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Why is my cat limping with no visible paw injury after new kitten?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 4 years and 9 months old | 7.5 lbs

My 4yr old kitty is limping badly on his left front paw. Yesterday I thought he might have a slight limp but decided I was imagining things until today when it was much worse. He has no visible wounds, nor any warmth or swelling that I can detect. He will let me handle his paw and leg without complaint. We did just adopt an 8 month old kitty a couple of weeks ago, but they've been getting along peachy. She's vaccinated/healthy. Is it likely related to the new cat (an injury?) or something else?

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Robin Diers, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on July 16th, 2017

Hello there. While it is difficult to determine the cause of Leo's limping without examining him, some reasons that might cause him to be painful are sprain/strain, bite wound (even cats that get along well can have spats or play too hard), or even a broken bone. I recommend taking Leo to the veterinarian to have his leg looked at. Your vet may want to do an x-ray of his leg and can also give you a medication for pain.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on February 15th, 2018

    Hello. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. So sorry Maggie is having this issue. It is likely that she just has a strain/sprain in that leg. I would not worry too much at this stage. Just keep an eye on it and if she starts showing any worsening signs or the lameness does not resolve completely within about 7 days then I would have your vet check her out. Do your best to minimize her activity/jumping. If she is an indoor/outdoor cat make sure she stays indoors only for the next week. DO NOT attempt to giver her any over the counter medications. Cats are extremely sensitive to these and you could really hurt her. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

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    Answered By Dr. Rachel

    Veterinarian

    Published on June 24th, 2017

    Congrats on your new kitten and sorry to hear she isn't feeling well. There are few possibilities. She may have a sprain or strain due to an injury she sustained while jumping, running, or playing. Sometimes kittens will get their paws stuck somewhere while exploring their environment, causing injury. And sometimes deep infections can cause limping (such as from a cat bite or wound). A veterinarian could perform an exam to determine exactly where she is painful and could possibly take x-rays to diagnose the problem. If you are unable to take her to a vet, try to keep her confined to a small area so she can rest. Remove all furniture that she can jump up on and try to keep her as quiet as possible for about 5-7 days. If she does not improve after this time period, she may require further care.

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