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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Advice needed for situation with poorly cat

489 replies

Poorlycatadvicewanted · 27/12/2023 01:03

I need some advice please. So we have a kitten still but he isn't well. We've been to the vets countless times. He's on prescription food, he's been on 4 rounds of antibiotics and he's not getting better. I've tried a few vets and they all say he might just always be ill as a complication of the virus. I want to take him to the vets again. But my husband wants to give him up to a cat charity so he can be looked after and possibly re homed. I'm not sure and think we should try to get him better. Its cost me a fortune in treatment so far.

The lady we got him from lied about everything. She said he was a she. She said he was flea treated but he was riddled with fleas. (I took him.straight to the vets and he was flea treated and wormed and vaccinated) She said any cat food was fine but he had diarrhea from the day we got him. After weeks of messaging her it turns out she was feeding him a raw food diet. He was only 4 months old and he got campylobacter ( like salmonella) vets reckon this is the cause of his illness.

He doesn't have campylobacter now as we got this treated but the constant diarrheah is an ongoing complication and he's not putting on weight even though I feed him 4 times a day. Kids are devastated because he said we need to give him up. I'm quite upset but part of me agrees with him and the other says we should carry on looking after him.

The other problem is that the vet refuses to do his vaccinations again or neuter him until he is better. But then also said he might never be better. But won't advise what we should do! I've tried all 3 vets in our area and they say the same. He can't have top up vaccinations as he has the diarrheah and so now he would need them re started but again can't because he's ill.

So now I don't know what to do as he is very much loved! But I feel awful that he's not getting better and looks like there isn't anything we can do about it either. The vets kind of given up!

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FormerlyPathologicallyHappy · 04/01/2024 09:02

Excellent news!

Does this save you doing a stool sample now?

Poorlycatadvicewanted · 04/01/2024 09:41

I hope so. He's just had some more diarrheah. So going to give him a few days and see if he improves fully. If not then I will get the samples done

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Poorlycatadvicewanted · 04/01/2024 11:24

He's plonked himself right on top of the paperwork I'm dealing with today

Advice needed for situation with poorly cat
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ELCismyspiritnana · 04/01/2024 18:38

He's clearly feeling much better even if he's still got some diarrhoea. I always found worming caused loose stools anyway, so it may be that his poorly tummy is sorted, and the loose poo is just the wormer doing it's thing. He's such a cutie!

MadeOfAllWork · 05/01/2024 23:47

How is he today?

I suddenly thought of him as my girl just used the litter tray, something she almost never does. (She’s funny when she does though as she stands next to it shouting until we clear it out).

Poorlycatadvicewanted · 06/01/2024 10:22

He's OK thank you. A mox of stools but slowly getting better!

Thank you!

That's so sweet of your cat!

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Poorlycatadvicewanted · 06/01/2024 23:40

I think his tummy is looking much better!

Advice needed for situation with poorly cat
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MadeOfAllWork · 06/01/2024 23:46

So much better!

Poorlycatadvicewanted · 07/01/2024 00:14

I have been mixing half his GI food with Hi life and I think it's actually helping a bit. He doesn't smell sobad either. I'm dragging it out and then will remove the GI food and see how he goes.

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user1471538283 · 07/01/2024 09:33

He looks so much better! The little Prince is getting there and fast!

auntyElle · 07/01/2024 11:46

Absolutely crazy that the vets didn't pick up the possibility of a worm infestation remaining. Well done you.

Probiotics themselves can definitely cause diarrhoea and bloating when first used. Especially strong ones. They can be very helpful but are not trouble-free. I always start slowly with a small dose and increase slowly.

Scampuss · 07/01/2024 13:14

Aww, he does look less bloated, fingers crossed for him.

You might want to check that the Hi Life is a complete food as last time I fed it, it wasn't. It is particularly important that he has a nutritionally complete food after all his struggles.

MadeOfAllWork · 07/01/2024 13:43

Scampuss · 07/01/2024 13:14

Aww, he does look less bloated, fingers crossed for him.

You might want to check that the Hi Life is a complete food as last time I fed it, it wasn't. It is particularly important that he has a nutritionally complete food after all his struggles.

The pouches are complete but the tins aren’t.

Poorlycatadvicewanted · 07/01/2024 13:48

Thank you everyone. He has the pouches. We had diarrheah again this morning. I'm wandering If it's because if the food transition.

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MadCatLady27 · 07/01/2024 21:10

Glad to hear he's improving! His tummy may be one of those horrendously sensitive ones, like our BSH, who can only have his hypoallergenic biscuits - when he was on normal food, he'd be fine for a bit, then we'd have another flare up, in the end at his booster I just asked the vet if he can go on a prescription diet, which is where the hypoallergenic food was discussed.

Of course the ragdoll, who wants to eat said food, can't have that as it upsets her tummy! So both have to be supervised, you can tell if they haven't been as the poop starts to get iffy

It may be the hi life just isn't going to agree with him - I've found pedigrees seem to have very sensitive Tummies! If you want to give him treats, I suspect from BSH experience his tummy isn't going to agree with them, so you could always try a bit of the pre cooked chicken you can get, or the cruel to be kind approach and just no treats.

Poorlycatadvicewanted · 07/01/2024 21:11

Thank you @MadCatLady27 I will give it a few more days then.

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Poorlycatadvicewanted · 08/01/2024 08:22

Awful diarreah again this morning. Do you think the panacur wasn't long enough?

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Poorlycatadvicewanted · 08/01/2024 09:22

Actually. I think this hi life food doesn't agree with him! I transitioned slowly and he's still not fully on it! Will back track I think. Going straight through him. Stomach still isn't swollen though

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Poorlycatadvicewanted · 08/01/2024 09:28

I'm going to start charging him rent!

Advice needed for situation with poorly cat
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margotrose · 08/01/2024 14:52

I know it's really tempting to try all sorts of different things, but I really wouldn't change his food again until you've completely sorted his poos.

He's had so many medications recently that his stomach will be all over the place. He needs to get properly settled before you go about changing what he eats or you risk just making it even worse.

Poorlycatadvicewanted · 09/01/2024 14:46

His tummy is still a bit up and down. But I think he's happier. He is following me around the house a lot more. And started rubbing up against me when I'm standing about (he has only done this once before, and he hasn't stopped today) and sticking his bum in the air when I stroke him....I'm assuming this means he is happy?

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Poorlycatadvicewanted · 09/01/2024 14:46

His tummy is still a bit up and down. But I think he's happier. He is following me around the house a lot more. And started rubbing up against me when I'm standing about (he has only done this once before, and he hasn't stopped today) and sticking his bum in the air when I stroke him....I'm assuming this means he is happy?

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Poorlycatadvicewanted · 09/01/2024 14:48

Don't know why that posted twice!

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StBrides · 09/01/2024 15:22

He certainly sounds it :)

margotrose · 09/01/2024 15:33

He sounds like a very happy chap!

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