Any rescue people or vets about? Bit urgent...

[tabulahrasa]

I’ve a real thin cat in my front hall...

I got the SSPCA out to him the beginning of December they agreed he was underweight but wasn’t thin enough to warrant being an emergency (despite me telling them he’d had diarrhoea for weeks already) no microchip, so he was released with a paper collar and I tried posting pictures of him on local Facebook sites... no joy in finding an owner.

Tried cats protection, no spaces, tried the dog and cat home, no spaces.

He’s now skin and bone, still has diarrhoea and I keep finding him out in the snow eating things like bird food.

So I’ve got him in my front hall. I phoned my vet, they’re a bit reluctant to take him - understandably as I don’t want him back, my own cat is not good with other cats, they did say they’d try and help if the SSPCA wouldn’t though.

So phoned the SSPCA about half 4... said someone would come out... they haven’t

What’s bothering me is food, he’s really really thin - like you can feel every single bone on him

So I’ve been giving him about a table spoon of dry cat food every few hours... is that ok? I know suddenly over feeding animals can be an issue and I know he’s been unwell anyway...

@veterinari
@thecatneuterer
Not sure if that worked but I’m sure one of you can help.
Poor kitty. Thanks OP for trying.

He’s lively enough, he’s currently trying to get out of my hall into the house, but I feel like being beaten up by my cat will definitely not help him, lol

Real sweet and friendly, just really thin and I know feeding them too much is bad, but I don’t know how thin they need to be for that to be an issue or how much is too much

Are there any small cat rescues locally? They might help. Can you ask the vet for feeding advice?

Where about a are you OP? I know a rescue in Derbyshire that would take him.

I would think emptying a whole tin of food and letting him have at it would be an issue. Little and more frequently ok?
Do you have any wet food? Careful he doesn’t scoff the dry and not drink enough.

My vet is closed - they don’t do out of hours, well they do but it’s a separate company and anytime I’ve tried getting phone advice they just want you to go in and it’s miles away in another council area.

I’ve tried cats protection again, I don’t know if any small places nearby

“Do you have any wet food?“

Sadly I don’t, I only give my cat it occasionally and I don’t have any in and didn’t think to go to the shops before they closed as I figured he’d be away

He does have water, but yeah... cat... might not drink it

If you're near Stevenage I know someone who can help.

He might be an old cat, they often get overactive thyroids that make them thin and act in a bit of an odd way, more prone to wander, sit in road etc.
If it’s that thin it needs a vet so I would just call a local vet tomorrow, explain you have a stray that looks poorly, this is the key bit here, and I’m pretty sure any vets will take it in for you. I don’t know about Scotland but here vets can get some funding from RSPCA for emergency treatment or we just do it ourselves and find a local rescue happy to take cat on afterwards.
Little and often food is a great plan, doesn’t sound likes it’s starved ( as been around for a while ) so no great need to worry about suddenly reintroducing food .

He sounds hyperthyroid. Can you keep him overnight and take to your vet in the morning?

Nowhere near Stevenage - outside Edinburgh

“Can you keep him overnight and take to your vet in the morning?“

If I can’t get the SSPCA to come out tomorrow morning, that is the plan...

They did say to get back to them if I couldn’t get him seen - just obviously didn’t want to go, yes bring him straight here.

I suspect thyroid or some other health issue like that... but he’s now beyond just underweight, he’s literally skin and bone

I do have some wet dog food kicking about?... dunno if that would be better than dry cat food?

Bless you OP.
Am I right in thinking you're in Scotland
(SSPCA)?
This is a small cat charity based in Glasgow and Lanarkshire. They may be able to help.
www.catconcern.co.uk/

Thank you for taking him in. I really hope someone can take him in. He sounds too friendly to be a stray bless him.

Can you keep us updated?

I would stick to cat food for now. If it’s just for tonight a little bit of cat food should make him feel much better. I volunteer at a rescue but in Glos so can’t help.

Do you have any tuna in spring water not brine?

“I would stick to cat food for now.”

That’s all he’s had, it just occurred to me I have two random trays of dog food though, lol

“Do you have any tuna in spring water not brine?“

No, I’m a rubbish cat slave, lol, I have my cats dry food, some dreamies, weird tubes of cream based cat stuff...

Random dog things

And human food that is definitely not cat friendly - I don’t eat meat, so nothing useful

The emergency vet will be open and might give you advice over the phone. For Edinburgh "Vets Now" is the one connected to the local PDSA - worth a try for instructions on feeding?

@tabulahrasa

“I would stick to cat food for now.”

That’s all he’s had, it just occurred to me I have two random trays of dog food though, lol

“Do you have any tuna in spring water not brine?“

No, I’m a rubbish cat slave, lol, I have my cats dry food, some dreamies, weird tubes of cream based cat stuff...

Random dog things

And human food that is definitely not cat friendly - I don’t eat meat, so nothing useful

I am totally a rubbish cat slave

“He sounds too friendly to be a stray bless him.”

To start with it was a bit... yeah he could just be old and frail, but I wouldn’t mind knowing whose he is to tell them he’s got diarrhoea in case they don’t know as he’s doing it outside... the longer it’s gone on and the thinner he’s got, I’m not so sure

But no chip, no response to the paper collar, nobody anywhere local on Facebook ones who he belonged to and he definitely doesn’t have an owner in my street or the next...

But in the frozen snow eating mouldy bread and bird food just made me go, I’m taking him in and getting him seen somewhere

“For Edinburgh "Vets Now" is the one connected to the local PDSA - worth a try for instructions on feeding?“

They’re the ones that always want me to drive through, lol

I suppose I could try phoning them though...

They say little and often is fine...

They also said they do take stray cats if they need the vet, so if the SSPCA aren’t any use to me tomorrow, that gives me somewhere else to try

My cat is really displeased about the whole situation, lol

Soak the dry food in some hot water then you have wet food. You can soak in cold but it will take longer. Obviously don't feed it too warm.

“Soak the dry food in some hot water then you have wet food.“

that actually didn’t occur to me, rofl... what’s even worse is I’ve done stuff like that before trying to tempt my old cat to eat

See... bad cat slave

I wasn’t really expecting to have to keep him tbh, I just thought, nah, I can’t leave him out there

Please keep us posted. I don't mean to offend but please let us know if you'll need donations towards the vet costs.

“ I don't mean to offend but please let us know if you'll need donations towards the vet costs.“

Oh no, you’re fine... if he ends up going to my vet, I’ve already told them I’ll pay them.

It’s the finding someone who can take him after that’s an issue, lol

I’ll let yous know what happens tomorrow, I mean unless the SSPCA usually turn up in the middle of the night, lol, I suspect not.