The kitten is stretching. Diagnosis of the causes of limb dysfunction in cats

There is an opinion that cats, unlike dogs, do not become attached to people and always remain animals that go where they please and walk on their own. As a rule, this view is held by people whose knowledge about cats is based on common stereotypes, and not on communication with a real, living, furry pet. Anyone in whose home an animal is not a piece of furniture, but a friend and companion, will confirm that a cat feels no less love for its owner than a dog. She just expresses her feelings differently, not so noisily and openly.

Of course, if the cat and the owner are united by a long history that began at the moment of the purr’s birth, the person becomes the animal’s second mother, the most beloved creature and the only “bestower of benefits.” In general, if you raised a kitten yourself, its affection is practically guaranteed. Achieving the love of an adult cat is more difficult, but also possible.

Simple signs that you are not only a provider for a pet, but also a beloved owner

Any cat feels affection for its owner, but expresses it in its own way.

There are several people in the family, but...
The animal rubs its head against your face, legs or arms. This is not only a sign of affection, but also a unique way for the cat to mark you with its scent.
Looking into your eyes, the pet slowly opens and closes its own. Experiment: look at your cat and blink your eyes slowly and pointedly. If she has good feelings towards you, she will blink back. For cats, this gesture is a sign of friendliness; she does not want to compete with you and does not hold a grudge.
When you open the front door, your cat runs towards you as fast as he can. Of course, he is most interested in the “goodies” that you could bring, but the very fact of the owner’s return pleases the pet.
The cat tries to be closer to you, climbs into your arms, meows to attract attention, and follows you around the rooms. She purrs and falls belly up when you look at her, readily offering her ears and neck for you to scratch.
The cat is ready to endure even troubles from you - bathing, checking with a veterinarian. If your relationship with the animal is not affected by such incidents, his love is unconditional.

What to do if your cat doesn't like you

Alas, it often happens that cats do not respond with kind feelings to a person who sincerely adores them and avoid him. And vice versa, they are just affectionate towards some people. To bond with a stubborn pet, you need to figure out what kind of people cats like.

According to cat etiquette, any sudden movements, like staring, should be regarded as a threat. Therefore, purrs prefer calm people with soft, smooth movements and a quiet voice. If your cat is avoiding you, think about what you are doing wrong. Perhaps you look into the eyes of an animal, but it regards this as a challenge and simply avoids? Or are you making too many movements, waving your arms, beckoning her? For an animal, you are a not entirely understandable creature with unpredictable actions; he is calmer when you move smoothly and slowly.
The cat does not like to be suddenly grabbed, so it often dislikes ill-mannered children (and some adults, who are also ill-mannered). Respect your furry friend and he will do the same to you.
Cats love people with a high-pitched voice because it is closer to that of a cat. You just have to come to terms with this factor, since you cannot change the timbre of your voice.
These animals have a good memory, so people who like to “get even” on their pet for their own failures at work or in their personal life should not expect his affection. A cat will remember an undeserved insult for a long time.
And of course, the cat tribe especially values those who show love to them. And love is, first of all, caring. Taking care of your pet, feeding it, stroking and caressing it, arranging a “house” for it and cozy corners for sleeping - all this will set the cat up to the fact that you are its best friend and protector.

Unfortunately, the well-known myth that cats love only good people and do not like villains is not confirmed by anything, so it will not be possible to test guests for good and evil with the help of a cat. There is a good side to this: if cats avoid you, this does not mean that you are an inveterate scoundrel, you just need to learn to communicate with them in their language.

Many cat owners constantly ask questions like “why does the cat do this?”, “why does she do this?”, “how can we explain the behavior of the pet?”, “what is hidden behind such actions of the animal?” In fact, your beloved kitty has so many different “obscure” habits! But you were sure earlier that you had thoroughly studied the animal and all actions were predictable and understandable! Oh, how wrong you were!

So, let's begin to reveal the secrets of cat behavior:

1.Why does a cat lick your hair and face?

The very first impression a kitten receives from its mother cat is the licking of the fur with its tongue and the process of washing itself. For a child, this is a vivid example of care, a form of behavior for expressing his feelings. Therefore, if a cat tries to lick you, know that this is an expression of love and devotion to your person.

2. Why does a cat, lying on your chest or knees, move its paws and “trample” on you?

This behavior again goes back to childhood. The baby, sucking mother's milk, massages the cat's belly with its paws, thus stimulating a more abundant flow of milk. An adult cat expresses the highest degree of satisfaction and delight with this behavior.

3. Why do cats, in the overwhelming majority, go into the arms or settle on the laps of those who don’t particularly like them?

When one cat tries to scare another, it arches its back in an arc, raises its fur and hisses intimidatingly. If a person does not really like cats, he tries not to attract the animal’s undue attention with his calm behavior. And the animal perceives such human behavior as a sign of favor. It is easy to notice that cats are usually more friendly towards those family members who behave calmly and do not try to grab the cat in their hands or force it to do something without its desire.

4.Why does a cat sometimes hit its head on a person?

You can often notice how our furry pet comes up to us and hits his head on his legs, as if “butting.” With this behavior, a cat shows its affection for a person.

5. Why do cats rub against their legs, furniture, doors and other objects?

Cats and male cats have special glands on the tail, on the whisker pinches (pads), on the lips, on the tongue, near the genitals and between the front legs on the chest. With the help of these glands, cats mark their territory. When an animal rubs against your leg, it is saying that you are its property. For this very reason, the animal also rubs against other objects in the house.

6. Why does a cat, passing by another, slow down its speed?

All animals of the cat family distribute territory among themselves depending on their position in. Any violation of this system leads to conflict. Consequently, if a cat simply wants to pass by, he tries to slow down, as if showing that he is the owner of this territory. If the animal does not look at the owner of the neighboring plot at all, then in this case it demonstrates complete confidence in itself and its abilities, informing the opponent that he does not even need to look at him - he is not worthy of even a glance.

7. Why does a cat, when it buries its feces, also “dig” outside the box?

This is due to the innate tendency of cats to cleanliness. The animal is simply trying not to get its paws dirty. The thought that her actions are ineffective does not occur to her.

8.Why do cats purr?

A mother cat purrs to show her babies that she is nearby. Kids respond in kind when everything is fine. Young animals purr to each other, inviting them to play. An adult cat purrs, showing that she is in an excellent mood and is not encroaching on someone else's territory. Purring also has a healing effect: cats often purr when they are in pain, thereby trying to help the body cope with the disease. This is why people apply a purring cat to a sore spot.

9.Why does a cat periodically scratch the floor or “bury” a bowl of food?

This happens for two reasons: the cat tries to hide food “in reserve” or shows you that she doesn’t like the food.

10.Why do cats attack their legs and bite them?

Kitten games always include elements of ambush, surprise attacks and jumping. It's from nature.

11. Why might some people be allergic to animal dander?

Correctly speaking, allergies are caused not by the fur itself, but by the FEL D1 protein, which is contained in the cat’s saliva. When an animal licks itself, it transfers saliva to the fur, after which the fur and saliva end up on furniture and other interior items. Different cats produce different amounts of protein. It should be remembered that cats are less allergenic than cats. There are two known methods for preventing such allergies - bathing the animal, when the substances are washed off from the fur (it is not recommended to bathe the cat often), or wiping the cat's fur with a special soft cloth.

12.Why does a cat turn its back to you if you don’t pay any attention to it for a long time?

Cats, like other animals, are able to distinguish visual signals from your body, and in the case when you do not show signs of aggressive behavior, or calmly move away from its field of vision, the animal loses all interest in you and turns away.

13.Why do cats bring you strangled mice?

At least four theories are known:

a) The cat gives you a gift as a sign of its love or because you feed it.

b) The cat considers you an unlucky hunter and tries to teach you how to hunt.

c) The cat carries the caught prey to a safe, convenient place, where it can later eat it.

d) The cat, in its own way, tries to feed you and not let you die of hunger.

14. Why do cats often “hide” their toys in dishes with food or water?

Animals consider the territory in which they feed to be their property. Consequently, they try to drag all their toys to a safe place, from their point of view, onto their territory. Often this ends up being their bowl.

15. Why do cats like to bite the skin without hurting and hold it there for a few seconds?

This is a kind of cat kiss.

16.Why do cats lick photographs and plastic bags?

In this way, they “taste” a smell that humans cannot sense, but animals do.

17.Why does a cat “wince” when it sniffs something that particularly interests it?

If a cat raises its upper lip and “wrinkles,” this means that it wants to inhale the aroma that interests it more deeply so that it reaches the so-called aroma located in the cat’s mouth.

18.Why do cats scratch the glass on the windows?

They check whether a glass barrier exists or is missing.

19.Why don’t cats like to bathe?

Under natural conditions, most cats are calm about water, and some breeds can even fish (). But when an animal is forcibly restrained by hand and dipped into a container of water, from his point of view, this does not really resemble voluntary “fishing”, which causes natural indignation.

20.Why do cats like to drink running tap water?

Cats, like all animals, prefer fresh food and water. From their point of view, running water looks fresher, so water flowing from a tap is much more attractive to them than water poured into a bowl. For the same reason, cats love to drink from large containers.

21.Why do cats hide when they are sick or feel unwell?

Instinct tells the animal that when it is weak, it is easy prey for a predator, therefore, during periods of illness, animals try to escape from possible dangers.

22.Why do cats spend so much time and diligently licking their fur?

For cats, the process of licking is also a way of maintaining their mental balance. When a cat licks itself frequently, it means that it is irritated and wants to calm down as quickly as possible.

23.Why do cats often “interject” into a telephone conversation?

When a cat hears you talking to someone and doesn't see anyone else, it tends to think you're talking to it, so it starts to "talk" to you.

24.Why do cats scratch wallpaper and upholstered furniture?

It is believed that cats wear down their claws in this way. However, even if you offer the animal a lot, the cat will still happily take to the door frame or the corner of the sofa. This happens, among other reasons, because on the cat’s paws, between the toes, there are special glands with which the cat marks its home.

25.Why can a cat, if you pet it for a long time, suddenly scratch or bite?

If a person touches sensitive areas for a cat for a long time - the ears, nose, tail, the animal may make a sound that it is “overexcited”, but if the person does not stop, then the cat may bite or scratch.

26.Why does a cat drag food onto the floor and not eat it in a bowl?

Most cats don't like their whiskers touching dishes. In addition, in a narrow container, some of the food may be inaccessible to the tongue. For these reasons, cats prefer to eat from a wide, low plate, and ideally from the floor.

27.Why does a cat crouch when it notices a bird?

When a cat hunts for prey, it squats several times. With these movements the animal shows that an attack will soon follow. Another version is that this is how the animal demonstrates its dissatisfaction. When a cat is hunting for a bird in natural conditions, it is quiet and hardly noticeable. If the prey turns out to be unattainable, the animal makes such deceptive movements.

Those who have lived with cats for a long time note that many pets often experience a strange and unpleasant situation. Suddenly the animal sits down on its hind legs, begins to pull them, and thus constantly moves around the house. We’ll help you figure out what the problem is when a cat pulls its hind legs and how to help your pet cope with it.

Speaking from a theoretical point of view, stretching of the hind legs in cats can be directly associated with a number of disorders in the functioning of the limbs. In some cases, paws may be removed due to unsuccessful exposure to the external environment. For example, when a cat makes an incorrect and hard landing on its hind legs.

But this is far from the only reason. Thus, problems of internal organs can also cause limited ability to work in the lower extremities.

It is worth noting that with this disorder, the cat refuses to be stroked on the back and reacts aggressively to any touch to the lower part of the spine.

Diagnosis of the disease

If a cat's hind legs have failed, the first step to helping your pet is to consult a veterinarian. In most cases, the specialist prescribes a series of tests. Based on their results, it will already be possible to draw the first conclusions about the causes of failures of the musculoskeletal system.

Below we will consider the main directions of possible diagnoses for a pet, when and why it pulls its hind legs.

Violation	Description	Methods of influence
Purulent endomedritis in cats	Other manifestations of the disease are the pet’s thirst and frequent urination. A weakened state, in rare cases, a swollen abdomen and atypical behavior of the cat, manifested in frequent meows and pain	This type of disease can only occur in cats. As a treatment, it is recommended to undergo surgery to remove the inflamed ovaries and uterus. To avoid relapses, drug treatment is not recommended.
Pinched sciatic nerve	Has no obvious symptoms. There is a manifestation of some restrictions in movements, where the animal almost constantly pulls its paws. The cat often lies with its hind legs stretched out and generally has a sickly appearance.	The treatment takes place under the strict supervision of an experienced doctor. Since often in this state cats become more fearful and refuse outside interventions.
Disruption of internal organs	Problems with the liver and kidneys (urolithiasis, kidney failure)	It is necessary to take an x-ray of the spine, donate blood and urine.
Changes in the body by age in cats	Loss of appetite, sleep disturbances and other age-related manifestations in cats	Seeing a doctor to relieve symptoms of illness

Treatment at home

Most doctors are against treating cats and kittens with cases of dragging their paws on an independent basis. At the same time, there are often known cases, especially in small kittens, when a simple home massage completely relieves the pet of the problem of weakness of the hind legs. At the first signs of action, when the kitten pulls its hind legs, the owners begin to knead and stroke its limbs every two to three hours every day. For a more visible and faster effect, if cats are overweight, it is sometimes recommended to put them on a diet. Normalizing weight also contributes to the rapid recovery of pets.

At the same time, imitating the running movements of the hind limbs can also be an excellent treatment. It is also possible to use a kind of walker, where, with the support of fabric, the paws will walk on the floor and create additional stress.

Swimming for cats will be an effective remedy and an excellent physical activity. Since the tension of the front and hind legs occurs at the level of primary instincts.

Timely action to treat hind limb disease will help alleviate the pet’s condition and return it to a healthy appearance and good mood.

Hind limb failure is most often observed in middle-aged and older animals, but can also occur in young animals. In most cases, this is a sign of quite serious pathologies that can be fatal if ignored. The loss of support in the legs may not occur suddenly, but at first the owner most often does not notice that the pet is slightly dragging its paws or is reluctant to move. Therefore, in most cases, animal owners turn to the veterinarian with complaints of sudden failure of the hind limbs.

To quickly solve this problem, which definitely complicates the animal’s life, you need to understand the reasons that provoked the pathology. In most cases, with prompt treatment, the function of the hind legs can be restored, so it is necessary to know the factors that can cause this impairment of supporting ability.

Failure of the hind limbs is easy to notice, but there are cases when the animal prefers to lie down for several days and refuse to eat or drink. As a rule, the cat still gets up to go to the toilet. At this point, changes in gait can be seen. In the early stages, disorders may look like this:

an unsteady gait that looks like you've lost your balance;
severe wobbling of the back of the body;
the hind legs move apart;
after a few steps the cat sits down, doing this many times until the path is completed;
the animal drags its legs along the floor without lifting them off the ground.

Worsening usually occurs very quickly, but if the owner manages to contact a veterinary clinic at an early stage, then treatment will have a greater chance of success.

Causes

Dysfunctions leading to failure of the hind legs can be of different origins: viral, post-traumatic, orthopedic, associated with metabolic disorders in the body, etc.

Thromboembolism

A dangerous disease in which a blood clot formed in the circulatory system gets stuck in the femoral arteries. Since no blood flows to the legs, the deterioration occurs quickly, starting with a refusal of motor activity in the hind limbs and ending with death three to four days after the onset.

The onset of thromboembolism is accompanied by periodic shaking of the paws; the cat behaves restlessly, meows pitifully, and may bite or scratch when trying to touch the painful area. Paralysis develops quickly, the paws become cold, the animal refuses food and water. The chance of cure for thromboembolism is small, so it is important to seek help in the first hours after detecting paw failure.

Progressive vitamin deficiency

Kidney failure

This disease leads to failure of the entire genitourinary system, in which paralysis of the hind legs, decreased urine volume, lethargy, diarrhea and vomiting, and increased body temperature are observed.

Dysplasia

Dysplasia develops against the background of congenital abnormalities of the hip joint, increasing the likelihood of a fracture or dislocation. The picture is aggravated by the cat’s low physical activity, poor nutrition with a lot of protein and excess weight. After limb failure, the animal may move little around the home, sometimes missing the tray.

Cardiomyopathy

It occurs due to thickening of the walls of the heart and an increase in its volume. With cardiomyopathy, leg paralysis in cats is a fairly rare complication, but it should not be completely forgotten.

Paralysis of the limbs occurs because the heart is unable to supply them with the required amount of oxygen, and the muscles begin to atrophy. At the same time, shortness of breath, lethargy, and dry cough develop, and the animal sleeps more than expected.

Stroke

Failure to move a cat's limbs can cause a stroke. Impaired vascular patency is observed not only in old animals, but also with exhaustion or low mobility in young animals. During a stroke, the swallowing reflex is disrupted and the activity of the salivary glands increases. The owner rarely notices the attack itself, but its consequences - paralysis of the paws and other parts of the body - are easily detected. In this case, as in humans, the success of rehabilitation is directly related to how early it is started.

Spinal injury

This condition occurs after a cat falls from a certain height. In this case, it does not necessarily land on its back; it can even fall on its paws, but with a sharp landing it can damage the posterior part of the spinal cord.

After this, failure of the hind legs and tail occurs, and possibly a disruption of the innervation of individual internal organs.

Intervertebral hernia

An experienced veterinarian may be able to feel the disc bulging above the rest of the vertebrae, but those without experience are unlikely to be able to identify the affected area. A hernia leads to the fact that blood vessels and nerves are pinched, impulses stop flowing to the hind legs, and this provokes their failure. For normal paw activity, the cat's impulse patency must be restored.

Tick paralysis

This disease develops after an animal is bitten by an ixodid tick, so caring owners usually direct their attention to prevention: they treat the cat’s fur with special preparations before walking outside. Tick paralysis leads to damage to the nervous system, which manifests itself in the form of alternating periods of excitement and apathy. In this case, at the stage of leg failure, treatment is no longer effective, so help should be provided in the early stages.

Brain inflammation

This dangerous pathology is caused by infections of the nervous tissue, worms, the entry of toxins into the body, activation of autoimmune diseases, etc. In addition to failure of the hind legs, a number of symptoms appear: vomiting, diarrhea, fever, enuresis, dehydration.

With timely treatment, motor activity of the limbs is restored completely or partially.

Hyperparathyroidism

A special condition that occurs against the background of a deficiency of vitamin D and calcium and excess phosphorus, which negatively affects the thyroid gland. Due to the fact that a large amount of parathyroid hormone is produced, bone tissue deformation, convulsive syndrome, and paws begin to fail. The treatment takes a certain time, the hormonal levels are restored, which returns the cat freedom of movement.

Fracture or dislocation of the hind limbs

This can happen as a result of a fight, beating, blow, or unsuccessful jump. Sometimes cats get stuck in plastic windows and, trying to get out of the trap, cause additional damage to themselves.

At the same time, the animal may be hostile to attempts to probe the site of injury, and sometimes purrs loudly and lies next to its owners all the time. After a few days, the cat is usually able to stand on its feet, but the fracture is likely to heal incorrectly.

What to do

Before treatment begins, veterinarians prescribe a comprehensive treatment, since only by identifying the exact root cause can it be effectively dealt with. To identify pathology, the following examinations are performed:

neurological examination and identification of reflex activity in the paw area;
x-ray of the lower spine;
Ultrasound of the abdominal organs;
if an infectious nature is suspected - bacterial culture;
standard urine and blood tests;
MRI of the spine and head;
checking the sensitivity of the limbs.

These tests are never prescribed separately. Depending on the clinical picture, the veterinarian refers the animal to several of them in order to confirm or exclude the most likely diseases. There is no time to carry out long-term diagnostics in case of limb failure.

A veterinarian explains why a cat's back legs may fail: video

Once a specific pathology is determined, the specialist develops a treatment package. It may include the following techniques:

Surgical intervention. This is necessary for cardiomyopathy and spinal injuries. Such operations are carried out only in a hospital, where specialists monitor the cat’s condition for several days.
Most diseases are treated with medications in the form of injections, tablets, drops, gels, ointments, vitamins, etc.
Sometimes it is necessary to use orthopedic devices that help simulate walking. You can make them yourself or purchase ready-made goods.
In some cases, you cannot do without physiotherapy - acupuncture, myelostimulation, massages, etc.
At the time of treatment, the diet is important, which the veterinarian will tell you about.

It must be remembered that when the paws fail, not only the health, but also the life of the pet depends on the speed of the animal owner’s actions, so delay in this case is unacceptable.