Kitten Arrived Riddled With Fleas

[ItsSnowJokes]

We have recently adopted a 16-20 ish week old kitten. She was found abandoned by a friend and then we have ended up with her. She has arrived yesterday absolutely riddled with fleas, but most of them were very slow and sleepy. We have treated her with advantage and a very good flea comb and I have indorex coming tomorrow. She is confined to the lounge at the moment which is hard floors but she has taken a space on the sofa so that is likely riddled as well!

She has lovely pink gums, but she is very very quiet for a kitten, just sleeps or hides a lot of the day, not really into playing she looks like she doesn't know how to! She is also really not eating a lot of food. She has used her litter tray for 3 wees in 24 hours but no poops (but then she's not eating a lot!). Her nose is a nice temp and wet, she just seems a very sleepy kitten.

She is booked in the vets the end of next week (the earliest I could get) but she has had her jabs as friend got those done straight away.

Is it normal for an abandoned kitten to be this quiet? I know it's very confusing for her currently as it's a new house but she is just so quiet. She has no other unwell signs other than being quiet and not eating much (she has drunk water a few times though).

I am annoyed that friend didn't flea treat her as friend has had her at their house for 5 weeks! They have had a stern message from me today! As its now costing us a fortune and we are all itching like mad. It was also unfair to leave a kitten that is tiny with that many fleas! If her guns weren't such a great colour she would be at an emergency vet for anaemia! There were about 20-30 on her and so much flea dirt.

Keeping everything crossed for her!

@stupiduser

Thank goodness she found you. What would that 'friend' have done to help her?

My husband has sent "friend" a message as I have been too upset and angry about it all. Friend has made some right noises but not a lot else, we have spent so much time, love, attention and stress the past 3 days and over £150 already (our good level insurance doesn't kick in for 14 days for illness and now this won't be covered anyway!) today at the vets for medication (injections of steroids and anti inflammatory) and blood tests. I have been banned from contacting them by husband as I will just let rip that they are an absolutely abusive cunt and they had the kitten 5 ish weeks and didn't notice or do anything about this. The vet says this hasn't suddenly come on. The signs were all there, and they are an experienced cat owner which makes it worse. Husband did say to them you need to flea treat your own cats as the very minimum as she was crawling in them so it would be impossible for your cats not to have them as well.

I'm just devastated. Husband did ask the vet what the kindest thing would be and he said he doesn't think she is in pain currently so see how she goes over the weekend and they will decide Monday. I will pay whatever it takes as that's what pet ownership is to me, but I draw the line when they are in pain and the quality of life is low.

@Frazzled2207

No advice but I really hope you get to the bottom of this “Friend” has acted appallingly. Did they realise that the kitty had lots of issues then try and offload her ASAP before the vet bills started stacking up? I’d be ex-friending them tbh.

Oh don't worry that is done. I am beginning to suspect this is the case, and its just a horrible thing to do. Especially as we have a young child (5) who is already so attached to her first pet. It's just disgusting to treat an animal like this and other people.

Oh I'm so sorry to hear your kitten is poorly. It sounds very similar to our experience with our cats- we rescued two sisters at 6months old. They were severely abused by the first owner.

One died at 6. We spent a lot on operations for her eyes as her eyelids kept turning inwards. She walked like an armadillo. They think she had some spinal problems and ended up in lots of pain so we had her pts.

The other little one we still have, she is now 10. She has her problems and suffers with seizures every now and then. The vets didn't want to put her on medication as They don't seem regular. We had Lots of vet visits at the start but They think it's to do with brain damage. She is happy but not like a normal cat. She's very lethargic and quiet but loves cuddles and tickles. It took a lot to get to this point as they were scared when we first got them.

She is beautiful, OP. I'm so sorry she's having problems and really hope she pulls through. You sound such lovely owners - unlike her last one, poor mite.

So vet had called and left a voice ail but our mobile didn't ring. Her blood tests have come back as very high potassium. He was surprised as she has no signs of kidney failure, not really any signs if addisons so we are taking her in tomorrow to be looked at.

*voicemail

🤞🤞 Hope they can help .

I will keep the thread updated so people know the outcome good or bad. It might help someone else in the future with any cat problems.

I made a good friend through twitter after my last cat was diagnosed with a rare tumour and lived 18 months longer than anyone ever expected. They contacted me from googling the condition.

oh poor kitty :(

please keep us updated

She looks such a lovely little thing, I hope you get better news soon

Sending positive thoughts to your lovely kitten.

Look at this face this morning. She has started eating well, is weeing and pooping although her poop is quite soft but we have changed her diet from dry and raw food to high meat content organic food. She has eaten some not so great food as well when she wasn't eating at all, and late last night we found out she goes crazy for lick-e-lix things. Like crack for her. Never seen her so lively. She refuses all dreamies, moist stick things etc..... the only treat she has liked is the lick-e-lix. I just want her fed and content as she is so small and slight, she needs feeding up a bit. Waiting on the vet to call us back this morning. We called at 8.30 when they opened and they are calling us back.

Oh, she's so sweet!

It's good that she's eating something - she must be feeling a bit better.

Hoping the vets can get a handle on what is wrong.

Oh she is lovely 😍

You must be so worried about her - but she is very lucky to have you- getting her all the best vet treatment and being spoilt rotten at home I imagine!

She is beautiful, keeping everything crossed for you. You sound lovely, she is very lucky to have you.

She is so cute and loves a blanket and a lap to sleep on. All she does is sleep and walk really slowly. It is heartbreaking to watch. She is eating more and more but then she just sleeps the rest of the time. No playing, just sleeping and sitting around. She has no energy what so ever and her head is so near the floor when she does walk like she can hardly lift it up. Personally I think she may not make it and it breaks my heart to say that, but she is so so poorly right now.

Oh what a little sweetheart! I’ve actually a couple of years reading this thread.

I’m so glad she has you now to look after her and care for and love her, I’m so angry at your “friend” so I can’t actually imagine how you are feeling towards them!

tears, sorry should have spellchecked

@Froppysue

Oh what a little sweetheart! I’ve actually a couple of years reading this thread.

I’m so glad she has you now to look after her and care for and love her, I’m so angry at your “friend” so I can’t actually imagine how you are feeling towards them!

They are not a friend anymore that's for sure. I have known them 20 years and would never have pegged them for this. Makes me weary of a lot of people now, how can anyone do this?!?!?!

If she doesn't make it, at least we have given her as much love, attention and fuss as we can do.

I have some heartbreaking and upsetting news.

Sadly she is not going to make it. She is booked in for 3.40 at the vets for her final journey.

The blood tests have come back with very very odd results, the best guess they have without a huge battery of tests or a post mortem is she has a congenital muscle degenerative disease that is just too much in a small kitten this age to deal with. Her liver enzymes are sky high, her potassium level is through the roof and neither are connected to any normal illnesses together. Today she has started tilting her head badly to the left and is struggling to walk.

The vet was honest and said the tests will be 2-3k with about a 20-30% chance of them possibly being able to treat her at the end of them. The tests may be painful and distressing for her and the vet said if she was her kitten she would do the kindest thing for her as while waiting for all the tests she may continue to suffer.

Its a tough day in this house as cats have a way of making you fall in love with them instantly don't they? We have given her so much care, attention and love these past 4 days, that hopefully she knows how much we care for her and are doing the right thing for her.

We have to break the news to our 5 year old and I just don't know how to do that.

Oh, no. I'm so sorry.

You are doing the kindest thing, but that doesn't make it any less heartbreaking.

@SquirryTheSquirrel

Oh, no. I'm so sorry.

You are doing the kindest thing, but that doesn't make it any less heartbreaking.

I'm just heartbroken. I know people will say you only had her 4 days but I have spent so many hours combing all the fleas out of her, tempting her to eat, sat up with her sleeping next to me last night incase she got sicker over night. I have spent more time with her than I would if she was a healthy normal kitten! She is next to me now just sleeping.

I'm so sorry it's not good news.

I hope you find a way to tell your daughter. My children are 4 and 6. We have told them that previous pets were too poorly. They go to sleep/die and become the brightest stars in the sky. This helps, when they see stars they talk about the animals.

Good luck. I'm thinking of you today x

Oh I'm so sorry. At least she got 4 days of love from you & your family.