OK, I feel pretty stupid, but...

my new cat (3 days now - he's a year old though) likes to sit on the top step of my stairs. I was walking downstairs and stepped on him (and fell down 12 steps -- I'm rugburned pretty good, but OK).

He freaked and hid under a desk for hours.

**Should I take him to a vet?

He *seems* ok now -- I've petted him pretty good and he doesn't seem to cry or be in pain, but...

firmbeliever

It is a good idea to have a vet take a look just to be safe. Better safe than sorry.

And dont feel stupid about stepping on your cat,
most cats tend to get under our feet now and them, tripping over them is not as rare as you think...

RedRaven63

I'd say it probably isn't a big deal. I've stepped on my cats a lot of times. It's sort of a fact of life that cats are always going to be underfoot. As long as he is acting normal now, you should be fine. He was probably just a little spooked or angry at you for stepping on him at the time.

froggy7

This may be hard for you to figure out, considering it was at the top of a stairs, but do you think that you stepped on him hard, or soft? If you stepped on the cat square-on, with all of your weight, I'd probably take him to the vet. If, on the other hand, it was more of a glancing blow, then I might be willing to check him out myself and just keep an eye on him in case things don't seem right.

Of course, the fly in the ointment is that you have only had the cat three days, so it might be hard to tell a change from normal in that case.

antipode12

It was glancing -- if I stepped on him square, I wouldn't have fallen down the stairs! I guess it was him or me!

2 days later and no sign of trouble from him...

pompano

Watch his stools for blood,which may indicate internal bleeding,but he is more than likely o.k.He may have a bruise under all that fur,but I too have done this before.

antipode12

that's a great point.

Clough

Excellent answers and help above! Trip to the vet for a checkup, you bet! Possible blood in stools? Something to watch for...

I have had cats as pets all of my life. There isn't much that I haven't done to them by accident. They all were not hurt physically, although, I was probably more shaken up then they were. They might have hid for awhile after us sharing in my "accident." But, after some kind words by me and due to the tone of my voice, we became great friends as a family again. Cats or other large pets do seem to understand when you didn't mean to do what you did.

If you stepped on the cats rear end somewhat, that probably isn't any problem. They have lots of muscle down there. Plus the bones are also bigger down there. If you stepped on the cats rib cage area with some amount of pressure, then I would definitely have some concerns. The rib cage area on cats is not very well protected.

In any case, and really not to make light of your concerns, it seems like your cat is probably fine. But, in order to get the most assurance for yourself, then a trip to the vet might be the best way to go.

MOWERMAN2468

the cat is probably o.k., but the main concern here is you. and the best part about this is that maybe the cat will not lie on the top step anymore, or at least get up and move if you are going up or down the steps. next time you may end up with more than being banged up a little. what about a broken arm, or leg. be careful. you may also try and obtain a climbing perch and scratching post combo for the little fellow. that way he could get up high to "hunt" and not be under your feet.

design-girl

Sounds like you spooked your cat more than hurt him. Being that he's a newer cat and not used to all of your habits or the house, he may have been more like "Oh, crap is that what they do here?" LOL Just give him time to relax and if he isn't limping or acting as if there is anything really physically wrong, just keep an eye on him. Vet trips get expensive, so just call your vet and tell him what happened, most vets will tell you what to look for and whether or not it sounds severe enough to bring them in.