I'm worried: Ferris can't stand up straight

I just noticed this tonight - his rear feet aren't straight like Ginger's. He seems to walk on his rear toes ok, like all cats do, but the foot through the heel seems curved. He seems to walk fairly normally on all 4 paws.

He runs fine, too, but has spent so much time over the last couple of weeks in a defensive crouch that I hadn't noticed it before. He's just starting to walk with his tail in the air instead of between his legs. Less than 2 weeks since the night I brought him home, biting and scratching me - he's such a little trooper!

I took out a wand toy and got him to play with it so I could see if he could stand up on his rear legs, and to my disappointment, he could only manage it for a second or two before wobbling and falling over.

There's something wrong. His haunches aren't as developed as they should be by now, at 4 months old. I'm assuming he may have some nutritional deficiencies. He was too feral for the first vet to do much of a body check, I guess, and he was definitely too freaked out for my vet to have given him much of a go over. I assume this would have been caught sooner in a domestic kitten. Poor Ferris - I hope it isn't anything he can't live with!

I'm calling the vet in the morning, and will make an appointment for Saturday. It's going to set my relationship with Ferris back a ways again - he's just now getting over the indignity of me having trimmed the poop off his bum the other day. But we'll be fine - I'm sure he'll forgive me after I feed him a few more times.

Anyone else ever have or foster a kitty that had weak rear legs and trouble standing up on them? If so, what were the causes? Genetic deformity? Infection? Neurological issues? Again, I'm vetting him, and maybe they'll need to x-ray, whatever it takes. But in the meantime, if any of you have experience with something like this, I'd appreciate hearing about it. Thanks!

I am no expert, by any means, but though it is not common in a cat so young, and I am fresh on the diabetes thing (so maybe too quick to assume), diabetes can cause neuropathy/weakness in the hind legs, so maybe have his blood glucose levels checked? Food high in carbs can raise the BG (blood glucose) very high, very fast. If you by chance have a friend or family member who is diabetic, you can use their blood glucose meter to test your kittys BG by pricking his ear (between the vein and outer edge) to see if it is in normal range (50's-120) Unfortunately that is all the advice I have to offer. I wish I could be of more help. I hope everything works out ok for your sweet little guy! <3

Thank you for the tip. I just called the vets office and made an appointment - can't get him in until the 26th, though, as that's the first available date with the female vet. Ferris doesn't like men, so I want to stress him as little as possible taking him in. It isn't an emergency situation, as he's eating and drinking and playing and walking and using the litter box just fine. It's only when he goes up onto his back paws that he has the issue.

I mentioned the possibility of diabetes to them, and they said it is possible although very rare for one so young. So we'll check him for that just to be sure. He does not seem to drink unusual amounts of water, if anything, he eats more than he should, but he runs around so much I haven't been worried about him burning it off.

I'm more suspicious that it could be a birth defect caused by the feral momcat having had poor nutrition in her pregnancy, along with potential inbreeding within the colony as well.

A friend of mine once had a feral kitten that she rescued from her back porch at 8 weeks old, and he couldn't walk on his rear paws at all, only on his heels like a bunny. As he grew, only his left rear leg developed, and his right rear leg was shriveled. He had no use of his rear paws at all, but could run like the wind, albeit with a funny bunny hop movement.

I see small similarities with Ferris going down onto his heels rather than stand on all fours, but again, it looks like his rear feet are slightly curved. I just hope we can determine what it is at the vet's. I'm hoping it's nothing more than a deformity that he can live with.

Just a thought, and I am no expert, but your description of the curved rather than straight leg bones put me in mind of the bowed legs of rickets in humans - I looked it up and sure enough cats can get rickets if they have had a poor nutritional start in life (which sounds as if it could be relevant to your lad), generally caused by calcium deficiency in cats as they don't generally need much vitamin D, although that can be a factor.

Definitely something to discuss with the vet, it could be that supplements would help. Of course it could be something else entirely, this is just something that occurred to me.

Rickets is a VERY good possibility, and it would never have occurred to me - I'm researching it now, and that does look like it could be the case, and would make sense if all he'd had to eat was mice and the like for his first two months of life.

He's eating good food now, mostly Nutro, and should have the right amount of nutrients, but I will discuss it with the vet when I bring him in. If that is what the problem is, it should be correctable, as his bones have not yet finished growing.

I thank you!

Good thoughts for Ferris being sent your way..........it'll all work out. We have to think positive!

In a way I hope it is that, rather than something else, because as you say he still has a lot of growing to do and plenty of time for good nutrition to strengthen his bones. I am quite good on human nutrition and nutritional disorders, and it was just the first thing that occurred to me given your description and info about his background. I hope that I may have helped in some way!

I have to ask - is it possible that eating too much could cause this as well? He is a piglet. I've always free fed Ginger, she eats like a bird, but he's a total piglet and eats out of her dish as well as his, and eats at least twice as much at a time than she does.

I'm wondering if I start measuring out the dry food, will he eat her share as well and then she'll go hungry? I don't want to have her go without because he's a glutton.

Now I'm confused as to what to do with the food situation...arrgh.

Just found this in my research: http://www.oldandsold.com/articles02/cats4.shtml

This sentence ticks me off: All kittens need help in building their bony structure, else they may get the rickets, and a rickety kitten never makes a fine cat.

What the heck!

Originally Posted by GingersMom

I have to ask - is it possible that eating too much could cause this as well? He is a piglet. I've always free fed Ginger, she eats like a bird, but he's a total piglet and eats out of her dish as well as his, and eats at least twice as much at a time than she does.

I'm wondering if I start measuring out the dry food, will he eat her share as well and then she'll go hungry? I don't want to have her go without because he's a glutton.

Now I'm confused as to what to do with the food situation...arrgh.

Just found this in my research: http://www.oldandsold.com/articles02/cats4.shtml

This sentence ticks me off: All kittens need help in building their bony structure, else they may get the rickets, and a rickety kitten never makes a fine cat.

What the heck!

Click to expand...

Ugh, that quote is terrible! *slaps whoever wrote it* A jerk never makes for a fine writer! lol

I hope you get some good news from the vet! <3