What are the early signs of arthritis in a cat?
I can feel my cat Smudge's hip bones through her short fur, but she seems to not be stiff or anything like that. However, my cat's hip bones are becoming more and more prominently felt whenever I pet her and Smudge is a 14 year old shorthaired cat who's going to be 15 in June of this year. She doesn't seem to be in any pain when she's petted, but I'm concerned that her hip bones becoming more and more easily prominently felt may be a sign of arthritis. Is this reason enough for my concern for my cat? Smudge's eating okay and also doesn't seem to be losing any weight lately, but she's 8 pounds, which is the proper weight for a cat her size, according to the vet.
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old cat lady on Fri, 16th Jul 2010 11:08 pm
I don’t think that prominent hip bones are a sign of arthritis. It develops quite slowly actually and a cat will just seem "stiff" as it starts to move around when getting up from a nap or in the morning.
My 22 year old cat’s arthritis was pretty severe and she still got around all over the place. From the bedroom to the kitchen, out to lie on the deck in the warm morning sun, around to her favorite tree to scratch her nails etc. I did get some "pet steps" for her about a year before she died to help her to get up on my bed where she liked to nap and be with me at night.
I felt the "boniness" more in the area of her shoulders than at the hip.
polkadot663 on Fri, 16th Jul 2010 11:08 pm
she seems fine to me but just in case if it has been a long time untill her last appointment take her in for an exam
Answerfinder1360 on Fri, 16th Jul 2010 11:08 pm
if her behaviors are different and it is the syptoms of arthritis then i would be worried about her hip
simcrazee21 on Fri, 16th Jul 2010 11:08 pm
Cats with arthritis will have a difficult time moving around and jumping up on counters. You will see a difference in the level of activity. It doesn’t see like it is arthritis from your description, but if you are really concerned, you could take your cat to the vet. It seems like it is from fat or muscle loss, which can happen in old age. One thing I know is good for cats with arthritis is putting a heating pad under where they lay. If they really do have arthritis, they will like to lay on the heat.