as long as it's not getting worse, he should start improving soon. All the luck and keep us posted!  PS NOW might be a good time to get him neutered, they could look at his paw while he's out!  
 
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indie-n-button

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If he goes outside at all, it could be an abscess from a cat bite. My toms get these quite often. They limp for a few days and then the abscess will burst and drain. When I see them limp I start them on an antibiotic (liquid put in tuna juice). I get it by asking a vet for an over the counter antibiotic for a feral cat that can't be brought in. Limping can be caused by MANY things, so as long as it's not getting worse, he should start improving soon. All the luck and keep us posted!  PS NOW might be a good time to get him neutered, they could look at his paw while he's out!  
Nope he's a strictly indoor cat, though he does try and whack at a stray tom that comes onto my balcony whenever he can haha xD He tries to swat at him through the opening in the window, he's so territorial wow. And he's doing /much/ better now, thanks! :D I just had to take out the remainder of the splinter that was stuck in his foot because I didn't get it all last time, but now he's stretching his foot out and he's back to being on all fours!! He's still a bit sore because the splinters was a REALLY big one, but I'm pretty sure he'll be back to normal by tomorrow morning!! :D

Also the vets over here are really nit-picky about neutering and it seems they need a fair bit of persuading!! Most of the vets I've talked to are telling me to give him an injection of some sort?? That will help him cut down on his spraying/territorial behavoiur for about three months apparently??? I haven't started it yet because of all the research I've done about it says that hormonal injections are generally a no-go for cats?? D:
 

talkingpeanut

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Neutering a male cat is usually a very quick, easy surgery. Why do they need persuading?
 

donutte

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Is their nit-pickiness just a cultural thing? I've heard other folks say similar things, albeit other countries. If you CAN find a vet that will do it, or can be persuaded to do it, it would be best both for you and the kitty. If you need to persuade, tell them you don't want him to pee all over your house perhaps? Without having to give him shots for the rest of his life, that is.

Glad he seems to be better in the paw department though. Cats are very particular about having their humans look at their paws, that's for sure!
 
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indie-n-button

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Is their nit-pickiness just a cultural thing? I've heard other folks say similar things, albeit other countries. If you CAN find a vet that will do it, or can be persuaded to do it, it would be best both for you and the kitty. If you need to persuade, tell them you don't want him to pee all over your house perhaps? Without having to give him shots for the rest of his life, that is.

Glad he seems to be better in the paw department though. Cats are very particular about having their humans look at their paws, that's for sure!
Yup, it's a cultural thing, and a religious one, too, I think? To be honest his spraying isn't /that/ bad, not as bad it was in the summer, that's for sure! He's cut down a lot at the moment, could it be because of the cold? Or maybe his paw was bugging him because I haven't seen him spray at all since he's been poorly? But I'll continue to do research bc I REALLY want to get him neutered, it'll cut down on the wailing a lot! I personally think they're just trying to get as much money as they can, I'm sure that the shots would cost A LOT more than the operation if you add up all the injections he's gonna take in his life :/

Yes he's doing great now!! His slight limp is gone and he isn't as cranky as he used to me :)
 
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