What could I do instead of being a vet?

Cat, 3 yrs old, stiff back legs and afraid to go to vet. 'sways' her hips to walk. Unsure if this is normal?

• My female cat, Rini, is almost 3 years old. She is a happy cat, if not a little scared of her bigger brother. Plays a little bit. But eats well, her eyes are always alert, and she is relatively a petite cat. I always noticed her hips 'sway' when she walks. I always thought this was adorable, because her tail is straight up and curls at its end (it looks like she is doing a dainty little walk). But lately I've been wondering if something is wrong with this? Her back legs... they seem.. stiff. Watching my other cats walk from behind, I notice their legs bend and move forward like their front legs. Hers.... don't. Not really. It's not hugely noticeable. But her back legs seem to stay straight. And the 'swaying' of her hips seems to be her shifting her legs back and forth in order to walk forward, instead of bending her legs. The only thing I can think of, as far as history, was that last year she had a bad reaction to a rabies/distemper shot the vet gave her. (I am well aware NOW how dangerous combining those vaccines are, and just how dangerous they are to begin with. I didnt go back there.). Anyway, the day after the vaccine, she walked EXTREMELY stiff. Didnt bend her back legs at all and was hiding, etc. Took her to the vet and all of that and they gave her stereoids and it got better. But now I'm starting to worry about her. Is it normal for her to walk like this? And I dont know what to do. I REALLY want to take her to the vet, but I'm afraid too. Basically because we would have to go to a new vet, and she is way past due on the rabies vaccine. She is strictly indoors, and had such a bad reaction to it last time, i REALLY dont want to risk another possible emergency by forcing her to get it. In my state, pets cannot be exempt from the shot due to health, poor reactions, or disease. She seems normally ok otherwise. eats well, healthy fur coat, plays, isn't lethargic. The stiffness is very subtle (I have been slightly noticing it, but at the same time was never really sure it was stiff or just my imagination. That subtle). I'm thinking it is FROM the rabies shot, which is why I am hesitant to take her to a vet who will force her to get it because she's a new patient and I dont have proof she had it recently. So, my question is, what could be causing the stiff legs? Is it something that might be very serious, at her young age, that I should take her to the vet asap and risk further injury to her if they wont see her without the shot? Or is it relatively normal for some cats to walk like that? Note: she has been walking like this for a long time. But I only 'really' noticed it after the rabies shot, so i dont know if she was walking like this before or not. Also, just fyi, if she seemed in any pain at all, or this was sudden, i WOULD take her to the vet immediately. But I dont know if this could be normal or not?

• Answer:

  not normal... usually seen with trauma to the pelvis, or issues like femoral head necrosis.. I would have her x-rayed immediately to rule out femoral head necrosis..