10-year-old shelter cat with shaky front legs when standing

Hi friends,

I just adopted a beautiful black cat named Charlie from a local shelter.  She is 10 years old and was listed as in good health at her vet appointment on 4/16, aside from her being overweight (12.8lbs).  She had been there for a month, and was kept in a two-tier cage with a small platform for her to sleep on.  She was very friendly and affectionate in her cage when we approached her, and though she actively rolled over and approached us for pets, we didn't see her stand at the time.

Now that I've had her home for a day, I've noticed her front legs go wobbly when she stands on them.  It isn't constant, but it is very frequent when she stands, and seems to be only in her front legs.  She doesn't seem nervous at all as she is purring, jumping up on everything and even reaching out her paw to prompt us to pet her or rub her belly.

Could this shaky leg problem be a result of her time spent in the cage in the shelter, like a possible muscle weakness from inactivity?  Or maybe from her being overweight?  She seems very healthy otherwise, her coat is in good shape and she is active, only eating/drinking a little bit but she is still settling in.  I will take her to a vet soon but I am worrying in the meantime that it could be something more serious or neurological.

Thanks in advance for any input!

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It's possible that it could be from inactivity and being confined to a cage, but I would have her checked out by your vet to be sure nothing else is going on.  Be sure to get some bloodwork done to check her kidney function, too.

stephanietx said:

 
It's possible that it could be from inactivity and being confined to a cage, but I would have her checked out by your vet to be sure nothing else is going on.  Be sure to get some bloodwork done to check her kidney function, too.

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Thank you stephanietx, I'll be sure to do so soon!  Her labs were fine a month ago but I know things can change fast.  Was just wondering if anyone had experienced anything similar with older shelter cats kept in cages, as this is my first adoption.

Hello Charliegirl,

Just a note to add that the fact that BOTH front legs are weak suggests that they are weak due to her being confined for a month, rather than her suffering a neurological disturbance.     If she continues with weakness, despite full activity, or if she gets worse, then of course you should obtain veterinary advice. ( I am a human doctor, not a cat doctor.)  Incidentally her obesity could also be related to her inactivity.

She certainly looks a beautiful cat.

With best wishes,

Geoffrey

Thank you for the input, Geoffrey!  Unfortunately, it looks like I'm going to have to take her to the vet, as she hasn't been eating much at all of anything or had any bowel movements since Monday night.   She is acting normal otherwise but I know that the lack of eating is very concerning.

Hello Charliegirl,

That is most worrying.  Of course she has to be seen by a vet; can you let us know what his opinion is? 

BTW How are her front legs?

With kind regards,

Geoffrey

@CharlieGirl. I'm sorry to hear that your girl's not doing well.  Get her to the vet ASAP, especially with the not eating.  She can't go long without food.

Geoffrey said:

 
Hello Charliegirl,

That is most worrying.  Of course she has to be seen by a vet; can you let us know what his opinion is? 

BTW How are her front legs?

With kind regards,

Geoffrey

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Her legs are about the same and don't seem to be getting worse.  I'd think that if it were muscle weakness it would take a while to show improvement?  I will try to get her to the vet tomorrow if they can fit me in before/after work, and I will post back what they say as soon as I can!  Thank you for your concern; I'm panicking because sudden eating trouble was the beginning of the end for my last cat   I know the situation is different here, and hopefully it's just some trouble adjusting or something.

stephanietx said:

 
@CharlieGirl. I'm sorry to hear that your girl's not doing well.  Get her to the vet ASAP, especially with the not eating.  She can't go long without food.

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Thank you for your concern too, stephanie!  I will try my best to get her to the vet tomorrow.

Hello Charlie Girl,

Don't  panic!  When you obtain professional opinion, then we can see what is going on. 

With kind regards,

Geoffrey

I took her to the vet who seems to think the lack of appetite is still from the move to a new home, as her physical exam was very normal.  She said she did have some stool in her bowel and didn't seem constipated.  As for the legs, she found that they had full range of motion, no pain, and had the same thought that I did that they are weak from underuse and her being overweight.  They gave her an appetite stimulant and she has eaten a few more bites since then.  They said call in three days if her appetite isn't back, and if that is ok then I should call in a month if her legs were still having any issues.  So she seems to be in really good health and just still stressed somehow, so I'm hoping this kickstarts her appetite again since it certainly seems like she loved food before! (12 lbs 11oz  now)

CharlieGirl said:

 
I took her to the vet who seems to think the lack of appetite is still from the move to a new home, as her physical exam was very normal.  She said she did have some stool in her bowel and didn't seem constipated.  As for the legs, she found that they had full range of motion, no pain, and had the same thought that I did that they are weak from underuse and her being overweight.  They gave her an appetite stimulant and she has eaten a few more bites since then.  They said call in three days if her appetite isn't back, and if that is ok then I should call in a month if her legs were still having any issues.  So she seems to be in really good health and just still stressed somehow, so I'm hoping this kickstarts her appetite again since it certainly seems like she loved food before! (12 lbs 11oz  now)

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This is good news. Given her 12 lb 11oz, a few days without eating  will not do her any great harm

With best wishes,

Geoffrey

I'm so glad you got her to the vet!  I know it's put you at ease a little bit.  You might want to invest in a couple of Feliway diffusers and see if that helps her de-stress.  Some older kitties take a little bit longer to transition to a new home.  Keep us posted on how she's doing.  Just make sure she eats!

It has been one week since I adopted her, and Charlie seems to be eating more now.  Still not quite enough (1/4-1/2 cup of dry a day), but more than she was for sure, so I'm not too worried anymore.  She eats the most at night when I am sleeping.  I switched her over to Nutro Max Cat Senior food since the shelter people suggested a more "junky" food to start with to see if she would eat that.  Once she seems to be eating more steadily I will transition her to a better quality kibble, as she seems to completely ignore wet food.  Her legs do seems to be getting a bit better with more activity, and are mostly just shaky when she is trying to balance on ledges now and not just standing up.