Many years ago I lived in a house where the neighbors’ cat would come around looking for handouts. It did this because the neighbors, who were heroin addicts, almost never fed it. So I would often feed it turkey meat that I had in the fridge. Well one day I noticed something wrong with it. Specifically, its intestines were hanging out of its bottom. I take it this condition is known as a prolapsed rectum. What I am afraid of, although I have no confirming memory of it, is that I fed the cat some old meat and that caused the condition. Can meat that has been sitting in the fridge a bit too long cause this in cats? It’s not like the meat would have been rotting or anything, just slightly old. The cat was put to sleep and I would feel awful if this was my fault.
Nah, I seriously doubt it. Cats eat out of the garbage all the time with few ill effects. The digestive system of cats and dogs are a bit tougher than our when it comes to bacteria.
Most likely, the neglected cat had other health problems which led to its demise. From your story, it’s doubtful that they got it preventive health care. A million things could have gone wrong with it.
Your small act of kindness probably meant the world to that poor creature.
Has this been bothering you all this time? Don’t worry - you didn’t cause it. You probably were the only bit of caring the poor thing had.
It is probably not your fault.
I admire you for caring then and for still caring now.
There is no chance that slightly old meat could have caused this.
This condition in cats is a genetic flaw that can only be corrected with surgery. It doesn’t have anything to do with what you fed it.
One of my friends once told me about a kitten she had that had this problem. She had no idea that it had it until one day she came home and saw that the kitten was dragging around its intestines, most of which it had expelled. The kitten died, unfortunately.
Depends. Are you a curiousity?
Or, alternately, are you Sid Vicious?