Rescue cat help!

[StarDolphins]

Feeling so sad about this. Got our rescue cat 2.5 weeks ago. We already have a cat & dog. When we met her at the rescue, she’d been sick in her cage but the lady said some are because it’s a stressful time. Then she said we’ll always take the cats back.

So here’s my dilemma, she’s still being sick. Not after every meal, but either once a day or once every other day maybe. Never at night when she’s locked in my bedroom with me & sleeps on the bed. It’s after a day of intermittent growling/hissing either from her or my cat. Most of the time they sit in the same rooms away from each other but there’s still a lot of hissing/growling when they walk near each other. She seems to be sick a few hours after 1 of these episode (or might be coincidence). It’s always mushed up/partly undigested food. Absolutely fine in herself before & after, full of life, play, purring etc. her poos all fine!

i have savings but I can’t spend them all on this unfortunately but at the same time, I can’t send her back to that cage.

does anyone have any experience of this & could it be settling in & might clear?

I’m going to get the sack, I wfh & I’m spending so much time washing carpets & duvets😢

I’m no vet but wonder if it could be stress related. You could try Feliway and also keeping her in a room on her own for longer (with litter tray) and not having her come into contact with your other pets for a few days. See if that helps, if so you’ll know it’s stress and she needs a much slower introduction.

If she's being sick as a stress response then she'll probably need time to adjust. Have you tried feliway?

Its worth a vet appointment to rule out anything serious or anything that can be easily but medically treated.

She might have a sensitive stomach, in which case appropriate food designed for sensitivity stomachs would help.

I feel your pain though, it's hard when you're continually cleaning up after an ill cat.

How are you managing her introduction to the home and other pets?

Yes I have a feliway & wonder if to get another. She got stressed in her safe place on her own & yowled to come down & eventually jumped over the baby gate & cardboard on top. I think she wants to be with me& my little girl but doesn’t like my cat😢 she likes the dog, she was asleep on my DD’s bed with him last night. She happily but tentatively mooches around downstairs until she encounters my cat☹️

I might worm her, get another feliway, stop her eating my cats biscuits & keep her just on her wet food & let another week pass. She’s super happy if it’s me & her in my bedroom.

Then take her to the vet - pretty sure they’ll flog me hills sensitive but I don’t know how I would manage this as my cat has her food down all day as she’s a grazer.

I just can’t send her back to that cage, she loves us. Likewise, I can’t be cleaning duvets & carpets every day. I am praying it sorts itself, I don’t want her to be stressed.

thank you for the advice, much appreciated.

Sorry I missed your question at the end, first 2 days she stayed upstairs (was still sick 2 times but understandable in a whole new environment & then she started crying when I was downstairs so she tried a few times to jump the gate/cardboard on the landing & eventually did! So now she just comes down/goes up whenever she wants. I could lock her in my room but she howls to come out so possibly just as stressful? Downstairs she can get on high things away from my cat as my cat doesn’t jump!

How fast is she eating? My rescue used to do this, stopping only when he realised there were going to be a steady supply of meals from now on.

Royal Canin Calm biscuits really helped my anxious girl

She came from a dug addict who surrendered her due to going to prison so maybe didn’t know when she would get fed but I have to say, I’ve watched her eat & she doesn’t wolf it down but I did spread it out over a 12 inch serving plate just incase & it’s made no difference.

the day I got the feliway & 2 days after,she wasn’t sick but it just seems to have stopped working on my cat as she seems angrier now with the new cat than when she first arrived. Chases her off more.

Thank you very much. I have RC for my resident cat so might get some of these calm ones, might help both cats!

Definitely worth a try. Mine was stress weeing and the vet prescribed some powder to put on her food but she wouldn't touch it. I then discovered these biscuits have the same ingredients and its really made a difference. She has some on top of her wet food twice a day and then a handful last thing at night. Not cheap but definitely worth it for us.

If you haven't insured her yet, she should still be covered under the free month's insurance that usually comes with rescue cats.

My last cat was a puker, slow feeders definitely helped but he was such a wonderful cat that we learned to live with it.

I was told my rescue couldn't have the RC Persian food because it made her sick. Turns out she can't tolerate any RC brand at all. Swapped her to Iams and she's loads better. I suspect she's intolerant of cereals. Possibly maize. She has 24 hours every month or so where she is sick about 3 times. But it's a huge improvement. Also really helped getting a raised bowl.

Dr Beckmann stain remover with the brush on works a treat!

They didn’t give me this & they didn’t home or vet check me. They didn’t vaccinate either. This is a well established rescue that’s been going 30 years in our area too.

I’ve just got to stick at it. When my cat accepts our rescue eventually, I hope it will be fine. I just can’t send her back to that cage & I’m pretty sure she loves me, my DD & our dog. It’s just my cat!

Thanks! I love this stuff! Ordered an extra one just now!

Thank you, good idea, I will get a raised bowl. She is on encore wet 75% chicken but my resident cat is a grazer so rescue keeps pinching her RC Hairball & I know RC isn’t wheat/cereal free.

How old is she? If over age 6, might be worth getting her thyroid checked out as vomiting can be a symptom of hyperthyroidism (which is easily fixed with medication).

Thank you so much! Thanks ve been on Amazon looking for something to reduce stress for both of them. Will try the calm food.

She’s 18months only & I think possibly younger - the rescue basically says they’re all18mobths old! 🤣

Iams is also much cheaper than RC!

Sounds like a crap rescue.

I would insure her asap and then book the vets once the insurance kicks in.

Yes I insured her last week & have to wait 14 days I think!

Oh phew.

I use Zylkene for stressful times, comes in little capsules but you can open the capsule & sprinkle the power over wet food - mine love the taste! My vet has it, but I order it from Amazon (much cheaper).

2.5 weeks isn't really that long for them to get used to each other. Try watching some Jackson Galaxy videos on YouTube for suggestions, he is a cat whisperer and compete God.

Brill thank you, will order this for her. I just wouldn’t be able to give to my resident cat as she will only eat biscuits but hopefully a 2nd feliway will help. I might stick a bit of the Zylkene on my food🤣

My rescue used to be sick a lot (ie most nights). She stopped when I started giving her wet food at night. She has dried food available all day for grazing, but her main meal in the evening is wet.