My cat is limping and licking her paw. What should I do if it's minor?

I'm sorry Luna is in pain and limping! Yes, you are correct she could have slipped on the wet floor causing the limping. I would rest her for the next couple of days. Keep her confined to a small room (be sure to put a litter box, food, and water in with her) so she doesn't move as much, and do not allow her outside if she is normally allowed outside. Monitor her, and if she is still limping by Monday, I would take her into the vet for a health check. It's very important not to give her any human pain medications. Many are toxic to cats and are fatal if given. The vet can prescribe her pain medication as needed.

If it just started you can let him rest for a few days with minimal walking and minimal physical exercise, if it does not improve within 3-4 days you will have to take Alfonso to the vet in order to get it checked and treated, he might need pain killers for a few days. if the vet think it's something more serious such as a fracture, joint injury or foreign body, he might recommend to have an xray done as well.

There can be many sources of pain. Fractured bones are a possibility. There are many tiny bones in the paws, but if Mizzy lets you press firmly on all 4 paws, long leg bones, and along the back and ribs, she may not have anything broken. Second, ligaments or muscles can strain or tear. Sometimes this causes swelling and pain in a specific place, but not all the time. Third, she could have a wound or bruising in an area that is hard to see because of the fur. I would recommend just monitoring her for a few days. Watch her eating and drinking, and watch for improvement of the limp. If any thing changes or isn't better in a few days, she should be evaluated by a vet. Mizzy should also stay inside during this monitoring phase since cat's that are sick or painful may hide and don't always come back home for you to care for them.

You are correct that it could be a strain, or there may be an abscess and you've simply missed it. Given that he's been limping for three days after rest, I would take him into the vet today for an exam. He will need pain meds, and the vet can do a physical exam and possibly x-rays to diagnose why Samson is limping. Please do not give him any human pain meds, many are toxic to cats and are fatal if given.

Since it has only been going on a few hours and she does put some weight on it when jumping I think you could monitor her today. I would try to keep her indoors and confined to small room so she stays quiet and rests the leg as much as possible. If swelling starts, she starts acting lethargic, or the limping doesn't resolve in the next 24 hours I would have her evaluated by a veterinarian so they can assess her for wounds or more serious injuries. Hope she feels better asap !

I am sorry to hear your cat is having lameness. Cats are masters at hiding pain and illness so they don't typically scream out unless there is substantial pain there. But limping and a pet not willing to place a foot down is an indicator of a certain level of pain there or else they would put entire weight on the limb and paw. This most likely is not a fracture because that pain would be very evident with her not allowing you to touch it and there would be a substantial amount of swelling there. So that leaves a muscle sprain or ligament partial/complete tear. The key is to localize where on the leg the pain is coming from, look for obvious swelling, and then treat the pet with anti-inflammatory medication if sprain is suspected or do an x-ray if the knee or joint is suspected as the source of the pain to rule out a ligament rupture. Unfortunately there are no safe over the counter pain meds available for cats but your vet has safe products to prescribe for your cat for conservative treatment at the very least to see if this will improve her condition.

Poor Nemo! If the cut appears superficial and is not bleeding and doesn't seem excessively painful, you could opt to monitor him for the next few days to see if it heals on its own. You can apply some Neosporin or other antibiotic ointment to the area as well if Nemo will let you - just distract him for a few minutes afterwards so he doesn't immediately lick it off. If he is still limping after 2-3 days, or if the area around the cut begins to look red or swollen, then I would recommend taking him to the vet to have it checked. He may need prescription antibiotics or other medication to help it heal properly.