cat walking strange and growling

by jennifer
(mass)

I have a male cat not fixed he is mostly outside and we have been letting him in our house for almost a year he has been walking slow like he is stalking something sleeping in other places and today he came in our bathroom and went under our sink and started growling ..I left and closed the door thinking maybe it was a animal because this was a very loud growl ... I heard lots of movement and returned to find nothing but him laying downstairs?? still walking very slow..please help..could this be rabies?

Reply
Hi
Usally when a cat growls it is to warn off other animals or people. However it can also be an indication of the cat net feeling well sometimes.

As the cat is also walking oddly I am wondering if he is in some pain of discomfort. If he is an outside cat most of the time, there is no way for you to know whether or not he has fallen badly or has been bitten.

Also as he is a un-neutered tom cat he will also be more likely to get himself into fights etc and so it could well be that he has been in a fight which may have been rather traumatic for him and this is his reaction.

If I were you I would try and keep him in over night to see how he is in the morning. If no change then a trip to your vets may be your best option.

Having him neutered will help to prevent aggressive behavior towards other cats and so reduce the risk of injury.

best wishes kate

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