Why is my senior cat's legs shaking and missing the litter box?

Question

My cat Charmin is about 13 years old now and has never been the fattest of cats. In fact, she is only about 5 or 6 pounds! I have started to worry about her more often recently though, as her back legs have started to shake while she is using the restroom. She seems to either miss the litterbox completely or only get it on the sides (inside the box). I do not know what is wrong. Please help! Pet's info: Cat | Turkish Van | Female | spayed

Andrea M. Brodie, DVM · Accepted Answer

Your kitty likely is suffering from arthritis or other pain. Most cats will develop arthritis of the hips and large joints from the age of around 7 years. The shaking is from straining with pain. I suggest you take her to a feline veterinarian for an assessment and prescription of pain medicine or an NSAID for cats if indicated. In the meantime you can get her one of those see-through storage plastic boxes and cut a doorway into it so she can walk into the box easily. Feed her wet (canned ) food if possible (add a bit of canned pumpkin to soften her stool, so pooping comes easier) and make sure she has lots of fresh water available at least 6 feet from the food bowl.

Why is my senior cat's legs shaking and missing the litter box?

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