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Why is my senior cat wobbly, falling, and struggling to jump?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | British Shorthair | Male | neutered | 9 years old | 10 lbs

Our 9 year old Brittish Shorthair seems to have an equilibrium problem. Back end doesn't always go straight. It seems to be hard for him to just jump on the bed and frequently misses and falls. Recently saw light red blood in stool. Took stool sample to Vet. Said no problem.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Davis

Veterinarian

Published on August 24th, 2017

If Teddy Bear Eddy is normal in the front end and is eating and drinking normally then he may have arthritis or a back injury causing his rear legs not to work right due to discomfort. If he's wobbly walking in the front, has a head tilt or having trouble eating then it could be an equilibrium problem from an ear infection. A small amount of blood in the stool probably is not related, cats can get that when the stool is hard or during bouts of diarrhea. If he doesn't improve after a week or so of rest I would bring Teddy in for an exam. They will check his ears and may recommend X-rays of his back and pelvis to determine the cause. If needed they can give him a safe pain medication. Please never give cats human pain medication as none is safe for cats. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Teddy Bear Eddy.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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