 Purred: Mon Jul 16, '12 1:16am PST |
 | |  | | Hi;
Just a word of warning about no kill shelters. They do kill if they think the pet is not adoptable or sick . What classifies what "not adoptable" or "sick" is dependant on how full the shelter is and how much room is available. Still a "no kill" is better than a kill shelter. Sadly the outlook for a stray cat is bleak at best.
But don't lose hope. Stray cats have found homes before, so it is do-able. With this cat being so thin, it is important that he eats. So access to cat food should be available at all times and away from the dogs. He needs to be able to eat at liberty and safely. Same thing with water.
I know money is tight and I am sorry for your recent run of difficulties. If you can find the time try to google imom.org it is a website for people without money for veterinary care and they may be able to help or direct you where to turn for help. There are programs out there to get an ill animal veterinary care for no money, it just means researching it and telling your story to as many people as possible to get help. As for your vet I think they could have given the poor cat a break and at least looked at him for you.
Being thin could be allot of things. It could be starvation, internal parasites, (both fixable), a virus,(sometimes not fixable), a metabolic issue (treatable, not likely) or cancer (highly unlikely). There is more, but the bottom line is it would be best if he got minimum a fecal test to check for internal parasites, and an felv,fiv test and of course an exam by a veterinarian. Spaying and neutering can't be done till he is healthy anyway.
In the mean time I would feed, feed, feed. No people food, no milk. Keep the food you feed consistent. Don't switch brands, don't worry about him needing variety. He doesn't. So, no people food. There are many people foods that are toxic to cats so stick with cat food.
Do not use any dog flea or otherwise products on a cat. They can, and do kill cats. Do not use any essential oils around cats. Nothing herbal either, such as "herbal natural non toxic plant oil cleaners" etc. Many companies do not know or do not care about what is safe for cats or not. If a product is safe for a human baby it still may not be safe for a cat. So be careful with anything. No aspirin, no Tylenol, no insecticides, no milk.
I would keep the dogs away from the cat at all times. If your one dog wants to eat the cat chances are he will at some point. That would be a horrible thing to witness and live with the rest of your life. So safest to make sure there is always at least one door between them.
Another website to check out is Alley Cat Allies. They may be able to help you and are on the east coast. You are right, your not in the most cat helpful area of the world, but there is probably someone to help, it is just finding them.
It is the right thing to try to help this kitty. It is also good that you realize the commitment that needs to be made to a pet before you can consider yourself an owner. But I have to warn that if you do find someone that wants the cat be very careful. Because there are allot of truly disgusting, vile, deranged, psychopaths out there that are good at fooling people. Don't give the kitty away for free. Horrible things can happen to free cats.
Hope this helps. Good luck. He sounds like a very sweet little cat. |  |  | |  |
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If you want to fatten him up, kibble is probably the way to go because it is calorie and carb dense. That said, a high protein wet food is your best bet all the way around. I would go with a wet diet and go with the best your budget will allow. Max Cat is a decent premium that won't break the budget. If you're feeding dry, make sure kitty is drinking plenty of water. If you can, at least try for a mixed diet of wet and dry. As for the vet... You might explain your situation to your regular vet and see what he/she has to say. They might have suggestions that will help you out. The dogs may take time to get used to the cat. Make sure you're supervising them when they are all together if possible. If you find you just can't keep the kitty, try to find a No Kill shelter or a local rescue group that will take the cat in. Or contact them and tell them you will foster the kitty until they find a home for it if they will get the kitty vetted. Some of them may do this. Best of luck to you and bless you for caring about this kitty.
