Hi Jenny,

From the sound of it he has probably just strained a muscle from jumping and
landing in an awkward way, or something similar. It depends on how bad the
limp is, if he seems to be in pain with it, and if he doesn't improve in
about 24 hours. Also, if he is crawling away from everyone and trying to
hide, such as going under the bed and staying there for hours, especially if
this is unusual for him, then it may be worse than it seems. Injured cats
often try to hide their pain & injury as their instinct tells them not to
show their weaknesses in case other creatures take advantage of that. Don't
worry though, if he "looks good" as you say then he's probably just had an
awkward jump, though it would still be a good idea to keep him in and
encourage him to sleep & rest his leg.

I'm no expert but what I'd do is this.

1) Is there a vet helpline where you are, that is, a phone number where you
can call and get advice? If you are registered with a vet you can just call
and ask their advice. If you are in the UK there is a 24 hour vet helpline
on 09065-005500, but beware that this is a high cost number (£1.50 per
minute, and the average call takes about 7 minutes, half the costs go to the
Scottish SPCA animal charity).

2) How bad is the limp? You say he won't put pressure on it so it sounds as
though it is very noticable. Does he seem to be in pain as he walks? If it
seems really bad then I would get him checked by a vet immediately (ie:
right now) as he may have broken a bone or dislocated a joint. If it's not
as bad as that then he has probably pulled a muscle, maybe twisted as he
jumped or something similar.

3) If it isn't very severe (like a broken bone) then feel his leg very
gently from bottom to top, including his pads and his joints. Is there any
part where he acts as though being touched there is painful for him?

4) If there doesn't seem to be any pain, or if there seems to be a pain near
his pads check for thorns or splinters in there, or any cuts there. If there
are thorns or splinters then gently remove them. If there is a cut then
gently wash it.

5) Keep a close eye on him for at least 24 hours. I would keep him in &
encourage him to sleep so that he rests his leg. It would be wise to keep
him in especially at night. Apart from needing to rest his leg he may not be
able to jump or run from any dangers. If you need to leave him on his own
the house then make sure he is kept in and has somewhere comfortable to
sleep that he can reach without jumping.  If it's just as bad or worse
tomorrow morning it would be wise to get him looked at by a vet to be on the
safe side. If he seems a lot better then he's probably just strained a
muscle and needs to rest it so keep him in an encourage him to sleep. If it
is only slightly better I would still get him seen by a vet though if he
just rests for a couple more days he may be ok.

Where are you? Here in the UK it's very easy to pop over to the vet's but I
know that isn't true in a lot of countries.

Hope this helps.

Gill