Uncoordinated kitten

[bigmanx]

I have a kitten which i named Nala, and we got her when she was about 6 weeks old. Ever since we got her, shes been hyper, playful, energetic and she would even pounce on you to play. She is now a little over a year and she is no longer any of the things i mentioned. Seh doesnt play, she sleeps majority of the times. I am very concerned with the kitten. Today she went into the litter box to do her business and as she was climbing out of the litter box, she collapsed on the floor and layed there for a few moments until i picked her up. She would walk around on the bed and fall off the edge and literally fall down. She doesnt land on her feet anymore. My wife suggests that her hind legs are too big, but i dont know if that is the cause. All i know is that my little kitten isnt the way she used to be and im worried. Another thing is that my wife still hasn't taken Nala to get her vaccine shot or any of that sort. I'm worried she might have a feline tapeworm or something else, but i am not sure. Can someone help me?

[Thomas Dock, CVJ, Vet. Technician]

What kind of flea shampoo are you using???   This is important because there are products on the market that can be "overdone" and cause the exact type of symptoms you are describing.

Stop using the flea shampoo until she is seen by a veterinarian.  

Listen to zodiacqueen as well...if you pull up on the scruff of the neck and the skin does not "snap" back into place, she is dehydrated and she needs to be seen immediately.  In other words, if you pull up on the scruff and the skin stays in a "tent", she is dehydrated.

When you go to the veterinarian, take the bottle of flea shampoo just in case it is the culprit.  They will need the ingredient listing to know how to treat her.

I know that you are waiting on your payday, but I really think this is a case where your kitten needs to be seen sooner rather than later.  Ask a family member or a friend for a loan to cover the exam fee if you don't have it.   Most exam fees are going to be reasonable, probably between $25 and $45 in most localities.   If nothing else, this fee will get your cat examined and your veterinarian might be able to give you some tips for at home care.

Keep us updated!

Tomcat

[zodiacqueen]

Well, I hope that you are positive that she's drinking.  The scruff of the neck test that I told ya about above is easy enough to do, have you tried that????  It's good that you have food and water out, but you can never be certain how much she's actually getting.  I've had cats a long time, and still don't know exactly how much they drink every day.

Please, let us know what the vet says, it may help others that have the same problem.

[bigmanx]

I keep a constant supply of fresh water and food everyday for the kitten... we give her a flea bath once every 2 weeks as a precaution. She drinks water and eats the food, but still seems kind of slinky n thinner then she used to... I am taking her to the vet very soon, im just waiting on payday then im rushing her to the vet. Thank you for the help

[Thomas Dock, CVJ, Vet. Technician]

I want to echo zodiacqueen's comments:   You should take this cat into the veterinarian as soon as possible, especially since it sounds as if she has not been to a veterinarian in the time you have had her.

FYI...tapeworms in cats are generally due to fleas.  And they are unlikely to cause these type of symptoms.

[zodiacqueen]

Your cat collapsing like that means that it's time for a vet visit.  When a cat collapses like that, you can't do the "wait and see" thing, this is an urgent problem.  Really, the warning signs were behavior change and sleeping all the time.  That would be the indicator that something is wrong, and a vet visit is in order.

This has nothing to do with how big the hind legs are!  I hope that you are able to get your cat to the vet as soon as possible.  And, I hope that this turns out well.  The only thing that I could guess is that the collapsing could be because your cat is seriously dehydrated.  Pull the scruff of the neck up and see if it snaps back.  If it goes down slowly or stays up, I'd get a syringe from the drug store and give it to her.