It doesn’t happen all the time but before he jumps up to his two main places where he sleeps, he growls. He growls as he prepares to jump. In other words he makes this vocalisation when his hind legs are tensed and slightly contracted and he is leaning back looking up at the target above.
It has just dawned on me this morning what might be happening. I would like some input, if possible. I think he may have a bit of arthritis and when he puts pressure on the joints of his hind legs in preparation to jump he feels a twinge of pain which is vocalised in a growl just as a human would make a similar sound if she were to suffer a short-sharp pain.
I don’t know his age but is not young (he is a rescue cat). He’s probably about 13 years of age at a guess. On occasions, he has been overweight but not by much. It’s been a bit of a struggle to keep his weight off. This is because he is more static because of his age and because moving is harder for him. The extra weight on occasions would have added to the difficulty of moving particularly when you combine that with only having 3 legs.
It may be the case that in compensating for only having three legs, he has put extra pressure on his rear legs. He has certainly modified the way he jumps down. When he jumps down he twists in the air landing on three legs simultaneously. The stump of his right leg also contacts the ground when he jumps down. Because it is difficult for him to jump down, even from a relatively small height, I sometimes carry him to the kitchen to feed him. Anyway, it gives me a chance to cuddle and kiss him, which he enjoys.
Anyway, back to the growling. I think in this instance growling is vocalising the sensation of pain. I have not done any research before writing this short post but it makes sense to me. When he growls, it is exactly the same as if he was growling at another cat which made me initially think he was involved in some sort of territorial problem but none existed.
I then noticed that he only did it when about to jump up; hence my assessment. What do you think?
P.S. I have a pain in my left shoulder. Any ideas? 😉
I’m not sure Charlie would need the vitamin C unless something is very, very seriously wrong. Animals make their own vitamin C. They aren’t deficient in it the way we often are, since we can’t make our own.
I hope Charlie will be ok, Michael. He’s such a special boy, and he looks just like Monty!
I thought of pain Michael tbh especially as he has to compensate for his missing leg. I hope you get him sorted and happy again whatever is wrong
Thanks Leah. He is still growling and he has a slight recurrence of his nasal infection as well – may be cancer. I am quite concerned about him.
Get him looked at Michael it doesnt sound good 🙁
Sounds like a vets trip is in order 🙁 I hope he’s soon Ok, it’s very worrying for you
Yes, I am waiting and watching.
Oh Michael no good me saying don’t worry of course you will because you love him. I feel a trip to the vets coming on please let us know how he gets on.
I will call the vet today to see if another course of antibiotics might help it may require another visit.
The health specialists say exercise mitigates arthritis. These are the same fiends who tell you not to eat sugar. Like Ruth, I keep a safe distance from M.D.s. But if this is arthritis in my knees, it came on quickly and is a constant burning pain worsened by prolonged activity.
Charlie likely has arthritis. While they must be for sale in pet stores for a nominal fee, a cleated ramp would work for him. It’s mystifying how he can walk at all without toppling over. Poor old chap, must have gotten struck by a car at one time or another.
In any event, my mother shared her bed with four Chihuahuas the size of squirrels, and my father built them a wooden ramp with horizontal half-inch-wide slats to provide traction. This should work for C., though it’s easier and likely less costly just to buy one.
Thanks Sylvia, I will go in search of a ramp or stairs next week. We have a big pet store not far from me. I’ll start there. In the UK these are specialist items. I could make one but am too busy running this website 😉
Hope you can find some respite from your arthritis.
A ramp is not going to alleviate his pain, although it is certainly a good solution to the problem of getting to those high places where he wants to be. Something else is going on with him, which you already know. If you can alleviate his pain without steroids, assuming that it is pain, which it is, then try the Glucosamine, the Chondroitin w/the vitamin C, correct dosage, give him some books (I use cookbooks for the bottom, progressively making them smaller, maybe some hardbound chemistry in the middle, with the Philosophy and non-stoic, compassionate hardbound fiction writers on top. These make good steps for my Lucky, who passed away at twenty years of age, in pain.
He also likes me to carry him in a different way. He likes his legs tucked up rather than hanging down.
Well, that is interesting, isn’t it. How do you sleep, Michael? Do you also tuck in your knees? (I remember that you said you move your legs quite a bit in your sleep.)
Not sure how I sleep because I’m asleep 😉
Do u get Restless Legs Michael cause i get that its horrible.
No I don’t thank God. I just have restless kitty syndrome 😉 (Charlie moving around on the bed at night)!
Thats good then 🙂
Bigfoot was visibly grateful for his stairs. He gave up jumping at all as a result of getting them, which I think speaks volumes about how he is feeling in his hind legs. Don’t be discouraged if you cannot find anything you can “name” that is going on with him (unless you can). The fact that you can see the change in him, and that he needs something, will go a long way in making his geriatric years as comfy as is possible. It is never easy, but I do hope it goes easy for both of you. I mean, his geriatrics, not yours! Lol
Thanks DW for this advice. I wondered how old he was but knew was around 12+ and now that there are signs of old age he is at least 13 I think. He could well be 15+. He has a changed appearance. He looks older to when I first adopted him which is now 5 years ago and I can hardly believe it is 5 years since my mother died.
Charlie, you little dear! (You’re an angel, by the way.)
Yes, Michael, Charlie, you know it well. Any growl from a cat that has trusted you implictly after losing his first caretaker, in this case, your Mother, will respond in growls when subjected to the pain of arthritis and the fact that he is a mite obese, when taking on the pressure of three legs. He is still compensating for the strong shoulders developed from that loss, as you know. He is arthritic. He is in pain. Glucosamine chondroitin w/vit C should help immensely. Just make sure that you get the dose right by his weight. and I am certain that you have already done this for his pain. You can use human dosages by weight to measure what he needs. The Vitamin C is important. He’s not on steroids, is he?
Sorry, last comment. If he is growling a bit instead of purring, then you know very well how intense the pain must be.
My best source, besides Cornell is this:
http://www.vetinfo.com/treating-cat-arthritis.html#b
If you both are not already supplementing your diet with Glucosamine and chondroitin, along with a bit of Vitamin C, please do. Ratios by your weight across the board [species] seem to be good (This is the method that I use, for myself and for Shrimp).
Thanks Cal.
He is not on steroids. This is the first sign that he might have arthritis. His weight at the moment is pretty good. Thanks Cal.