Why is my cat acting strange and not using her front legs to walk?

Hi and thanks for posting. Oh dear, I'm sorry to hear this. It is very hard to say exactly what is going on without examining Kitty first. Kitty may have endured some trauma to her bones or ligaments or perhaps internal organ damage. If she is laying down more frequently and had or is current experiencing trouble walking, she is likely in some pain/discomfort and my best advice would be to take her to see a veterinarian as soon as possible for an exam, x-rays and/or blood work to get a definitive diagnosis. Many veterinary hospitals have financing available through CareCredit which you can apply to to help afford veterinary bills. I have included the website to Care Credit below. https://www.carecredit.com/vetmed

If your cat is suddenly very weak, disoriented and unable to walk normally it is best to seek veterinary care at your vet or an ER clinic immediately. It is possible there is an injury, neruologic or muscular issue, illness, or other underlying problem that should be seen ASAP especially if it is causing disorientation and weakness.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If you think Tinkerbell is having back leg problems and she appears to be in pain, I am concerned that this could be what we call a Saddle Thrombus. This is a condition in which a clot breaks free and travels through the aorta down to the saddle (where the femoral arteries branch off of the aorta). This causes paralysis and severe pain. This is typically related to heart disease. I would recommend having Tinkerbell examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! These are general signs that can be seen with a lot of conditions. It could be due to a neurologic condition or perhaps an orthopedic condition causing some kind of pain or discomfort. If this continues, I recommend you have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to start with a good physical examination and possibly diagnostics to get to the bottom of this so that therapy if any can be started. Have a great day!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm very sorry to hear that Alfie's back legs stopped working acutely. This is really concerning, and I would have him evaluated by a veterinarian right away. This could be due to some sort of trauma/injury, like to his back/spine. It could also be a neurologic problem. It is also possible for cats to get something called an aortic thromboembolism (ATE), which means a blood clot gets lodged in their aorta (the body's major artery) right where the vessels to the hind legs branch off. This is also called a saddle thrombus, and results in acute loss of blood supply to the hind legs, which is extremely painful. Regardless of why Alfie has stopped using his hind legs, I recommend having him examined by a veterinarian as soon as possible. Your veterinarian can try to localize the issue and decide what treatment is best. I hope this is helpful!

This is an emergency, as your cat could be suffering from a riding thrombus, which is a blood clot that keeps blood flowing from the aorta into the femoral arteries. This is a very painful and life threatening condition. She could also have been a victim of a traffic accident hurting her spinal cord. Please take her to a veterinarian or an emergency room right away. The vet will want to do radiographs and a blood test and your kitty will need treatment depending on the diagnosis today.

Monti have had a saddle thrombus which is a blood clot that cuts off circulation to the hind limbs and is usually very painful and not curable, even with heroics at an emergency veterinary hospital. Another possibility is trauma to the spine which is also usually not curable if the hind limbs are not moving/cold. I recommend bringing her to your veterinarian for an assessment and a discussion re: endpoints for humane euthanasia.