Poorly kitten with cat flu.

[ToffeeWhirl]

Our six-month-old Balinese kitten has a recurrence of cat flu again . He first had it a month ago. This time, he has a high temperature, an eye infection, the sneezes and is sleeping all the time. He is still eating and drinking, thank goodness, but he is very underweight.

If he gets another recurrence, the vet will check for other diseases.

I have come away from the vet with a bagful of medicines and a much depleted bank account.

The vet did reassure me that this wasn't life threatening. We are all besotted with this kitten, particularly my oldest son. The other day, DS1 fell asleep during the day and I found him and the kitten tucked up under the duvet, both heads on the pillow .

Has anyone else had a cat with cat flu? If so, did it keep coming back? Any tips?

Also, any tips on telling the breeder would be welcome. I chickened out of telling her the first time round, but I really feel I should this time. However, I don't know what to say without sounding as if I'm asking for a refund or blaming her in some way. Also, I'm not sure what she can do about it if her cats are carriers. Does it mean that she shouldn't be selling kittens, or is this just a risk you take when you buy a cat from a breeder?

Incidentally, the only reason we bought a pedigree was because I am allergic to cats and this was one of the few breeds that don't trigger my allergies. Am not particularly bothered whether I have a moggie or a pedigree, just don't want to spend my days sneezing and wheezing.

Yes, I hope so. We will carry him upstairs if he wants to go up and be with DS1.

He is using his tray.

Oh dear, he is such a worry.

Doing their tray squat is the biggest unavoidable strain on back legs so if that's going OK, it's something.

Such a worry, indeed. You're coping well.

Ah, that's worth knowing. I'll take the lid off the litter tray and watch him next time he goes.

What time is your visit to the vet today, cozie? I do hope the vet can deal with his URI, in spite of Seniorboy's age .

Came down to a long slug-like hairball lying on the kitchen floor this morning - a lovely start to the day. All that hair ToffeeKitten had pulled off himself the other day had to come out sometime, I suppose.

There has been another incident: he fell off a chair yesterday evening. He was looking up at me and he just tipped backwards and fell . I was scared to leave him for the night (DS1 was sleeping upstairs again), but tucked all the chairs under the table so that he wouldn't jump on them. And he does love his heated basket, so I knew he'd stay there for the night.

He seems ok this morning. His miaw has come back at last, which is so sweet to hear. He demanded breakfast and ate about a quarter of a pouch of Felix, so he still has an appetite. He also went upstairs when I wasn't looking and he was fine this time.

He stopped licking the wall when he caught me looking at him this morning - then he waited for me to leave, so he could continue . I carried him away from it instead, much to his irritation, I'm sure. (Those walls are just so damn tasty!).

Later today. I think he's not too bad - sleeping on his electric blanket at the moment so it seems that heat is a good thing. (At any rate he thinks so despite the fact that it's summer - and it seems that KS thinks so also?) I'll let you know how it goes.

Good news about him getting rid of the hairball and then eating but I don't like the sound of him falling off a chair. Maybe he got dizzy from lack of food and invalid status (and maybe he was already feeling queasy from the hairball) but ....keep a close eye on him? (I'm sure you will anyway.)

Good, glad Seniorboy is enjoying his electric blanket and sleeping well.

No, I don't like the falling-off-chair thing either. This morning, he has wobbled whilst sitting on the sofa arm (I caught him), he has snapped at me twice whilst I was stroking him (maybe something hurt?) and he is licking walls all over the place. After I told him to stop last time, he went into the corner of the sitting room and did a wee. Am not sure if that was a protest at being told to stop something he liked doing or if he is just getting very confused. He is still wiping with his paws around his food bowl, as if it is his litter tray too.

Honestly, it feels as if something is not right with him and I think I will have to take him back to the vet for further blood tests, even though the experience is stressful for him. A friend suggested I cover his basket with a blanket to stop people looking in at him, as I think that caused him a lot of stress last time.

I did mention to DS1 today that I didn't think he was a well cat and that I was worried about him. I thought he might need time to get used to the idea, in case the worst happens. DS1 just accepted it at face value and missed the implication, but that's probably all he can deal with at the moment.

Best of luck at the vet this afternoon, cozie.

He is unsteady when he's sitting still now too. He wobbled to the left and nearly fell a minute ago. It's either that his balance is all wrong or his back legs are weak.

Toffee ...I know you don't need the additional expense, but do think that what you are seeing indicates an urgent call to the vet.
Will keep fingers crossed here.

Just as a thought, I would mention the L-lysine and double check with the vet on the dosage he has been having in his water, from the capsules. Am sure its fine, but these are odd symptoms so vet needs to know precise full picture.

I'll see if I can take him tomorrow morning, MumnGran. I agree with you. There are too many odd symptoms and they seem to be increasing, not getting better. I wondered if the wobbliness is an ear infection that is affecting his balance, but there is no point speculating really as only the vet will know.

I will mention the L-lysine, but I'm sure he isn't getting too high a dose.

Oh, and there is no expense now as these are new symptoms and will be covered entirely by the insurance. I was just holding off taking him because he was so stressed by the experience last time and I wanted to give him a break.

Hate guess-working symptoms but these could be neurological (hence the query about the L dosage).
Would keep a very close eye.
Poor baby. And poor you!!

Back home.

Seniorboy did OK - we didn't manage to get enough blood to send away but enough to be going along with along with urine tomorrow (for the kidney tests.) For the cat flu he got an AB jab for secondary infections and will get another later in the week. The vet was broadly OK with his weight and condition given his age.

Toffee, I'm heartsore about wee KS. I'd phone the vet this afternoon and see if they want to see him right away. These new symptoms are worrying and, like you, I wonder if he could have a secondary infection - there not being much you can do about the virus itself. I'd phone right away. Sorry.

Which bit of going to the vets distresses him? I've noticed the less traumatic it is to get I'm into the carrier equals a less stressful visit.

Well done to Seniorboy. Hopefully the AB jab will help him right away. It's good that his weight and condition is ok for his age.

I have phoned the vet and the vet we normally see is off till Saturday. The first time any vet can see him for blood tests is Friday morning. In light of what you said, I wonder if I should ring back and ask to speak to a vet (I spoke to the receptionist).

Fluffy - ToffeeKitten's carrier is his bed, so he doesn't mind being in that, although he doesn't like the fact that he is shut in when I take him out. I suspect he just gets stressed at being out with lots of different people looking through the front of the basket at him.

I would call back, Toffee.

Could you put a towel over it while your waiting in the vets?

When do senior boys blood tests come back cozie?

Have managed to get him booked in for 6pm this evening .

Suggest taking a log of all weakness, wobbles & impaired co-ordination in the last 24 hours (because if anything like me, I forget half the things I meant to say!!)

Funny you should say that - have just come back to the thread to note it all down! This thread is a good record.

Yes, Fluffy, that's a great idea about covering the basket. Will do that.

Back from the vet. He said that, as we thought, these were seriously bad signs and it is very bad news that ToffeeKitten is getting progressively more symptoms. He suspects liver problems affecting the brain, but asked me not to speculate too much until we get the results on Thursday.

He decided to do the blood test straight away, but warned me that, because we don't know what is wrong internally with the kitten, the poor thing might have an adverse reaction to the sedation. Well, that just about finished me off - the thought of going home without our cat and telling DS1. I ended up leaving kitty and walking back to the car in floods of tears. I couldn't stop, even in front of DS2, who was waiting for me with DH. We called round on MIL and I was still in floods. DS2 actually told me to pull myself together .

Well, the good news out of all this is that the vet decided to try gas instead of an injection and this seems to have worked well. When I picked kitty up, he was really perky and looking out of the basket.

I'm not telling DS1 anything about what the vet said until we know something for sure on Thursday. I just hope that, whatever it is, it can be treated. I don't suppose ToffeeKitten will make old bones, but I'd like him to have a few years, at least.

He is sleeping peacefully on my lap again, curled up like a perfectly round shell, with his nose tucked into his tail. I keep crying, but I really mustn't let DS1 see or he'll know something is up. Hopefully if I have a good cry now, I will be all cried out by the time I see DS1, who is playing XBox upstairs with his friends and still blissfully unaware of what is happening.

Oh Toffee.

I have to go somewhere for a short while. I'll be back directly.

Thanks, cozie. I can't believe how upset I am. Am in pieces. It's just like when my dog died when I was 15, but I have only known this kitten for a few months.

I think it's also because we invested so much hope in this kitten. We bought him to help my DS1 overcome his illness and saw him as a symbol of hope. And he is such a sweet kitten.

Really must pull myself together. Have DS2's bath to do and story to read. And must not let DS1 see me all red-eyed and pathetic.

Oh lord, this is just awful. That poor little cat.

Back now.

Seniorboy's blood, that small amount they managed to collect, was analysed in-house. (They had enough to measure the technical mumble technical GS22 enzyme widgets or something.) The vet phoned me mid-afternoon to give me the results and was pretty happy with them. I have to collect a urine sample tomorrow morning and they'll analyse that as well - and together, they should cover what the vet needs to know for continued NSAID use. (Allied with his clearly good condition and reasonable weight.) She's treating the cat flu as a separate problem because luckily there are no interactions.

Toffee - I'm just very upset about KS. All of the regulars on this board have 'known' him (through you) since he first arrived and for me, it almost feels as if he's one of my own boys. Everything crossed here for him.

Oh, that's such good news about Seniorboy, cozie . I'm so pleased for you and him.

Fluffy - thank you. It's just not fair.

Right, I have pulled myself together at last. Have had to reapply make up so DS1 doesn't suspect anything. Have had lots of cuddles with ToffeeKitten.

Am being practical now. I hope that whatever the vet finds, it will be possible to medicate and kitty's problems will melt away for the moment. I realise that may be wishful thinking.

If the vet says that the kindest thing is to put kitty to sleep, how on earth do I know when to make that decision? ToffeeKitten is not in pain or discomfort. So long as he is on a familiar lap and has regular food and water, he's a contented cat. (I realise the wobbly legs will become more of a problem if they get worse). I don't want to end this kitten's contented life. How do you know when the time is right? Actually, I asked the vet that and he said I'll know. Do you think that's true?