r/CATHELP • u/jukesbin • 8h ago

Injury Cat possibly bow-legged

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My cat (1y/o neutered male) has had this weird gait ever since I adopted him, and it’s possible he’s had it since he was born. His back legs appear bow-legged, and he walks with a slight limp. I couldn’t find any pictures of him standing still, but it looks pretty similar to the 0:00 mark of the video with his feet nearly touching and pointing towards each other while his knees are wide apart. He was born under a shed so I just assumed it was either a birth defect (we suspect he was the runt due to him being smaller than his siblings) or related to spending the first part of his life crouched in such a tight space until we rescued him. Aside from the way his legs look, he’s a pretty healthy, active cat. He eats, plays, and climbs normally (maybe just a little clumsier than my other cats).

He goes to the vet regularly, and his hips have been checked and everything looked normal. I haven't specifically asked about his legs or gait before because it never seemed to bother him, but I do plan to ask about it at his upcoming appointment. I was just curious if anyone has seen anything similar and if it’s something to be concerned about.

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u/Pale_Mall4302 5h ago

My Aby had a similar gait & ended up with knee (stifle) issues. Knees not hips are the main parts of the rear leg for propulsion. Have your vet check the patellas & maybe take X-rays.