My cat seems to be sick maybe arthritis

by Lori Greenwalt
(Youngstown, Ohio)

Keke  in better days

Keke in better days

My cat is always very vocal and very active. He is an inside cat.

His litter box & food are up high so the dog doesn't get to it.Never been a problem. In the past few weeks, he doesn't seem to jump up as much. So I would lift him. As I set him down his whining (which is very usual) turns into a bit of a scream. He then hisses at me, but when he is put down he stops. He is 10 years old. His eating, drinking, urination & bowel movements are fine. There is no blood in urine or stool. He is a bit less active. About 1-2 months ago he kept pulling his tail hair out, but its growing back & he doesn't seem to be doing it anymore.I had to move his litter box to the floor and baricade it from the dog today. He had gone down , and at the entrance to his litter box, he left his stool (on the floor below his liter box,And I have a pet carrier right by, I keep open for him to go lay in there. He urinated in there. I think because he couldn't jump up to the liter box (like he has done his whole life). I have moved things to accomadate him. I'm thinking maybe its arthritis.. Please answer soon Thank you

Answer by Kate
Hi it is quite possible that it may be arthritis but I really would not like to say for sure. I really would advise visiting a vet soon for a diagnosis. It definitely sounds like your cat is in pain or discomfort and this could be caused by several things. A Vet will need to do some tests to see if if it is something like arthritis but they will also more than likely test for other illness too, this is a good thing as it will give you a better overall picture of your cats health, which is a good thing to do any way as your cat gets older.

I really hope the problem can be diagnosed soon for bot you and your cat as it is always distressing for both f you when symptoms like this occur.

I wish your cat well again soon

best wishes kate

Click here to post comments

Return to Cat Questions Archive three.


I'd love to hear what you think of this page or my site. Let me know if you like what you have read or if it has helped you with a problem.

It's easy to do just leave a comment in the box below and click the like / share or +1 to let others know about my site. Thank You It really is most appreciated.

Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.