Thank you but I am on the other side of the world from you!
This morning I tried giving her some canned food chopped up in the milk since she doesn’t like the syringe which she gobbled up and then I put some dry food in milk (like kitty kornflakes) of which she ate around half. Will check back in a bit to see if she finished it up.
I also put down the baby litter box for her.
Oh! When I opened the bathroom door, she was on top of the washing machine!!! :eek: (She must have jumped onto the toilet first). So now the toilet paper has to be kept in the cupboard. I probably need to remove some knick knacks I keep on top of the washing machine, too. I will give her one of resident kitty’s old toys to keep her occupied.
She also displayed the following cat behaviours: weaving between my legs; stretching and scratching her nails on my trouser legs; rubbing her head against the bottom of the cabinet; (I don’t keep towels in the bathroom any more so I had washed my hands and was shaking them and she:) showed interest (with forward, playful ears) in the drops that were falling on the floor; tried to run out when I opened the door.
So I think things are looking good!!
Still no grooming or even flea scratching so far though(at least not in the short while I was there).
L-lysine is not a brand name it is an amino acid that can be found in supplement form, if you can’t find a brand for cats at a pet store you can buy the tablets for people and crush them into her food. A tiny kitten may only need about 125 mg per day. It has been shown to help reduce the frequency and intensity of herpes virus outbreaks in both cats and people.
Herpes is forever, as they say, so it is possible for cats to have outbreaks of upper respiratory illness throughout their lives. However, it seems to happen mostly when they are stressed. Keep stress to a minimum and supplement with the lysine again at the first sign of a problem. The other cat could catch it, but then again it may not. I have several cats and some of them have had the infection and some of them haven’t. Some of them have relapses on occasion and the ones that don’t have it still haven’t shown any signs of catching it from them. When they have relapses it’s never been more than a few days of sneezing and watery eyes.
Just for verification: when you said “the doctor told me to get high calorie cat-infant milk/food” in your OP, and you keep mentioning giving the kitten “milk” … are you talking about cow’s milk, like from the grocery store? I hope not - it’s an old wive’s tail (heh) that cats need milk, and most of them react to it with a lovely case of diarrhea.
If that’s not at all what you’re doing, I apologize if I misunderstood your words or underestimated your vet’s guidance. Consider my post a Public Service Anncmnt. for any lurkers who might be caring for their own sickies.
Hahaha!! It’s milk substitute powder with lots of vitamins, amino acids and whatever an infant cat needs. I call it milk for short. In fact it contains no animal products whatsoever according to the label. Forgive me but I just sat down with aching feet and back and cannot be arsed to go and look at the name. I need a bit of a rest.
The vet has proved to be quite good and knowledgeable so far with one exception: when I first found sicky kitty on the bench with goo literally dripping from her eyes and nose/mouth she was purring to herself as sick cats do.
When I took her to the vet and pointed it out (she was still purring) and said that she must be in great distress, he said “no, she’s most likely happy that you brought her into the warmth” That is to my knowledge the only thing he has said that’s off the mark.
I am happy to report that you can hear the purring start as soon as I walk into the bathroom! No more distress purring!
I have yet to witness her doing any grooming or scratching but perhaps she does when I’m not there (most of the day). I also tried to entice her to play with the toys I’ve given her but she is most interested in placing herself under my hand to be stroked. Other than that she is becoming quite lively.
I am also happy to report that she pooped and peed in her litter box, and covered it!
But when I went to scoop it, some of the clumps (it wasn’t really clear if it was poop or pee) kind of fell apart and you could clearly see some strands of some kind of fabric (one of them seemed to be like wool and another reminded me of a band aid because I thought I could see something like dimples).
Poor thing! I wonder at what point her hunger made her resort to eating <whatever> to get something in her belly. And I wonder how many days she was carrying that nasty stuff inside her tum tum.
Agreed with everyone else that you’re an awesome person for helping out the little mite, half-elf. Good on you, and I’m glad to hear that she’s feeling some better.
I might consider just leaving food out for her and dealing with any subsequent messes after - she sounds like she needs all the calories she can get (and being well-fed will help her get better faster, too, I’d think). As for grooming, watch her just after she’s eaten a meal - my cats all clean and wash up after eating.
Thank you for your kind, encouraging words.
I don’t know when I gave you the impression that I give a shit about any mess, I absolutely don’t .
I was enthusing about her using the litter box competently (and worrying about what I found in the poop).
Well I do hang around when I give her food as I am away most of the day, but as I said, she is more interested in being stroked when I’m around her. We will see.
Have to take her towel out of the washing machine and go and hang it out so we will see what she is up to!
Thank you! Thank you! It turns out that many cats are lactose-intolerant. I absolutely love flatlined, but the butter suggestion made me cringe for that reason. It gave one of my kitties diarrhea before I knew that (of course I stopped when the diarrhea appeared).
A few other inaccuracies-cats don’t get kennel cough. Dogs do. In shelter situations, cats contract upper respiratory infections (URI’s) generally brought on by FVR, caused by the herpes virus (which has nothing to do with human herpes). If a cat has been vaccinated against it as a kitten, they generally won’t contract it during their lives. I’ve had a couple with herpes virus who have occasional outbreaks (dealing with one now), and a couple who have never had an outbreak. It really depends on the cat’s vaccination status and general immune system.
Antibiotics don’t treat a viral infection, but they do treat the opportunistic bacterial infections that can develop during an outbreak.
Half-elf, it sounds like you’re doing a great job with her and I’m not going to add a thing! I’m so glad she’s doing better and better.
Well I know about the lactose intolerance but I imagined that just a tiny bit on the paws wouldn’t do any harm (and that the stuff one is intolerant towards is mostly in the protein rather than the pure fat). But now I know better.
Another piece of wrong information is that cats <3 fish. I mean, they heart them alright but not more than they heart any other kind of meat. Moreover, I have read that some kinds of fish, like salmon or tuna can actually harm a cat if consumed frequently/ in large quantities.
Whatever it does, it seems to be working and quite sooner than the vet anticipated.
Thank you ever so much. I’m doing my best considering I’m away most of the day. She will need to be kept in seclusion for several days yet, which will be quite frustrating the healthier and livelier she becomes though. And then I will have to go though the whole introduction process…:eek:
I’ve heard that wiping both cats with the same dry towel (so, wipe down one cat, then go to the other and wipe her down, rinse and repeat a bunch, then turn 'em loose) can help with introductions. Seems to mix up their scents so’s each is more inclined to accept the other as her own. Sadly, I’ve no idea whether it works or not - my cats got introduced as kittens when both were very amenable to the idea. (No idea how I’d introduce a new one now, yikes.)
And clearly, if you’re helping out a itty bitty snotty kitty, you’re not worried about messes. My thought was that letting her free-feed for a while might help her put on weight (and heal up) faster. But perhaps you’re doing that already; it just seemed like there were set mealtimes in your previous posts.
No, not set mealtimes for this one (perhaps you read my previous thread about primary kitty wherein I was wondering how to handle that and got mixed up).
With this one, no, I want her to eat as much as possible (without overdoing it of course, don’t want sick tummy kitty).
Since she started eating on her own, I decided to mix her food with the super nutritious calorie high milk (I did leave some out for her but she snubbed it after it cooled down). This morning I did separate tin food and dry food mixes but this evening I put both in a tiny dish with the milk (mostly kibble though as it is higher in protein) and I think that is what I will do from now on. The dish I am using now is tiny, so I will give her some when I get up and top it up before I leave for work. And then another lot in the evening.
I will visit the pet shop this weekend and get various thing I need, including a few proper food bowls as the tiny one I am using now is the only thing I had in my kitchen cupboard that I think she could reach. Resident kitty has two food bowls (so one can be used while the other is soaking in hot water) one of which I am using as a water bowl for sicky kitty.
Giving them each a towel with both of their scents on seems like a good idea! (When that time comes). Thanks for the suggestion.
Just in case this was directed at my comment about lysine and herpes in cats and people. In case you read that as being the same herpes virus in both cats and people it was not my intention. There are many different herpes viruses, the ones cats get is not the same as the one people get but they are in the same herpes family, and lysine can help for any of them.
Also, it used to be true that kennel cough was dogs only but now cats have been found to get Bordetella infections. Bordetella is a bacterial organism which is more likely to cross species than a virus.
Even though most feline upper respiratory infections are caused by a virus (such as FVR or Calici) we still always treat with an antibiotic because there is always the possibility of a bacterial cause (i.e. Chlamydia or bordetella) or a secondary bacterial infection.
Yes, I apologize, I was in error - FRS is not “kennel cough”, which in American English is the common name for Bordetella. FVR causes URI (Upper Respiratory Infection) and often has a cough as a symptom, and is spread in kennels. So it’s a cough from kennels, but it’s not “kennel cough”.
Introductions: the towel-rub idea is good. It also helps that SmallKitten has been inside the house for a while – ResidentCat has already gotten whiffs of her scent from under the door and off your hands, so SmallKitten will seem less unfamiliar when it’s time for face-to-face introductions.
I believe the tuna-is-bad-for-cats thing refers to canned tuna, since it’s almost often very high in sodium, which their dewwicate wwiddle kidneys don’t handle well.
I’m very glad that SmallKitten has found a good home and seems to be on the mend. I was worried when I saw your OP (“uh-oh, it’s gonna be another sniff I have something in my eye threads” since let’s face it, they don’t end happily) but I look forward to the day when SmallKitten is healthy enough for the unruly, clamoring mobs to finally catch of glimpse of photographed kitten cuteness overload.
Ignorance fought, thank you! I know that most cats are lactose intolerant, but like half-elf I had assumed that the solid fats were OK. Thank you for the correction, I hate giving bad advice when it comes to sick cats. And thank you for the kind words as well.
I try to avoid feeding cats fish because I’m concerned that their small bodies can’t handle the mercury.
half-elf Do you have thrift stores on your side of the pond? Over here, they sell used towels for 10 to 25 cents each. Blankets are usually only a dollar or so unless they are nice.
I’m a tree-hugger and I hate running the washing machine for just one towel. When I’m shopping for critter linens, I look for the ones with stains because people might want to buy the unstained ones for human use. I feel zero guilt when I toss soiled thrift store linens after using them for a sick critter.
Its so wonderful that you are seeing so much improvement so quickly. Like PurpleHorseShoe, I was afraid that this would be a sad story, instead its such a happy story that I’m still getting dust in my eyes when I read about her progress.
I don’t think that you need to worry much about the introductions. RC is young (and very beautiful) and probably gets bored while you are gone. She will probably like having a playmate. You will have to watch them closely to be sure that RC understands how easily she could hurt SK while playing.
Again, thank you so much for taking in a sick stray. So many people would have just walked by without a glance. The world is a better place because of people like you.
Hai gaiz, good morning!
Once again, thanks to everybody for the advice and encouragement. It means the world to me.
So, Sicky (this might be her name, it has relevance in English, and sounds like a cutesy foreign-sounding name in the local language), had taken a nice big dump just outside her litter box. It’s quite tiny, and I think she didn’t realize her butt was sticking out over the edge. (The pee was inside thankfully). So I examined it when I picked it up and fortunately there was no nasty woolen thread sticking out. No sign of worms either (but I don’t know if cat worms would be as visible as dog worms usually are).
She is quite perky now, strutting around the bathroom and head butting anything within reach.
My question for the day is this (hopefully somebody will have something to suggest by the time I get home from work because I am not sure how to handle it):
Now that she is getting stronger, she really really resists being wrapped up in the towel for syringe syrup. It’s sweet, the kind you would give to children, I think it smells of cherry. Should I try mixing it in her food? And if so, should I put it in a tiny bit of tin food (with the intention of it only taking a few bites to eat up) or should I put it in the main dry food/ milk mix (which would take a lot longer to finish up, with the risk that it might taste funny to her and she might not eat it at all)? It’s 20ml, so not a negligible quantity.
Re: towels and thrift shops- there are a few (4-5, maybe more have opened in recent years) in this city, but I have 2 people bringing me spare blankies and towels (for various reasons they didn’t manage yesterday and the day before, so I think that front is covered.
Not at all! When I volunteered at the shelter, it had to be explained quite a lot, so I always try to work it in.
[QUOTE=half-elf]
Now that she is getting stronger, she really really resists being wrapped up in the towel for syringe syrup. It’s sweet, the kind you would give to children, I think it smells of cherry. Should I try mixing it in her food? And if so, should I put it in a tiny bit of tin food (with the intention of it only taking a few bites to eat up) or should I put it in the main dry food/ milk mix (which would take a lot longer to finish up, with the risk that it might taste funny to her and she might not eat it at all)? It’s 20ml, so not a negligible quantity.
[/QUOTE]
I’d worry that it might put her off her food. She’s just started eating well and I wouldn’t want to mess with that. It’s hard, but I think wrapping her is still the best choice, even though I’m sure she’d disagree.
When I have to give my cats medicine, I mix it with meat baby food. Most cats treat this like crack and can’t get enough of it, so sneaking in a little medicine isn’t an issue. Just make sure you get baby food that’s just meat and water (no other ingredients–some of them here, like beef, have extra ingredients, while chicken and ham don’t. Don’t know how it is where you are.)
Helena330 - I decided to take the chance after all, and (this time it worked). Infovore - I mixed the med with tinned cat food. I don’t see why baby food would be considered (by the cat population) to be tastier than cat food. In fact I would suspect cat food would have more taste enhancing agents where baby food would be more (deliberately) blandified.
So far so good.
I keep trying to get her to play with her mouse and or/ ball but she doesn’t seem interested. She might do while I’m away, but they seem to be in the same place I last saw them. I did however, see some progress when I put my hand under her new blankie (actually a very soft scarf) and moved it about, and then poked my finger in and out. She did respond to that- with much nail! :eek:
She sounds like she is doing great. Kittens bounce back so quickly, its pretty amazing.
I agree with you that baby food is bland and boring. I’d also think that kitties would rather have something that smelled and tasted better, you know…something that was made with cats in mind.
However…having dealt with trying to get a cat or two to start eating again, and trying all sorts of things…those rotten beasts do indeed seem to love baby food.
I have never understood why liquid cat meds come with flavors that are meant more for humans. The most commonly used med here is Clavamox. It tastes like bubblegum. I know that some cats are stranger than others, and there might be some out there that like bubblegum, but I’ve never met one.
I’m glad that mixing the meds with the food worked. Now that she’s pooped all the crap out of her system and is healthier, you can probably start giving her more of the canned stuff. Canned is better for them than kibble and your new overlord needs all the calories her little body can process.
(She must have jumped onto the toilet first). So now the toilet paper has to be kept in the cupboard. I probably need to remove some knick knacks I keep on top of the washing machine, too. I will give her one of resident kitty’s old toys to keep her occupied.
And I wonder how many days she was carrying that nasty stuff inside her tum tum. 
