My cat has trouble climbing on my bed. Meows in pain when I pick her up!

So, my 4-year-old female cat Nyla is having multiple problems lately. She is a black Bombay cat. For the past month or so Nyla has been having trouble climbing on my bed. She can stand up and attempt to climb up but she has to use her front arms to pull herself up. This has never been a problem with her before. So I have to pick her up to bring her on the bed and she doesn't seem like she's in pain when I do it. She seems like she's only in pain if I just decide to pick her up if she's walking around. She has always been a very skittish cat and by that I mean she gets scared easily and is very alert. She was born in a family pet and garden center that was an absolutely horrible place for animals. They did not take care of the animals and the kittens were locked in a small cage and they had so many fleas. Nyla has gone through two pregnancies. The first one the 3 kittens were born premature and did not make it. The second pregnancy, Nyla had 5 healthy kittens this past summer and we kept one of them and gave away 4. They growl and hiss at each other and sometimes hit each other. Luckily it isn't deadly fights but if someone could give me some tips on how to make them nice to each other. The kitten was the runt of them all and I guess that could be why. But, enough of that lol. I'm very scared of Nyla too. She has no trouble going to the bathroom either but she does seem very light. Lighter than her youngest cat tbh. I don't have a lot of time to bring her to the vet because my parents are working and I have school. However, we are thinking of bringing her to the vet this week possibly if they have time. Could Nyla have arthritis? Is she possibly dying?!

First,bless you and your family for rescuing her from what sounds like a terrible situation.  And good for you for watching out for her now. Nyla must go to the vet as soon as you or your parents can take her.   Only a vet can tell you what is wrong with her, but since she is in pain when you pick her up and having problems climbing on the bed at age 4, she needs medical attention and soon.  Cats are masters at hiding their pain, so if she is showing any at all, that means she's really hurting.  You certainly wouldn't want her to keep suffering when it might be something easily treated by the vet.

While she is at the vet, you should discuss having her spayed so that she doesn't have any more kittens.  Repeated pregnancies are very hard on a cat and she'll live a lot longer, and be a lot happier, if she's spayed.  Her kitten should also be altered.  If finances are an issue (and when are they not) ask the vet about low-cost spay and neutering clinics near you.

At this point, the best thing you can do to Nyla and her kitten get along is to take Nyla to find out what's wrong with her. She's in pain and pain makes people and cats grouchy and irritable. Simply resolving that issue might make a big difference in their fighting.

Another thing that contributes to fighting is the fact that they are both intact and are being ruled by their hormones right now. Things should calm down considerably once they are both altered.    You should also be aware that if Nyla's kitten is a male, he is old enough to get her pregnant which is something to be avoided at all costs.

Please let us know what the vet says about Nyla.  It really is important that she go.   A four-year-old cat should have no problems getting onto a bed.

A practical solution for her getting up onto your bed is to put a box or footstool next to your bed for her to use as a stepping stone.  Obviously, this is in addition to her veterinary diagnosis and treatment. 

I third the vet vote. There is something wrong with her if she is in obvious pain and having trouble jumping. A short term solution is the box or something stable she can use to get on the bed. However, if she is having trouble jumping/climbing that could indicate some sort of injury to her legs or back. Either of which it is probably better that she isn't jumping. So if you give her a way up it you should also be helping her down or make sure she is using the boxes etc to get down. 

As to the kitten you kept, definite vote for her and the kitten to be spayed/neutered. Hormones can be a huge boundary in cats getting along within a household. Male/female there is aggression when the female is in heat. Female/female can also have high aggression and see each other as competition. While you do have mom cats who get along great with their kittens there are just as many times that the mom cat wants absolutely nothing to do with her kittens once they are weaned. Getting them spayed/neutered will likely help them get along better and give them both a longer and healthier life.