Hi everyone,

In the past few days I have noticed some very strange and rather worrying changes in my cat's behaviour and general demeanour. His name's Olly, (though he prefers Oliver), he's a tabby/white mix, and I inherited him from my sister when she moved house about 4 years ago (she took him in as a stray, and it seems he's about 10). On Thursday afternoon I noticed that he was moving in a peculiar fashion - walking very gingerly, and also seeming to have slight balance problems. In fact if he were human I'd say he was a bit drunk! He also appeared very reluctant to use his back legs when climbing up steps or jumping onto the sofa (although he managed it eventually). Oh, and no purring (well, maybe just a bit, but lacking enthusiasm, if you know what I mean).

I managed to get an appointment at my local vets for the next day, but by the time I took him he'd made a full recovery, and was back to his normal self. The vet gave him a thorough examination, and couldn't find any problems; she said he seemed in perfect health. But today (Sunday) he began to exhibit some of the same symptoms as last Thursday, again - not quite so pronounced, but still obvious. And the onset was again very sudden (he was fine this morning). So needless to say I'm a bit worried...

The vet said that it might have been a blood clot that had cleared of its own accord. Or possibly some environmental contamination (pesticide?). But he really doesn't go anywhere - he spends most of his time outdoors on our lawn, or sprawled on top of my car. He is extremely territorial, and absolutely despises other cats. We've had problems with next door's moggy sneaking in to steal food on virtually a daily basis, and although Olly is twice his size and will normally give him a thorough beating if he discovers him, I wondered whether he might be experiencing some stress due to the constant incursions. My sister said that he had some stress-related weeing problems at one point. But I can't see how stress would account for the difficulty he's having with his back legs.

He's due to have a blood pressure (and maybe blood glucose?) test next Thursday, so that'll maybe reveal something. My initial thought, in fact, was that he'd had a slight stroke. But I'm not convinced of that now. Oh, and he's eating normally.

Many thanks in advance for any thoughts/advice,

Chris

P.S: One other thing that might be relevant is that he began exhibiting these symptoms very suddenly after waking up from a long nap in the same room.

P.P.S: He also spends a lot of time under a vintage VW camper van that my brother keeps in our drive (so it doesn't get stolen!). I know that it has leaked petrol or oil in the past. Might he possibly have got some contamination from that?

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"Cats yawn because they realize that there's nothing to do."- Jack Kerouac, The Scripture of the Golden Eternity

What makes you think it wasn't a stroke? Could it have been a TIA? (do kitties even get those?) Or perhaps something spinal, or neurological? In any event, this is definitely a job for the vet... maybe keep a written record of every time it happens to make it easier to pinpoint any potential triggers.

(disclaimer: my knowledge in feline health is virtually non-existant - my background is in human healthcare - so please don't take my word for anything, just wanted to throw some ideas out there!)

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Do not meddle in the affairs of cats, for they are subtle and will p*ss on your computer.

The Story So Far:
Spock (2010-2011), who began our love affair with kitties but whose grasp on the green cross code was sadly lacking.
Icarus (2011-...?), who loves noses more than anything else.
Mildred (2010-...?), who sings to the birds.

The twisted brainwrong of a one-off man mental.

Thanks for the reply, memmarmite. The vet didn't seem to think he'd had a stroke. Something neurological is what I'm afraid of, though...

I'm going to film him if I notice anything strange in the next few days. As I say I've got an appointment for Thursday for his blood pressure, but I'll take him back sooner if I feel it's necessary.

Chris.

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"Cats yawn because they realize that there's nothing to do."- Jack Kerouac, The Scripture of the Golden Eternity

Chris-I'm surprised the vet didn't take a blood sample or indeed check blood pressure on your last visit. In fact, owing to the symptoms I'd take him back tomorrow ( you'll have to wait a few days for results anyway though they can test glucose concentration on the spot) and have these done-think you really need to pin this down early. Was his heart rate OK? It would be helpful it you had a video of the episodes in question to help vet with the diagnosis. In the meantime I'd most certainly keep him in.

Think vet may suspect hypoglycemia ( low blood sugar ) which in some cases, amongst other things can cause some of the symptoms you describe though it could be any number of things.

Welcome to PF by the way!

Thanks Ianthi. They didn't have the BP test equipment at the branch I went to. But yes, it's surprising the vet didn't take a blood sample. His heart was fine - he had a murmur in the past, but that seems to have gone now. He's also lost a bit of weight (he's never been obese, but he does have a bit of flab here and there... don't we all?!).

I'm very familiar with low blood sugar, being diabetic, but what might cause that in a cat? Not diabetes, obviously, since that would mean high blood sugar.

Best,
Chris

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"Cats yawn because they realize that there's nothing to do."- Jack Kerouac, The Scripture of the Golden Eternity

Severe bacterial infections, liver problems ( advanced I would have thought ) and malabsorption problems to name some would cause hypoglycemia. Other than that the most usual one of course is excessive insulin which of course doesn't apply in his case! Just sounds as if vet suspected this when glucose measurement mentioned. Of course if you mentioned the back leg weakness ( just noticed ) then she may also have been considering actual diabetes! Symptoms generally would be increased drinking and urination, weight loss and increased appetite. Do mention all symtoms to help them get a clearer picture. Another reason to keep him in!

OK, so I took Olly (pictured!) back to the vets yesterday - to the main practice branch this time, where he had his blood pressure and blood glucose tested. Both were normal. Actually by the time we took him he was - as with the previous visit - back to his usual self again. The vet said he did seem to have some slight discomfort in his back legs, or perhaps one of them. A stroke or saddle thrombus can be ruled out, it seems (apparently the latter leaves them in agony). They took some blood for additional metabolic tests, and they'll let us know the results when they're back. One other suggestion was a touch of arthritis - he's at the right age for it, apparently.

Best,
Chris

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"Cats yawn because they realize that there's nothing to do."- Jack Kerouac, The Scripture of the Golden Eternity

Check your campervan for fluid leaks - specifically radiator and hoses etc as certain types of antifreeze is a cat killer and some of the symptoms of this kind of poisoning include the cat appearing drunk. Minute amounts can be fatal. It's probably not anti-freeze poisoning but check anyway for leaks or drips from the vehicle.

Thanks, groundhogdaze, I'll certainly look into that. His blood tests came back normal, apart from a slightly elevated thyroid, and also traces of creatinine. Blood pressure and glucose levels were normal. The vet didn't think there was anything specific that needed to be acted on, although she did say the presence of creatinine usually indicates some kind of muscle damage.

He's been pretty much back to his usual self for the last week.

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to reply, it really means a lot to me.

Regards,
Chris

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"Cats yawn because they realize that there's nothing to do."- Jack Kerouac, The Scripture of the Golden Eternity

Chris-if the T4 is elevated then this means he has hyperthyroidism. With older animals even high normal readings point to early onset of the conditon. If this is the case then he needs to be treated for it. What has the vet suggested? Raised Creatinine ( end product of muscle breakdown excreted by kidneys ) can also be indicative of renal problems though you'd need a urine sample to confirm. I'd certainly keep an eye on this. What were urea results?