Cat still ill - WWYD?

[BuffysMum]

Okay cat still has occasional rectal bleeding, occasional overnight bile vomit. Seems really happy with us, very friendly, eats, exercises etc. There is a stool sample at the labs and we are still waiting for results.

My dilema is if the lab results doesn't show anything up as causing these symptoms what do we do. Merlin is a lovely cat but I'm not very very attached to him yet. We cannot afford to take on a sick cat with unknown amounts to be spent on treatment. Can't get him insured as we would have to declare this I should think.

So far the vet bills are £200 and he's no better, I don't want to give him back to the RSPCA but financially we would be foolish to keep him.

We took on a rescue cat because we feel you get a better idea of personality and I personally didn't want a kitten trashing our house, nor paying £350 for a pedigree. Never envisaged getting a sick cat before we had a chance to insure him!

Don't want to have to make the decision at all!

Did you get him from the refuge in this condition ???

I thought they were obliged to take him back .... swap him for a new one

Yes they have said the can't continue to pay for his medical treatment but they will obviously take him back if we can't keep him (and therefore still have to pay for treatment presumably!).

I feel so guilty he was previously a house cat with 14 other cats (!!!!!!!!!!!) he has now had the luxury of being an only cat and going outside (only for the last week or so though) can't bear to think of him back in boarding but who in the right mind would take on a sick cat if they don't know what is wrong with him, or will they put him down?

Depends which rescue as to whether he'll be put down. There are people who will take on a sick cat but that isn't all of us so I personally wouldn't feel guilty. I'd feel sad and sorry as you do but not guilty.

Maybe euthanasia is best if he will be destined to many years in rescue?

Very tough - hope the results are good news.

He is in some ways desirable as he is "a pedigree show champion" we just wanted a somali because by their nature they are demanding of attention. He will come sit on anyone lap, is very much part of the family - and very beautiful too!

Contact your local CPL (Cats Protection League) for help and advice. Hopefully his condition is treatable with little further expense but if you feel you cannot afford this burden, financially or having to deal with a poorly animal, please speak to the CPL first.
There are CPL people who foster cats in their own home & some might be willing to look after a cat with problems until a suitable home is found.
Please have a look at CPL website
I wish you luck and hope that the little cat is OK and his problem is not serious. Let us know what happens.
He probably thinks he's died and gone to heaven being an 'only' cat after a being one of 14 so I really hope he can enjoy his new found home and attention - you will grow to love him I'm sure.

Can I ask why he ended up as a rescue cat after being a show champion ? Was it because his showing days were over, he was already ill perhaps ?

I took on a beautiful but high maintenance pedigree rescue cat (Chinchilla) because I knew she had been mistreated, only fed tripe, was a huge big knot of fluff because no-one groomed her. And, she cost me a fortune in getting her back to fitness and health - I had to have her shaved because her coat was impossible to untangle. She had some personality problems too when I first got her and she would only show affection if she thought you were asleep - she'd come and lie on me and sleep.

My point is I grew to love her to bits and she me. I had her for a few years until she went missing. I never ever found out what happened to her, where she ended up and it broke my heart. I spent hours walking round the roads calling her name, knocking on doors, posting 100's of flyers etc.
I think a neighbour stole her when they moved but I couldn't prove it.

I think guilt would get to you if you let the cat go to one of the big rescue centres - you'd always wonder what happened to him. In my experience of the CPL, they will assure you that if you choose to give him up, they'll put your mind at rest that he has found a good home.

The owner/breeder ws described to me as very responsible but hat became too ill to look after her hoard of cats. From what I have gathered piecing together from snippets of conversation she had to leave her home and move in with her home as she was too ill to look after herself. At this point some of the cats then gained access to the outside world as the house was too small and I think a few unplanned pregnancies occurred.

At first the RSPCA were rehoming 2 somalis, 2 half somalis, pregnant female and then they were taking in a 2nd batch from her. The other somali threw up a tape worm despite the fact they had all been wormed on entry, the female has been treated for some other parasite (they are checking Merlin for this) and the 2 year old boys had only just been neutered. So me thinks that she hasn't been coping with them for quite while. Merlin has no medical history at the vets where he was registered.

He is lovely natured was snuggled up on our 4 year old earlier - any lap will do. Do cats get piles????? He has bad flatulance when he is ill it is so vile!

I meant she moved in with her Mum and I also was told she could only keep a couple of her cats.

Oh dear, that sounds a sad story. The lady sounds like she was struggling to cope.

I'm not sure about cats getting piles but they do get problems with anal glands. They are situated at about 4 & 8 0'clock around the bum and can cause terrible smells. So, when your little Merlin farts maybe the pressure of air escaping catches some of the smelly waft from the anal glands. Worms could also be a cause but I'm sure your vet will advise.

Bleedng again today after using the litter tray and more bad smells - oh joy! Just waiting for them to open again on Tue, they first suspected worms but he has been wormed on 2 different things since then I just hope the stool sample shows something up. Poor Merlin he doesn't appreciate not getting his cuddles when so stinky!

If the infestation is very bad it can take a long time to sort it out. I once kidnapped a cat who I knew was being mistreated by a neighbour and gave it to a CPL lady who nursed it back to health.
The poor cat was not fed properly, skinny as a rake, would sit on my doormat and miaow pitifully for food and company as it was shut out for days. One night in a raging thunder and lightning storm enough was enough. The owners had shut it out in that bad weather and I just made the decision to do something about it.

I felt as guilty as sin but when I found out from the CPL that it was weeks away from death I knew I'd done the right thing. The little cat was being eaten alive from the inside by worms and the damage was almost unreversible.
It had a happy ending though as it was rehomed with a retired lady who lived in a village in the countryside and had a life of love and looking after. It was left with lots of problems caused by the worm damage but had a happy life and coped on medication.
Let me know how you get on with the results. I lost my little cat last year, she was a rescue cat and I had her for 16 years. I hope your little Merlin is as lucky !

Will do he has in total had 2 lots of general worm treatment and one lot of other parasite treatment as the really sick cat had something else. I too wonder how long they have all had untreated worms for. The fact that one of them actually threw up a tape worm cannot be good - makes me very quesy!!!!

Will fill you in when we know!

well stool sample showed up nothiing. We've established that he dosn't poo as frequently as normal, sometimes it's a bit too hard, he scavanges something chronic, he drinks quite a lot of water.

Obviously I can go down the blood test & hospitalisation route however as he seems very well in himself etc I've switched him onto royal cannin sensitive stomach & long term antibiotics and see how we go.

If the RSPCA don't like it they can pay for it all!

Hi,
How much water does he drink in an average day ? Excessive thirst can be a warning sign for serious conditions. I don't want to worry you but take a look at below ...
If you have problems funding any further tests it may be worth contacting the Blue Cross. I don't know what the criteria has to be to qualify but they do help people who cannot afford private veterinary care.

"It is generally not thought to be a problem if a cat drinks less than 100 ml per kilogram body weight per 24 hours. If your cat drinks more than this amount, there is nearly certainly something wrong! It has to be remembered that the water intake of a cat is dependent on many factors, such as the weather, the type of food (dry or tinned), the activity level of the cat or the physical status of the cat (pregnant, lactating etc.).

Increased thirst is nearly always related to increased urination and some of the conditions mentioned below are primarily conditions causing increased urination and secondarily increased drinking.

One of the more common reasons for cats to drink excessively is kidney disease, especially in the older cat. Liver disease is another common reason. Diabetes Mellitus is also possible in cats. Furthermore, there are several hormonal conditions which can cause excessive thirst, such as Cushing?s Disease, Diabetes Insipidus, Hyperthyroidism, Hyperparathyroidism etc. There are some more, less common, conditions as well, causing excessive thirst.

In most cases, your vet will have to do several tests, mostly blood tests, to find out what the reason for the excessive thirst is in your cat. It is always advisable to visit your vet if your cat drinks excessively."

Expensive vet bills are not much fun and it's a shame that you cannot get him insured as it was an existing condition. But it does sound to me (and I'm an ex Vet Nurse, many moons ago I may add) that there is something underlying. It's a case of a good vet piecing together all the problems rather then maybe looking at each individual problem.

He may scavenge as force of habit having lived with so many other cats and having to fight for food ? Just a thought.

Anyway, keep me posted. I'll be interested to see he gets on. Do contact the Blue Cross though, you've nothing to lose. Good Luck.

I'm going to measure out how much he drinks but it's going to be harder now that he goes outside. But I'm sure it is less than 480ml and he is on dried food. The vet was just concerned about his fat intake as he scavanges cheese, all meat and margerine/butter to the point he will lick it off your toast!!

Anyway no more scavanging to be allowed. I also think we need to keep him observed for a month because he has been thru so much in the last months that he probably is stressed and that could be a big factor in itself. I know our old cat took about 6 months to really get over being rehomed to us.

If I thought he was unwell/going down hill at all I will take him but at the moment there are so many variable I want to have some of them ruled out before testing for everything and anything IYSWIM. I shall keep you updated.

Very sensible. Altho cats seem independant, aloof and confident in their own company they do need stability and the knowledge that someone is there for food, warmth, comfort etc.

Yep, he may be all topsy turvy after all the changes he's had so good idea to give him time to settle in.

My little cat I mentioned earlier had some peculiar habits. She was only 5 wks old when I got her and was very ill to begin with. But as she grew up she became hilarious. She'd go out and steal anything spongy, bath sponges, car wash sponges, polystyrene and fish from peoples ponds.
She was part ferrel as she was born to a farm cat that had nothing to do with humans.

She too would crave cheese, butter AND marmite and would steal it if she could.

Just remember to keep the fridge door shut !