Why is my 11-year-old indoor cat limping with no visible injury?

I am sorry to hear about Luna. If Luna is limping there are many different possible causes, including soft tissue injury (such as a muscle sprain/strain, torn ligament), a fracture (it isn't always obvious when a pet breaks a bone if the fracture is not displaced), a torn or sore toenail, a skin infection of the toenails or bottom of the foot, nerve disorders, or in older pets tumors of the muscle or bone. I would recommend examination by a vet if the issue has been present since Sunday with no improvement. Unfortunately there are no safe pain medications available over the counter for cats, so I would just try to keep her quiet/restrict her activity/keep her indoors until she can be seen.

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 !

It's possible there is a sprain or a break if the limp is persisting. It would be best to bring Morgana to your vet for an X-ray and an exam to check for sprains, breaks, or even an infection hidden under the skin that could be causing discomfort.

Oh no, poor Belis! It is certainly possible that her leg is broken, but it could also be sprained or infected from an animal bite if she's allowed outside. She has to see a vet for this, so I would bring her into one right away. Given that it's really swollen and she's been walking around with a limp limb for three to four days, medical attention is required now. Please bring her into an ER vet or find a vet on call to see her now.

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 Sophie! It is possible that she developed a soft tissue injury or fracture in your absence or developed a blood clot in one of her hind legs (saddle thrombus). Since she is unwilling to bear any weight on this leg, she is likely in quite a bit of pain and should go to the vet immediately for evaluation. She may need to have x-rays and pain medication. I hope that all goes well!

If the lameness has persisted for 3 weeks and you notice that there is a difference in the shape of the shoulder area and leg position, I fear that the injury could be more serious than a sprain. Muscle injuries normally recover in 4-5 days of rest and antinflammatories. I would recommend to have him reassessed, there is a medication that can be given at home prior to the visit to help with the stress, I would ask your vet. Hope this helps !