14-16-year-old cat, strange paralysis/spasms?

[carfreemama]

I have a beloved old battleaxe of a cat we adopted when she was either 2 or 4 years old. She is now either 14 or 16. She has NEVER been sick or had an unscheduled vet visit. She still plays and jumps and everything. She is a good weight. It's been easy to believe we'll just have her forever.

A couple of months ago, I started noticing her staggering after trying to get up from a nap. She sort of walked sideways and then it looked like she couldn't get her back leg to come down. About 1 minute later, she was fine. she's now had about a half-dozen of these episodes. Last night, she was walking and tried to put her front leg down. It was literally frozen in midair for several seconds. Then she stiffly brought it down and walked to the bedroom.

She does not seem distressed or in pain. She can still climb stairs and jump up on beds. I can't detect any tender spots on her body. She is eating/sleeping/eliminating normally. No behaviour changes.

I don't know if I should take her to the vet. She HATES the vet and I don't know what he could do for her. I don't really want to put her through a lot of tests at her age. Does this sound like arthritis, or something neurological? Does it signal impending illness? She seems absolutely fine between attacks.

[EarthRootsStarSoul]

maybe her leg is just 'falling asleep'?

[carfreemama]

I don't think so. I've seen her do it with all 4 limbs now and it's never happened before. It doesn't sound too serious, though, does it? I just want to do what's best for her. I've never had a cat live this long before, the oldest before was about 13; so this is new territory. But maybe you're right.

[Mom2M]

Sounds like she is having mini strokes. I had a cat who had episodes like this. They lasted a little longer as time went on. Like I would notice her weaving as she walked and then for the next day or two she would kind of just lie around and not groom herself.
She would recover completely and act normally for a long time and then it would happen again.
She lived until she was 20 years old and I cannot remember how old she was when it started but I know that it started years before she died.
The last couple of times before she died, she had longer periods of confusion and difficulty moving around. she stayed in the kitchen for about the last 6 months of her life. We had her bed set up there and her cat litter and a food area and it was a protected area so that the dogs and kids didn't bother her.
When she died she somehow got out the door and into the yard and I believe she had a full blown stroke then.
You could call the vet but I don't know that there is anything they could do. Just watch her when it happens so she doesn't hurt herself.

[carfreemama]

Mom2M, that sounds exactly like what this is. She does seem to maybe be sleeping a little more, but she's always been an active cat. She does seem to recover completely and there doesn't seem to be any pain or tenderness. I'm glad to know your cat lived on after these started. I'm interested in supportive care for her, helping her live as long as possible as comfortably as possible. There's one vet who I love, but is really far away without a car. It might be worth talking to her, though.

[bootsvalentine]

Also, check to see if her symptoms are similar to Feline Vestibular Disease.

[carfreemama]

Thanks for the tip, bootsvalentine; but it doesn't seem like what's happening to her. It's very infrequent and has happened over the last couple of months. She doesn't seem disoriented. It seems like a movement disorder, though I know that can have a neurological origin. When I read the articles, what it does make me wonder again is if I should be having her evaluated. I read things like "spinal cord pathology," "ear cancer" and "encephalitis." I would spare no expense for her. I just don't know if it's worth putting her through those tests at her age. I'm worried it would somehow be more likely to shorten her life because of the stress. But maybe there's something going on that could be slowed down or fixed?