Conference misery::feline

1071.0. "A suddenly listless kitty - apparent back / leg pain" by KERNEL::COFFEYJ (La Feline Flooz - a unix cat) Thu May 01 1997 04:57

Knuffie the tank kitten, terrorist, into everything thugette and 
complete love bug of a kitten has a problem.  

I let them all out the front last night and when I noticed Belle had taken to the 
opposite side of the road (it's sunnier) I called them in and let them out the back 
instead. 

Lucy was a bit sick (bolted some ocean stick) and so I fussed her, by 
10ish Twinks was in but Knuffs was apparently still out and it was cold
so I shut the back door and called her in, she didn't come. 
After repeated calling at 2am I concluded she was off partying or there 
was nothing I could do.  Before I went to bed I went to the loo and there's 
Knuffie just lying on the floor.  Not unusual until she doesn't get up, 
doesn't even look at me!  I'd checked inside earlier so she must've been hiding 
under the bath. 

I picked her up and she just flopped in my arms, not like she normally does
though - this was limper rather than relaxed.  I lay her on the bed and 
she just lay there, I started to gently stroke her to try to see whether
there appeared to be anything wrong - she strained and sat up stepped of the 
bed and slunk under it.   

This is the cat who *every night* plays bed mice with me and tucks me in 
with a night time cuddle then attacks my head at 6am !!!

I got her out again and checked her mouth/skin colour paleish but not bad, 
her eyes, a bit dilated and she herself didn't seem to be in them but 
not too bad, checked paws - scruffy claws but none damaged and no 
noticable thorns or cuts.   Her coat had something yuky on it, not much 
just enough to make the fur slightly stuck together in a couple of 
places, I think it was from hiding under the bath.  Front legs, head, 
neck and shoulders seemed fine.  When I got to lower spine and back 
legs the tail thrashing got severe though so i took it easy, both 
legs seemed to straighten properly when I ran finger and thumb along
the tendon at the back, the tail-o-meter didn't register any greater
pain so knees are probably ok.   She then limped off upstairs to the 
attic room, she was decidedly dragging her left back leg which 
was worrying. I had horrible images of her  climbing under allthe 
boxes in there and dying in the dark so I dragged her out and shut the 
door.  Back downstairs I finished a look at her back legs and she 
actually braced them a little against my hand whilst lying down 
they felt very weak compared to normal but at least she did join in 
flexing them. 

She loves travel cages so I opened the one that was around and tucked it in a dark
corner and encouraged her into it - nice space free from Lucy and Belle - who 
were  of course ignoring her!

Having woken up and remembered terrified the idea that she might've been 
even worse than I thought I found her, lying around got up and dressed, 
rang work and just headed off for the vets.  As usual while driving along 
she was pawing at my hand, except when I put my fingers in with her this 
time she nuzzled loads rather than her usual chewwing/attacking. 

The vet was great and saw her reasonably quickly. She reckons Knuffie 
was probably hit by a car, either that or attacked. I saw her with the 
nearest other cat Johnie the ginger tom earlier, he's a wuss, a gentle 
softie and very very unlikely to have hurt her, more likely if she was attacked
is that it was the West Highland terriers up the other way, but I 
expect they would have done more noticable damage. 

Although I live in a residential, short, children and pet filled 
dead end road in town there are a bunch of complete lowlives who 
drive up it like it's brands hatch, to park up to get to the kebab shop 
I assume.  Either way their engines are clearly full of more brain 
cells than their heads are.  The only other possibility is git-child
over the road who's been caught throwing stones at the cats before 
but has left me alone good and proper since I fronted him out - he's 
only about 10 a latchkey kid and his mum works as a child minder, he's 
smashed windows on the old lady up the streets place a few years back 
and I don't trust him 1 bit.  However the other 10 or so kids who 
live in the street love Lucy, Belle, Knuffie and Johnnie so I don't 
think the little horror would have got away with hurting Knuffs 
without one of the others knowing and telling on him. 

So now she's had anti-inflamatories and antibiotics in a jab which     
she cried her little paws off over, (not quite as much as when the 
vet was examining her back end though) - and this from a cat who 
normally silent miauws... and is to be checked again saturday morning, 
if not before if I notice any other symptoms. 

So she's at home  now, and I'm going to try take this afternoon and 
tomorrow off to watch over her... I know there's not much I can do but
I feel wrong being here... I should be around just in case. 

As always suggestions/comments/possible ways of helping her 
I might not have e thought of joyously received. 


oh adn Happy Beltane. 


Jo. 

and belle and lucy and a silent knuf. 

    Jo...as I was reading your note the first thought that came
    into mind was she had been hit by a car.   The dilated pupils
    could have meant she was in a semi shock.    Did the vet take
    X-rays to ensure that nothing was broken???
    
    I've rescued  a stray that was hit by a car and had broken his
    pelvis in two places.  He could walk a bit...but his back end
    was real low to the ground and his leg was crocked.   All it 
    took was ALOT of rest, keeping him confined to a cage for 6 
    weeks, and alot of love...and he completely recuperated!!
    
    Good luck...and please keep us posted.
    
    Sandy

    Jo -
    
    So sorry to hear about poor Knuffie.  It's so difficult when one of our
    'kids' isn't feeling well and can't tell us exactly where it hurts or
    what happened.   But you did the right thing and I'm sure that she'll
    be fine.
    
    Best wishes from me and kitty-hugs from Zachary, Romeo & Juliette.
    
    Gita

    So sorry; I hope he feels better. Do keep us posted.
    
    Deb

    
    Poor Knuffs 8^(.  Please do let us know how she's doing.
    

Jo,

How's Knuffie doing??  I hope she's O.K.

Laura    

    Poor Knuffie.  I was saying to myself, "this kitty was hit by
    a car" as I was just part way thru your message.  Did the vet
    do xrays?   Please let us know what's happening, thanks.
    

Right, update time - I would have sooner but I was being no use in the 
office so went home Thursday afternoon and planned to stay home Friday. 
Yesterday was a bank holiday. 

Knuffie and I sat (well, lay) up watching the election results 'til 6am 
surviving on sheer adrenelin from the joyous events in my case, on 
complete and utter inactivity and the occasional kitbit's in Knuffs. 

Most of Friday we spent lying in bed together purring and sleeping. 
I noticed she didn't like the stairs so justified staying at home 
by putting some more food downstairs.

Saturday morning she'd been walking around a bit and would  look at me
and seemed happier, we checked out the vets and she gave her another 
antibio and anti-inflamatory.  She still squealed at having her            
legs examined but wasn't quite as listless. The vet reckons no 
fractures, the more I think of it I heard a heavy scrabbling about
9/9:30ish that night, could well have been Knuffie falling off the 
fence a couple of gardens down - it's about 7' - not tall enough 
to  right herself properly if she did.  Vet agrees that's possible. 

Her hip still clicks slightly and guess what. 

The vet noticed her knee caps dislocate (see previous strings of 
notes from me  about Belle).  Still - not a level in need of 
operation ....   I'm really starting to wonder if it's to do 
with sitting in the sink with their legs at funny angles so 
they can drink from the tap... 

Sunday evening Knuffs was feeling quite a bit better. 
I discovered this when I went to bed and she went and found 
her little fluffy fur mouse and proceeded to throw it around 
all over the bed and attack it - with *both* legs!

That's a recovery happening. 

So now it's antibiotics twice a day and keep an eye out for the 
big hissy black cat that's appeared in our garden suddenly in the 
last couple of days - can't help wondering his involvement in 
Knuffies injuries - she turned into a bog brush when she 
saw him! almost as fluffy looking as lucy!!!!!!!

So it's a checkup for Belle for her ear mites Tuesday, 
and at the same another check for Knuffs, then next 
Tuesday Boy is in to be done.  I swear I'm getting pretty 
intimate with the vets up there. 


Jo.