Why won't my cat bend one leg when she sits? Is she in pain?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Based on the x-rays, I do not see any immediate concerning changes. However, on the right leg where the elbow is, it appears that there may be an increased density (bone sclerosis) of what we call the cortical bone. This may indicate early disease or something is beginning to affect the bone. I would recommend providing adequate rest for her for the next 4 weeks as well as give an anti-inflammatory to reduce any inflammation / pain she may be experiencing. I would recheck the x-rays in 4 weeks to see if there has been any change with the bone. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further!

There are many possible ways a kitten could become injured but a bite from another cat causing a cat bite abscess is quite possible. I am concerned that the leg appears bent but without a picture it is impossible to advise further, a full vet check would be recommended if the lameness does not improve after 4-6hours rest

Yes, it can be normal. As long as she is having no problems walking, jumping, etc I would not worry about it. If she is having issues then you need to take her to the vet for an exam and x-rays of the hips/hind legs. Hope this helps. Best wishes!

Hello Andrea, It is very difficult to say what may be going on with Lennie without seeing what he is doing myself. Is this a hind leg? All I can say is that if this is a new behavior for him you should have your vet check him out. He may have an issue with his knee cap that is causing the issue (if it is a hind leg that he is holding up). ( https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/luxating-patella-in-cats )

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.

Lying down a lot and reacting to touch indicates that Oi is likely in pain. Please make an appointment to have Oi seen by a vet as soon as possible. These symptoms could be due to a muscular or nerve injury, a fractured bone, trauma, a mass, or a foreign body in the paw or leg. Some infectious diseases and joint diseases such as arthritis or joint infection can cause limping and gait changes as well. Your vet can assess Oi by doing a physical exam, and will make recommendations for further diagnostics/ treatments as needed. Pain medications meant for humans can be very dangerous and even deadly for cats due to toxicity, so I do not recommend giving any to Oi without consulting with your vet.

I do not believe from the photo you have provided that Pi is in pain. This can be a normals stance a cat takes. Often they can be in this position before they pounce. Signs that your Pi might be in pain would be; Restlessness Increased vocalisations Hiding behaviours Reluctance to eat