Advise about rescue cat

[StarDolphins]

Feeling so sad about this. Got our rescue cat 2.5 weeks ago. We already have a cat & dog. When we met her at the rescue, she’d been sick in her cage but the lady said some are because it’s a stressful time. Then she said we’ll always take the cats back.

So here’s my dilemma, she’s still being sick. Not after every meal, but either once a day or once every other day maybe. Never at night when she’s locked in my bedroom with me & sleeps on the bed. It’s after a day of intermittent growling/hissing either from her or my cat. Most of the time they sit in the same rooms away from each other but there’s still a lot of hissing/growling when they walk near each other. She seems to be sick a few hours after 1 of these episode (or might be coincidence). It’s always mushed up/partly undigested food. Absolutely fine in herself before & after, full of life, play, purring etc. her poos all fine!

i have savings but I can’t spend them all on this unfortunately but at the same time, I can’t send her back to that cage.

does anyone have any experience of this & could it be settling in & might clear?

I’m going to get the sack, I wfh & I’m spending so much time washing carpets & duvets😢

I'm sure a vet visit for a once over wouldn't break the bank. Maybe ask in advance what the fees are? They might be able to say instantly if there's an obvious problem. Is she having the same food that she had at the rescue centre? That can unsettle them.

The rescue said they just get different as it’s whatever they have donated. She’s been in the same food food here for 2.5weeks.

Of course, I could & would definitely take her to the vet but I would have to register her at mine before they see her then I wouldn’t get insurance to cover anything where she was sick & I am sure my vet will suggest ‘trying’ her on hills sensitive because she’s otherwise well but my cat is a grazer so she’d always be able to get different food so won’t solve it.

it’s a mess really because I’m torn, my DD & me are invested & short of getting Karndean downstairs & limiting her to there, I’m at a loss.

I think I was hoping someone would say they’d had it & it all settled down eventually.

thanks for replying.

Post on the litter tray - lots of v knowledgeable people there!

Thank you, I will do that!

Not the same but my cat went to the loo, not in a litter tray, inside our house for days when we were away and she was stressed by the neighbours' new cats.

She stopped when we came back and fussed over her, we got her on some zyklene, so it could be stress from my experience.

I absolutely had this with my Shelter cat! It almost broke me, but after 2-3 weeks he stopped and all was fine.

I would keep your cat away from all other animals in your home, He needs his own ‘safe room’ to settle in and be comfortable. It seems your bedrooms is already a good place for him? Maybe make it there and keep all other animals out. Introduce them slowly, but get the throwing up fixed before you introduce them.

I gave mine a worm tablet. The shelter promised he had been done, but I went back to basics and did everything again.

I kept sticking with the same food, but I do give my Hills anyway. He might be sensitive, and you
may need to change, but I suspect your cat’s throwing up problem related to stress after interactions with the other cat/animals, not a sensitive stomach.

goodluck! It can and will be fixed! My boy has been fine for over a year now and not thrown up since :)

Oh gosh this has given me hope! I am so glad your cat ended up ok!

I have given her the whole of upstairs, access to every room but she jumps over the baby gate with cardboard on top to get downstairs! Tgen all the hissing growling starts whenever they cross paths.

I flea’d her today but not wormed so will do that next.

it’s like she knows I’m posting on here, she’s sat in my bed with me staring at me purring but looking suspicious!

I don’t want her to be stressed but please let it be that!

definitely sounds similar thank you, this gives me hope! Just hope it’s stress/settling in & not a big problem.

I once got a rescue Persian & I spend 2 years uninsured battling a skin problem that utterly devastated me, I was literally at the vets weekly, I loved her so much, she ended up on atopica & died at 2. The stress was all consuming.

I think the advice to keep the new cat away from your other pets is good, but you should also get her checked out by the vet - which is a good idea with any hew pet anyway.

However, I suspect her being sick is the result of stress. Stress due to being in a new environment and stress due to the presence of the other pets. If it doesn't resolve itself in a few more weeks, it may be kinder to return her to the rescue, with a view to her being adopted into a household where she'll be the only pet.

That is so sad. But she knew you loved her, and I bet had a happy life with you even for that short period. I completely relate to how stressful cats can be! And how expensive vets are as we have never had insurance.

If it were me though I am not an expert, I would keep your cat in a room it can't get out of even if it seems nicer to give it the whole floor as stressed cats for some reason seem to make straight for the cats they are stressed by in order to get more stressed and/or want to go where they can't!

Have you tried a Feliway plug in? There’s a friends version which I tried. It’s the first and only time my cats have ever slept next to each other! I woke up to find one of them with her back leg over the other ones head . They’ve never done it since, but it clearly had some effect. Worth a try.

We rescued a Maine coon.

It has been about a year and a half and he has only just now (touch wood) stopped vomiting. Give yours time. 2.5 weeks is no time at all.

It might be food and stress.

Our DBoycat started being sick after being ok for years. I bought Feliway and put him on a chicken diet with Royal Canin digestive biscuits and he was a changed cat. I then changed his wet food.

I would go back to square one and only give the cat the food above and one room to stay in with a litter tray for a while so she can decompress. Gradually introduce her to the rest of the house.

We have a new rescue and 6 weeks in she is comfortable in all the rooms.

I'm sure it will work out.

Did the rescue not give you insurance for the first few days?

were you not planning to insure the cat? either way it’s a shame you didn’t do that as you seem sure it’s going to be an expensive issue

Contact the rescue as ask if they’ll pay the vets fees but you need to take the cat for a vet check

The rescue should really pay for the vets with this as it was an existing condition when you picked her up. I work in cat rescue.

I think pet insurance is essential. My cat was repeatedly sick and after spending £800 on investigations (which the insurance paid) we found out he had inflammatory bowel disease. He's now on a special diet and absolutely fine, thriving!
If this is a stress reaction then I recommend Zylkene for both your cats. You can get it from Amazon or Pets at Home. It's very natural and made from milk but worked wonders with my cat who was freaking out for weeks when we moved house. You could also try Feliway plug in. It doesn't work for my cat but works for others.

Hi OP

I feel your pain. My husband had two cats when I met him and they both vomit ALL THE TIME. It's a constant process of washing carpets, sofas, bedding etc etc.

I bought them food bowls that were raised and slightly tilted (toward them) and that has fixed the issue for one of the cats, but sadly the other cat pulls her food out of the bowl and eats it off the floor, so she is still vomiting. But it might be an easy fix for you? Even just raising the food bowls up slightly (put them on a small box or pile of magazines?) might help. You could also look at some type of puzzle feeder, to slow down their intake of food.

Good luck!

How does she eat? Does she really wolf down her food? That can cause them to vomit and often cats who have been stray will eat very quickly and more than they can manage because they are never sure where the next meal is coming from.

There are bowls you can buy to slow down their eating or maybe try feeding her smaller portions more often.

The bowls which are lifted up on a stand are also something to have a look at. Eating from down low on the floor can cause some cats to vomit.

I've got a vomiter, it's not as often as yours (once a week) but still. He's also a rescue, was dumped on the streets as a kitten and is very food insecure, so he bolts his foor and then throws it up again. I use a very wide, flat bowl for his wet food and that's helped, but he still gets stupid with his dry food sometimes. It's definitely stress related.

Yes I have a feliway in but just ordered another 1! It helped first few days but doesn’t seem to be now!

Thank you, yes I need to be patient but I’ stressed that they’re stressed! Think I might start being sick🤣 it takes time.

Tried locking her in my room but she’s howled for 2 hours at the door & scratched for an hour. So I let her have the whole of upstairs & sges jumped over the baby gates. This is the current situation- rescue on me, dog to the right & resident boss on the pouffe

She takes ages, definitely doesn’t wolf it down but I’ve order an uplift to stop be bending her head down! Thank you.

Thank you, yes I’ve ordered an uplifted bowl for her as she is bending over so hopefully might help. I just want it to all work out for her☹️ I want her & my cat to be happy in their home. I dont want her to leave as soon as she’s allowed out because she hates it here.

It's fur ball time of year so my two cats have been being sick quite a bit over the last couple of weeks. I give them a malt paste but my one cats seems to suffer much more than the other. We've taken him to the vets before to get him checked but they have found no problems.