Help with some foster cats

[fuzzypicklehead]

I posted on another thread about a couple of weeks ago about a random cat that presented himself in my front room one evening and proceeded to sleep on my lap. The next day I discovered a second cat hiding behind the sofa! Both cats looked the worse for wear, and bolted down food as if they were starving. Our existing cat and dog weren't fussed, so we let them carry on coming in out of the rain.

When we asked around we discovered that one of our neighbors had suddenly died, leaving the cats and two teenaged boys. The lads have gone to live with their dad and had arranged for the cats to be fed in the garden and sleep in the garden shed. So it's not surprising that they'd rather come in and sleep on our sofa when it rains. We put a card through the door explaining that the cats were frequent visitors and that they could call on us if they needed support to find a permanent home for them. We haven't heard anything back, but assume they've got enough on their plate just dealing with their mum's passing.

We've made sure they're fed and groomed, although one is quite nervous of being handled, and they're starting to look a bit less like ragamuffins. But the flea control is proving difficult for 3 cats + the dog, and I'm not sure whether the cats have been vaccinated or need any medical treatment. They both look quite old and one has an eye discharge and some sensitivity around his teeth. At the moment we're using a combination of daily flea combing, spraying and frequently boil washing the bedding and a topical flea spray since we don't know if they've been frontlined. (I'm guessing not, given the number of fleas)

Is there any charity that may give help to bereaved pets for help with vet bills and flea control and worming? If not, what are the most affordable, effective options for flea control and worming?

Maybe the PDSA could help? They sometimes help out with cost of neutering so maybe they could help with flea treatment too.

I wouldn't worry about vaccinating just at the moment, but obviously the flea thing needs attention. I found that Frontline stopped being effective, I used to use Stronghold on my cats, but there's another one that's supposed to be good that you can also get from the vets. I know these things are costly, but the supermarket stuff is just useless and a waste of money. I doubt it would cause any problems if they had already been frontline'd, as they do tests to check what happens in the event of "overdose".

Hope you manage to get some help.

We've found the same with Frontline, which is really a shame as it costs a lot for three cats! The main thing that worries me about vaccinations is whether they might already have something that they will pass on to my cat. :( The impression I had of their owner was that she loved animals to bits but wasn't necessarily great at the practical parts of caring for them. (We did have to intervene once regarding a pair of dogs she was temporarily looking after, as she had tied them up outdoors in a way that nearly strangled one of them.) So I'm working with the assumption that they haven't seen a vet in years and that underlying health issues may well have been overlooked. If money was no object, I'd have had them down to the vets for a checkup without a second thought.

If your cats are vaccinated though, they should be safe, right? Unless you live in a high risk area, ie lots of cats around and some strays, I think they would be safe. If one has eye discharge though, that should probably be looked at, as that could be something contagious that wouldn't be covered by a vaccination anyway.

I have to admit, I didn't used to vaccinate my cats after their initial first injections when they were kittens. I knew a veterinary nurse who agreed they don't really need it every year. People may agree with that or not, I'm not trying to instigate a debate about the rights and wrongs of vaccinating. (As it happens I lost both of mine within a few months of each other, one had a sort of stroke and one had cancer :( Neither would have been saved by being vaccinated.)

I really would get in touch with the PDSA, explain the situation and they may well give you a voucher for money off any treatment they need.

All good advice from Donkey. I'd add that you should try to clean the eye with a bit of boiled water then put some chloramphenicol eye drops in.
You can buy them OTC. My boys had really gungey eyes when they were small kittens. Rather than the expense of a vet I just bought some eye drops.
I did need to fib to the pharmacist. I said they were for my DD.

not should, more could.

If you need frontline etc you can get it online a lot cheaper and if you go through quidco.co.uk you get cashback too. The last online cat pharmacy I used I only went to as they were cheap and I got cashback. I use advocate though which is prescription only.

It sounds like they have been abandoned though or they would not be so hungry.

Advocate is the one I couldn't think of, I've never used that but have heard lots of people recommend it.

I use advocate. its always done the job for my cats

Thanks for the advice, I'll check out the online flea controlI hadn't thought of that! I'll try the eye drops too, but I'll have to rope in DH for reinforcements"smelly cat" (DDs name for him) does not like people touching his head! They're both still coming in at mealtimes and when it rains and generally sleeping in overnight, So I think they have been more or less abandoned.