Cats leg

Question
Hello, My cat was acting normally until yesterday when it began limping.  He had been inside all weekend, so he couldn't have gotten hurt.  Occasionally he does jump off our refrigerator when we are in our kitchen to "show off" i guess. His foot seems to be fine, but there must be something wrong. PS. he can jump and he doesnt seem to be in pain

Answer
HI Spicer,

Sorry to hear your cat has injured his leg. How old is he? If this is a rear leg and if your cat has any history of heart disease, please take him to the vet right away, as a sudden limp especially in the hind leg can be caused by a blood clot. Do the pads of the affected leg feel cooler than the other legs in any way? That could indicate restricted blood circulation due to a clot.

However it is far more likely that he did jump off something and hurt himself. This happened to my 17 year old cat last year, I came home and he was limping badly. I took him to emerg because I wanted to make sure he had not fractured anything, and I do think it would be wise for you to take your cat to the vet in the morning for an x-ray just in case. If nothing is fractured or dislocated, your vet may prescribe some pain medication for him since if he's limping his leg must be in some pain. I prefer to use opioids for cats - buprenex is an excellent pain medication for cats with few reactions or side effects. I do not advise using NSAIDs such as Metacam for cats, because they can cause kidney damage. Buprenex is safer and very effective.

And don't allow your cat to jump around when he's injured, if you can confine him to a bedroom or smaller area and place some boxes for steps to get on/off places he wants to go such as the bed or sofa. He might make his injury worse by continuing to jump.