Don't know what to do for the best

[Justonedayatatime11]

My teeny weeny tiny little white cat is unwell. She came to me from the RSPCA full of giardia, practically yellow with both her eyes semi closed and they didn't tell me she was from a feral colony.
She's 18 months now and this morning at the vets she was weighing 2.5kg she still has baby teeth, some of which need to come out. Vet also wants to do full bloods etc. She looks so unwell. I don't know what to do for the best for her. My insurance doesn't cover dental work.
For now she's had antibiotics and anti-inflammatories and she's not in any pain. She's my baby, and I feel like I'm failing her

Cats are the most amazing creatures...That's such a beautiful picture, OP, such a tender image. I believe that right now your reassuring presence is what she wants more than anything else. Clearly your love is the most important thing of all to her...

How is she this morning?

Well she'd eaten all her food overnight which I'd crushed the steroids into. She's been in the garden, had some breakfast and is now laying in the sun. It's difficult to call. She's purring, she's eating, she's active and interested in things... this is by far the most difficult decision I've been told to make

Not wanting to spoil the moment but cats do purr a lot when in pain as well as when being stroked and cuddled.
She is a truly beautiful dcat.

Is she being sick at all? The up and down nature if it has reminded me of this old thread, though the symptoms are different.

Thanks Time. No, no sickness. It's just impossible to call. There was no indication of FIP when they did the ultrasound. No fluid, no masses. I can't bear the thought of having her pts, especially when she's just a baby if it's not FIP. I honestly don't know what to do.

Are there any charity vets?

Hi Just
The thread Time quoted was about my cat Teddy. He had a high temperature we couldn't control and swollen Lymphnodes. We had bloods and biopsies done and found inflammation of the lymph nodes together with a very high Coronavirus Titre.
Has the vet done a blood test to get any Coronavirus titre, whilst a high titre doesn't necessarily mutate into FIP, the cats rarely thrive.

With Teddy it turned out that his temperature was because he was shedding the Coronavirus and it returned to normal after a few months. The inflammation appeared to be in the gut so he has IBD and now he's on steroids and antacid every day, and is fine. I cut up the tablets and wrap them in the chewy cat sticks to get him to take them - works a treat.
It's probably the steroids improving you cat's appetite.
I'm rather surprised your vet put your cat on steroids if they think it could be FIP, my vet was very reluctant to give Teddy steroids for the inflammation (I believe this is the standard treatment for inflammation) in case they boosted the coronavirus to mutate as they would boost his whole system. We started him on steroids as soon as we had the all clear blood results.
Please don't give up on her unless she's suffering, there were many times I wondered if I was doing the right thing but I talked it over with my vet and we made the decisions together.
Teddy is fine now and is 20 months now and a normal cat. He's still quite small probably because he wasn't getting the nutrition he needed through his growth time.

Hi anoldie, I was going to message you! Ok, so from what I can remember, the titer count was high, and she tested positive for coronavirus, but as I understand most cats do. She had an ultrasound and x rays but NO sign of FIP, no masses, no fluid, just enlarged lymph nodes. She is seriously tiny at 2.5kg but normally eats like a horse. Her temp was 41.7 on Weds after the ultrasounds, and down to 40.6 yesterday. I only have the steroids and some very strong antibiotics for the weekend as the vet wanted to see if they helped.
I so desperately don't want to give up on her, she's just a baby and she means so much to me. I don't think she's suffering but it's hard to tell. I can't bear the thought of having her pts and it not being FIP

Thanks, anoldie! I'm beginning to think the two cases are sounding more similar than I thought this morning.

OP, as anoldie says, don't give up!

I'm sat here bawling. I don't know what to do anymore. I HATE not knowing if she's suffering. She ate the tuna that I crushed the steroids into earlier but hasn't touched her cat food. She's climbed up on top of the medicine cupboard and oh fuck it, I just don't know what to do. I need someone to tell me what to do for the best because I just can't bloody do this.

If she's climbed on top of a cupboard she can't be feeling too bad.

Deep breaths, OP. You can do this.

Slightly odd suggestion, maybe, but could you email the link to anoldie's thread to your vet, if you think that there's a chance your girl could have the same as Teddy? I'm just thinking that it shows the journey anoldie and her vet went on and it might give yours some ideas. Apologies if that's a really stupid idea, though.

Ill cats don't want to do anything. She's eating. She's being adventurous. She hasn't given up so you mustn't.

Now, have a good bawl and then stop. Pour yourself a glass of wine and relax. Give your owner a Weebox stick and make sure you have something to eat.

I think Time has made an excellent suggestion. Maybe even your vet could get in contact with theirs? From my own experience I have found vets keen to broaden their knowledge so could be an option.
I really hope she can be helped. You are doing the best by her and climbing on cupboards is a good sign!
Glad Teddy is doing ok.

Vino - thank you for saying what I really wanted to but thought might get laughed at for saying, that OP's vet gets in touch with Teddy's. I really think that could be beneficial.

She's just been out in the garden, come back in and is now alternating head butting me with eating . I am so conflicted. I'll be back at the vets Monday morning so I'll certainly show them this and see what they say. She's just a baby she doesn't deserve this

I think with unusual cases like this or medically complex cats (like our old girl was) vets want to help but can get stuck. I think it's good for the profession to help each other out.

Just let her out and she bombed round the garden like a mad thing. And then refused to come back in. Is that really how a cat that should be pts would be acting?? Thinking of asking my old vets for a second opinion

Second opinion v good idea.

Email them link to Teddy's thread before your appt. Hopefully they'll be able to read it before they see you.

Forget the idea of pts. I'm annoyed it took me so long to think of Teddy, but even if it's not the same the up and down nature of it is similar. Your cat is enjoying life. Until she's not let her live. And only if there are not good bits among the bad.

I agree don't think about PTS. She certainly sounds quite lively!
Second opinion is also a good call.

She's very lively and very naughty! She's now eaten her food and is yowling at me for more. I'd do anything for her not to be pts so thank you for all the advice

We have had many cats over the years here at Chez Pawsitive and I've seen some of those cats fade, and we knew it was their time, but that's not what this seems like with your girl. When in doubt, get a second opinion, definitely. Meanwhile, she is eating and enjoying the garden... that's very encouraging.

Well if there's no sign of FIP then I certainly wouldn't have her PTS at the moment. If there's a chance she may get better from whatever it is, and if she's not obviously suffering too much (and if she's eating and running around that pretty much means she isn't) then I wouldn't even be considering PTS.

How is she this morning?

Eaten everything overnight, had a wee, shot out in the garden this morning and raced about. Is now stuffing her face with tuna (steroid and antibiotic crushed into it). There is no way I am having her pts tomorrow!

I am very glad to hear this! Definitely no pts!!!!! Even if she goes downhill again it seems like it will just be a turn so don't panic!