Hello everybody!

About 2 weeks ago I noticed that a cat came to my house to look for food. One day I had left the rubbish bags in the garden and when I opend the back kitchen door to call my other cat (nutmeg aka nutty meg ) there she sat in front of me desperate to find some food. I slowly went back into the kitchen and gave her some food. She gobbled it all up and as I watched her eat she sometimes looked up, stopped eating and just stared at me. When she was full up she turned around and left, but before she left she stopped, turned around and looked at me for a few seconds. I felt so touched by her eyes, her being - our first meeting. From that day on I put food out for her. I decided to catch her and bring her to the vet because the first time I watched her eat I saw how incredebly skinny she was. I feared for her life espacially now that it is getting very cold at night.

I build a little simple trap and caught her last night, dont worry she didnt get hurt. Animals dont get hurt in my house. But unfortunately I was not able to get her into the house - she escaped and ran away. But before she ran away she stopped for a few seconds, looked at me again as if to say "I am not sure I want to run away"
I was beside myself with dissapointment. I imagined her dying of the cold etc. Oh god... I was beside myself with dissapointment and guilt.

But because I am not a giver - upper (heehee) I tried to catch her again the following night. She came back! She sat in the garden a lil while to make sure noone was there. God I felt guilty when I then closed the trap on her, poor thing thought she was alone. But I knew it was for her own good.

That was about 2 weeks ago since then I have bathed her twice, wormed her and got rid of her ffleas. She is extremly overweight. The vet wanted to put her down (without even checking her out!!!!! Just by looking at the state she was in)

Yes she is incrdebly skinny, just skin and bones. She let me stroke her and suddenly I realised just how near death she is. But she has put weight on since she has been with me. but very slowly.

There are a few worries I have about her well being though and I was hoping to get some advice from members here.
She eats well, normal I would say, but obviously she is totally food fixated due to living on the streets and starving.
There is hair missing on both of her ears. But she doesnt seem to stratch it. I have started putting tee trea oil creme on it. I hope it will kill mites if there are any and make the skin (which is quite hard n her ears) softer.
Her poo is sometimes really good and normal and then the next poo can b e bad diarea. I am not sure why that is. I feed her kitten food (hilss sienceplan) dry and sachets.
She seems very alert and even walks around the house some times. She has got an oily chest though and front feet and I am not sure where that is coming from. Could that be from the flea collor I put on her?
Anyway thats it for now.
thank you for reading

Hi


Weldone on looking after this cat. Where does she stay now? outside or does she come inside too? Is there not a decent Vet who can look at her? Check her ears out/teeth etc?

I think T Tree is bad for cats so be careful.

Where does she go to the toilet? Is she ok with your other cat.

Prehaps the kitten food is a touch too rich for her. Mine never have done well on hills.

Prehaps try her on boiled chicken and rice for a few days to settle her tum.

Careful with the collar, is it quick release? Maybe try a flea treatment instead.

Hope she is ok.

wow biawhiska thank you so much for all the questions.
Yes I will try to get her checked by a different vet - someone who actually cares for animals!! He didnt even botheer looking at her ears or treating her worms etc.
Oh dont get me started on that again.
Well I have tried her on boiled chicken and she loved that. I also made some broth from the chicken and put that in the fridge and mixed it with her dry food. But I have stopped the chicken now because her tummy would not settle. It didnt really matter what I gave her, sometimes she would have normal poo and then she would have diarea again.
Someone else told me to feed her on kitten food because she is so starved and needs lots of vitamins, so I am trying that right now. She loves the new food and her poo was great! (Weird how excited I can get about poo nowadays - note to self ...get a life!)
So I have decided to stick with this food now for a week and see how her tummy changes. Someone told me that it will take time until her tummy settles because she has been so starved and never had regular meals...but I am not sure that this is the cause of her diarea.
As soon as I get some money together I will get her blood tested (that will cost a little over £100). I am hoping it will be in the 2 weeks. We need to get our central heating fixed first
I keep her seperated from my other animals. Sometimes they are in the same room but n ever without me and always at opposite ends of the room. Mostly she is in my office on her own. She has been inside since the day I caught her.
She loves it here I think.

Oh I never knew tee trea oil was bad for cats.

Her flea collar is 'to break the cicle' and it kills the eggs of fleas. Not sure about how it is releasing it.
Would that cause some problems?

Thanks so m uch for your or anyone else help

Hi ~ worry not, i also went through an obession with my cat's poo

She sounds so lucky to have you and how great she wants to stop inside nice and snuggly instead of out in the elements.

Did the Vet check for a microchip? Hopefully, a good vet maybe able to tell you her age and give her a good check over.

Yes kitten food is good for building her up, also try some mince and cheese if she'll eat it.

I'd try not to worry too much about the poo. When it's runny is there blood in it? Does she go alot, little and often? or about 1/2 a day?

Sorry for the questions but just trying to get a better picture

Oh Im very grateful for the questions!
No there is no blood in her poo. When we wormed her there was a little tiny tiny bit of blood (two dots as big as a needles head - yes I had a close look! )
Now her poo is either normal and normla colour or diarea. But thankfully no blood.

The vet checked for a microchip but didnt find one. He told me that he suspects she is an 'old lady' and its best to put her to sleep!!
But I asked him whether it wouldnt be better to worm her and get all the parasites of her (she was covered in them) and then see how she is doing? But he didnt want to do that. He looked at me and said "Nah she doesnt have worms"
I was in shock. Well Im sorry if an animal eats and drinks and poos and wees and is in no pain why put it down?
She doesnt seem to be in any pain. She is alert and cheeky! She is so fixed on the food that she totally blanks what is in her way - and most of the times that is one of my dogs. they wont bite her but I have to keep her from literally walking over my dogs and using them as part of the carpet!

Oh coming back to the poo... She does about three poos a day when she has diarea. This morning her poo was perfect! I was over the moon! But then the next two were diarea.

Sigh...I guess time will tell.
You wouldnt know why her front legs and hest are a bit oily? she is along hair cat and I am starting to wonder whether it has anything to do with the flea collar I put around her...

Oh well at least she is in the warmth has fresh water and food and a clean bed to sleep in. Every time I go outside into the freezing cold I get overwhelmed with sadness...if i didnt catch her I think shed be dead by now. That day I forst saw her... she was a foot away from me, I watched her eat and when she looked up at me she stopped eating for quite some time and just stared at me. It send shivers down my spine. I think I know why now... I could see death in her. she was on her last legs the day I caught her..

I think it is great that you have taken her in and it sounds as though she will have a great life with you.

As for the poo obsession, we have all been there! It is such a good indicator of a cat's health. Some cats will always just be up and down with diarrhoea unfortunately. I have 3 cats who will be brilliant for days and then will have a couple of days of very soft poo. I have just come to accept it now - they have been vet tested and they are clear of everything so it is just one of those things.

Anyway, hope she carries on improving and putting on weight

Lou

Heehee...the poo obsession! I am glad I am not the only one!

no idea re the greasy coat, sorry. prehaps the collar.


even if she doesn't have a long future ahead of her if she is an old lady then at least she has you and a nice cosy home and lots of love for the rest of her time.

she is one lucky girl. what colour cat is she? any photos, we love photos on here

Oh yes! I have some pictures. There is one in my profile of her. On the first day I got her. But I will post some more pictures of her on this thread when I come back.
I agree with you, at least she is not out in the cold and is comfy and loved here.

I do feel sad though that she might die soon (fear of death...obsession of poo!) And that she will probably die in m y house is very sad.

Firstly well done on helping this little kitty it looks like you are really set out to make a little home for it.

Now down to the point.

take the flea collar off. this could be the cause of not only the oiliness you speak of but the diarrhea too. most flea collars are toxic and a waste of your money anyway as they only repel and don't do as they really say on the box or the fine print will tell you different.

Tea Tree oil is ok if diluted in a bath but not so much as a topical, basically don't let it go where kitty can lick it or get it on their paws and lick it. they make pet shampoos for cats and dogs with tea tree in them. I would get some ointment from the vets for her ears personally.

As for the diarrhea, what did you worm her with? you may need to pick up a stronger wormer for her (Milbemax or Profender) from the vets as she has been exposed to a lot of nasties you also should pick up a proper flea treatment for her as well such as Stronghold or Advocate these will help with not only the fleas but with the roundworms and mites in her ears. You can pick a prescription up for these at any local vets and either buy them online with the prescription or take them to your pharmacy for them to order for you. Or you can just purchase them from your vets but they might be a bit more expensive.

Hills kitten food is a lovely food for her, my suggestion would be to keep her on it and not change the diet until you have treated her with the above mentioned and see if the runs subside.

I think really your best plan should be to get her seen by a different vet. If she is quite elderly there could be underlying problems causing the diarrhea and you may have to let her go but try to keep positive and if you feel she's in pain we're all here to support you

all the best.