My cat is limping for 3 days but seems fine. Should I see a vet?

Poor Socks! It does sound like he may have strained a muscle or ligament. It would be best to rest him for the next 48 hours. I know it's hard to keep him from jumping on things, and I would keep trying to prevent him from doing that. You may consider putting him in a small room or a large crate to keep him quiet. If he's allowed outside, I would keep him inside for the next 48 hours. If after 48 hours he's still limping, then I would take him into the vet to have him examined. He may benefit from some pain meds, and the vet can prescribe him some. Do not give him any human pain medications, many are toxic to cats and are fatal if given.

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 !

Hi there. A couple things could be going on with Sam. He could have a soft tissue injury, a fracture, or he could have an abscess in his leg or foot that has not come to the surface yet. If you’re able to take him to the vet on emergency today it would just help him feel more comfortable more quickly but if that is something that is difficult to do you should be OK to wait until tomorrow because he’s acting normally otherwise. I hope that helps and that Sam feels better soon. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Ideally, he should be physically examined by your veterinarian. He may have been bitten by another cat which would explain his symptoms. A cat bite can be difficult to detect and can abscess and be quite painful. Antibiotics and pain medication may be indicated.

If it just started you can let her 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 her to the vet in order to get it checked and treated, she 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.

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.

Poor Jango! I would wait another 24 hours. Keep him confined to a small room to keep down his movement, and force him to rest. Have a litter box, food, and water in the room. If you can find a crate large enough to hold all of that equipment plus him, I would put him in it. No running, jumping, or playing. Don't let him outside if he's normally allowed outside. Should he still be limping after 24 hours, then I would take him into the vet for a lameness exam and possibly x-rays. Please do NOT give him any human pain medications, as many are toxic to cats and are fatal if given.