So I adopted a cat from the humane shelter about one month ago. The cat had previously lived in an abusive home where her owner would throw her against the wall which caused some severe nerve damage in her back legs, causing her to limp and tumble quite often. When I adopted her, her movement was seriously impaired, but she has made great improvements since she's stayed at my home.
However, tonight, when I came in from a night out, I picked her up and noticed that she had feces all over her backside, caking over her anus and stuck in patches of fur on her tail; naturally, she smelled absolutely awful.
When I put her down, I also noticed that one of her legs is almost completely immobile. She's been pulling herself along with carpet on her front paws since I got here, and when she stands up on her back leg she quickly falls down. Mostly, she holds this useless leg out in front of her as she crawls.
I have no idea what I should do. Is this normal, or is this an emergency?
2007-07-19 15:29:30 · 10 answers · asked by chuckopolis_empire 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
My dad's cat was like this after it was hit by a car...he poured a LOT of money into vet's bills. It lived a sad life for a couple years...maybe it is time for this cat's sad life to end.
So sorry!
2007-07-19 15:34:10 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am not an expert but I have seen this before with a cat we used to keep at the vet with us... where I worked. It was important for the DVM to know her condition when she got that way. So I am guessing to make an appointment ASAP... but definately clean up her hind end a bit.. a spray bottle with mild soap and warm water will help and try to get her comfy tonight in a closed in space where her litter box and food is on either side of her. Keep her warm too. If she seems to get worse within a few hours call the 24 hour emergency. That is my advice and opinion. I am sure there are better out there but incase not. I hope you cat feels better, It really takes a very kind person to take in an animal with pre-existing health problems. There should be more people like you!
2007-07-19 15:38:36 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I'm not sure if it is an emergency, if she's calm then trust her instinct on this. But soon as the vet opens I'd give them a call and ask for suggestions. They can't do a lot with nerve damage but they do deal with handicapped pets.
There are several bulletin boards online for owners of handicapped pets, try a google search on 'bulletin board handicapped cats' and see what comes up. Their experience can help you know what's normal and what's requiring attention.
2007-07-20 15:58:15 · answer #3 · answered by Elaine M 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am sorry to say that your cat needs to go to the vet, and be put to sleep. We took in a stray, and found it a home. On the way to its new house it had the same symptoms as you described.
I ended up taking the cat to a local vet, where they had to put the cat to sleep. When they get this bad, there is nothing else the vet can do. I cried when they put the cat down. I am so sorry this happened to you. It took some time before we could rescue another cat. But we are back doing it again.
2007-07-19 15:44:35 · answer #4 · answered by Greek Goddess 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is an emergency. Get her to the vet as quickly as you can.
She probably has a blood clot blocking circulation to her hind legs. If only one hind leg is affected she may recover with medication and proper care, but she has to get to a vet.
If it isn't painful to her now, it soon will be. I've seen cats with this condition be brought in screaming.
2007-07-19 16:02:25 · answer #5 · answered by Kayty 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like an emergency to me! Thank you for adopting her even though she has nerve damage. I hope the person who had her rots in jail, better yet, a dungeon. Sorry. Anyway, she sounds like she's having a really hard time, like she needs some meds or medical attention. Please get her in ASAP so they can run the appropriate tests and examine her.
Good luck!
2007-07-19 15:35:44 · answer #6 · answered by Malia 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
A sudden change like this is definitely cause for concern. Take her to the vet immediately. Hopefully it will be something simple to fix, but if the cat wasn't like that when you got her, something has changed and needs attention.
2007-07-19 15:32:57 · answer #7 · answered by L H 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
1
2017-02-17 20:58:39 · answer #8 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is unfortunate that some people treat animals in this way. Obviously the cat is in pain, more than we can imagine, the problems you describe appear permanent therefore my recommendation, unfortunately is to put the cat to sleep, this is the most humane thing that you could for the cat now.
2007-07-19 15:38:37 · answer #9 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is very sad. If I were you I would monitor the situation for the rest of the day and call a vet for advice if things don't improve in a day. How can anybody be mean to animals...
2007-07-19 15:32:39 · answer #10 · answered by jxt299 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋