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Anyone ever dealt with a cat with arthritis? I took my mom's cat that I've been caring for to the vet 2 or 3 months ago. Vet said she had a bit of arthritis in her back according to the Xray. She wasn't having issues at the time so he didn't tell me anything further.

In the past week, Nala has gone from not being able to jump onto the bed...to not being able to jump down either. Now, she can barely move. She walks a few steps and then gets tired. She can't even get into her litter box.

She has been drinking lots of water but in the past 2 days has lost interest in food somewhat, including her treats. My sister is picking her up to take her back to my mom this weekend but I'm wondering if I should take her to the vet before then or if it will be ok for her to wait til she goes to her regular vet. She was pretty traumatized by the vet I took her to last time. He was kind of a jerk and mean to her.

I ordered some glucosamine b/c I hear that helps pets with arthritis. I'm just worried that she'll have to be put down...and I'd be so heartbroken as would my mom.

Hi There,

This sounds a lot more complicated than arthritis. Nala's drinking a lot of water may mean that she has kidney disease, diabetes, or hyperthyroidism. The fact that she isn't eating means that she is very ill. I would get her in to see a vet ASAP, and have a full blood panel and urinalysis done.

Chances are that no matter what Nala has, it is treatable, and that she can be made comfortable. Since she isn't eating, she is now also at risk of developing fatty liver disease. This can start to occur when a cat stops eating after just 2 - 3 days.

Please keep us updated on how things go.

Regards,
PHKitkat