Weakness in a cat's back legs is a clear sign that something is wrong. There are many reasons why this weakness can occur in the hind legs of animals and is often accompanied by other symptoms.
If you've come this far in your search for information, it's because you're concerned about your pet's health.
If so, we invite you to read the information we have compiled for you about hind leg failure in cats. In any case, always remember that a specialist’s opinion is necessary in this case. If you are concerned about your cat's health, we recommend that you take her to a veterinarian.
Facts about paw pads. What do cats do when their paws are touched?
Experts note that cats, like some other animals, can be right-handed or left-handed. According to statistics, more cats are right-handed. But left-handers are among cats. You can conduct one test at home. You should observe the animal and see which paw the pet reaches for the object.
Pads play an important role in the structure of a cat's body. With their help, cats:
- are able to feel the slightest vibration of the soil, which an ordinary person cannot feel;
- are able to walk around the house very quietly, as the pads soften the sound of jumping and steps;
- monitor thermoregulation; thanks to the pads, cats can avoid overheating on hot days;
- protect limbs from damage thanks to thick skin.
Note that cats have very sensitive pads on their paws. They have a lot of nerve endings. Therefore, when a person tries to touch the pads, the animal may feel uncomfortable.
Sometimes cats may use their pads to try to communicate with their owner. They may scratch furniture to mark their territory. The thing is that the odorous glands are located in the pads. With their help, cats mark their territory.
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What things do cats and cats not like?
Shipping
Representatives of the cat family prefer stability. Even a short trip can be very stressful for them. In order for your pet to feel good on the road, you should not feed it right before leaving.
Volume
Extraneous sounds can be very frightening for cats that are not yet accustomed to a noisy environment. Before carrying out a noisy event or cleaning with a vacuum cleaner, it is worth providing your pet with a quiet place where he will feel safe.
Treatment
Providing first aid to a pet in a timely manner can save its life.
If there is a fracture, the cat should be placed at rest and carefully transported in a carrier, taken to a veterinarian. After the examination, an x-ray is taken and the necessary medications are prescribed. In some cases, a cast is applied. If scratches and wounds occur or hair loss occurs in the tail area, sulfur ointment is used, which is sold at any pharmacy. It does not dry out the skin and promotes rapid healing.
The most common problem in domestic cats is worms. Anti-inflammatory agents and a proper diet with the addition of vitamins can help remove them, which will not only have a beneficial effect on health, but will make the coat smooth and silky.
Why do cats hide in dark places?
As cats age, they increasingly desire privacy; they are irritated by noise and bright lights, so they take refuge in dark places. ... If a cat’s behavior changes, it stops eating, sleeps a lot, doesn’t want to use the litter box, meows pitifully, hides in a dark place - this signals the onset of an illness.
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Probable Causes
Experts in the field of animal psychology identify several reasons why cats knead their paws. This ritual has the following explanations and theories:
- Memory of childhood. A newborn baby, feeding on mother's milk, kneads the mother's mammary glands with its paws. This massage stimulates milk production, which is important when the cat has more than one baby. At the same time, feeding itself causes positive emotions in the pet. Having matured, many kittens perceive their caring owners as their cat mother. Having transferred their pleasant childhood memories to humans, young animals settle down next to their beloved owner and begin to touch their paws.
- One of the reasons why cats paw is their natural instincts. Being once wild predators, animals carefully prepared places for rest and overnight: they trampled down hard grass, making the nest cozy and soft. In the wild, representatives of the cat family use grass and leaves to make a nest. To make your sleeping area comfortable and safe, it needs to be put in order. The most convenient way to do this is to crush objects with your paws.
The desire to equip one’s territory, a place to rest and sleep, is also characteristic of modern domestic couch potatoes. And although most pets live in comfortable conditions, nevertheless, they have not lost the ancient instinct of their wild ancestors. In addition, the cat often crushes soft objects with its paws, arranging a nest for birth and future offspring. Often this behavior is a sign of impending labor.
- Hunting instinct. Some experts believe that domestic cats knead a soft surface, obeying the ancient hunting instinct. Predators by nature, pets have not lost the ancient skills of this skill. Their wild counterparts, before jumping on the prey, crush the surface with their paws, testing it for stability and hardness. It is important for a predator that at a crucial moment a branch does not snap under its paw. Fluffy couch potatoes have not lost their natural instincts, but they do not always use them for their intended purpose.
- Territorial version. Some zoologists are inclined to believe that the reason why cats crush their owners' paws is their desire to mark their territory. There are specific glands on the pads of cats' paws, with the help of which they identify their possessions and territory.
Considering its beloved owner to be its property, the animal leaves its scent on his body, making it clear to other individuals that they can no longer have the right to the owner’s attention. Thus, the ritual serves as a kind of marker to mark one’s property and possessions.
- Psychological release. The psycho-emotional tension or stress accumulated by the pet requires release. Some animal psychologists, not without reason, believe that the reason why cats knead the blanket with their paws is self-soothing. At the same time, the animal practically disconnects from the outside world and focuses on its internal sensations. Monotonous paw movements and purring help calm the pet.
This point of view is supported by the fact that during the “milk step” the cat’s body produces endorphins - specific substances, hormones of happiness. They reduce anxiety and fear in pets.
- Other factors. Experienced breeders believe that the reason for the cat ritual is a high degree of trust and love for its owner. Many cat fans believe that animals perform such a ritual for a healing purpose - they treat their owner from various ailments, taking away negative energy.
Another reason why cats massage their paws is sexual behavior. As a rule, in the spring, with increasing daylight hours, the production of sex hormones increases, which in some individuals is accompanied by a “milk step”.
The variety of theories, versions and guesses regarding a peculiar ritual inherent only to representatives of the feline family once again testifies to the mystery and enigma of domestic cats.
Why don't cats like to have their paws touched?
my cat doesn't mind being touched. but. depends on the mood. He won’t let you just come up and grab him by the paws. and if it’s lying around, then you can stroke it by the paws and between the claws, only gently.
But mine love... They don’t like it when I tickle their nostrils with my mustache))) They sneeze and snort. And my beloved cat puts up with everything from me. Now she is 53 days pregnant, I kiss her belly so much, oh how she loves it! She rolls over on her back and purrs))
And my cat really doesn’t like it when I kiss him. He only climbs into his husband’s arms, but loves when people look at him, praise him and admire his beauty.
Cats are animals with character) It’s not that they don’t like to be touched - they just don’t like to “feel like toys.” If they come up to you and want affection -> you can touch them for anything :)) (At least mine do..)
I have a strange cat. He gets such a thrill when you massage his paws, between the boys, the pads. He spreads them out and purrs like crazy :))))))
And my cat loves it! He stretches out his paw - his left one, since I always massage his paw with my right hand. The husband laughs that the cat is showing “Heil Hitler”.
My cat also loves it when I touch between his toes, he also purrs, and lets me touch his front paws and hind paws. Cats are such sweethearts.
I really scratch my thighs. We had a couple of times when his back legs were taken away (the cat is 17 years old), so I sometimes give him a massage now, just in case. and the doctors still can’t say why - that there seemed to be a circulatory disorder (?) at that moment. While I was dragging him to the veterinarian, everything went well for him - there he was already banging on the table with 4 of his own
And when mine lies on its back, it puts up its armpits and says scratch it, so we scratch it, and then it puts the other one up, it’s so funny to watch.
My cat is just panicky when I touch his paws
Source
Possible causes of hind leg failure in a cat
Lumbar spine injuries
This is not uncommon and happens after a fall from a great height. Veterinarians often encounter damage to the spinal column in a cat that fell from a tree or jumped out of a window, despite the well-known myth that cats always land on their feet. The lumbar region is responsible for the work of the hind legs and tail; in case of injury, the work of the internal organs will also be partially disrupted.
Herniated disc
In this case, the intervertebral disc protrudes and causes severe pain, blood vessels and nerve endings are compressed, and impulse communication is disrupted, which is so necessary for the normal functioning of all the cat’s limbs.
Hip dysplasia
Large breed cats are most susceptible to this disease. The joint becomes deformed and causes pain to the animal, as a result of which the gait changes. The movements become smoother, the pet stops jumping and running, it looks like the cat is meandering and walking unsteadily. With such a disease, it is simply necessary to provide supportive treatment.
Spinal cord inflammation
Such inflammation can be caused by autoimmune diseases, severe poisoning, worm infestations or neuroinfection. A distinctive feature is that the clinical picture includes additional symptoms and high intoxication.
Timely identification of the cause and proper treatment will give a favorable prognosis, and paw movement will be restored.
Thromboembolism of the femoral artery
The cause of the blockage can be a blood clot, a tumor or even a parasite, as a result of which normal blood circulation is disrupted, the tissues stop being nourished properly, and congestion forms in the hind legs.
Sensitivity decreases, pain appears and motor function of the limbs is impaired. If the process is started, then the hope for recovery is very weak.
Tick paralysis
This disease occurs as a result of a cat being bitten by an ixodid tick and poses a serious threat to the life of the animal. Symptoms increase rapidly: the phase of excitement is replaced by a phase of inhibition and apathy, followed by complete paralysis of the limbs.
A cat can only be saved during the period of excitement; if you contact it later, when the paws have already given up, the treatment is unlikely to lead to results and the likelihood of death is high.
When it comes to ticks, regular prevention is the best remedy.
Stroke
Among the many symptoms that accompany a stroke, paralysis, including the hind limbs, is also common. In case of a stroke, assistance must be provided immediately, then there is a chance of recovery.
Nutritional hyperparathyroidism
This is a metabolic disorder caused by a lack of vitamin D, calcium and excess phosphorus in the body, as a result of which the parathyroid gland suffers, working under heavy load and secreting too much parathyroid hormone. The bones gradually become deformed, cramps and pain appear, the gait is disrupted, and the legs begin to move apart.
A properly balanced diet and properly selected treatment will eliminate this problem, and the animal will again live a full life.
