Timmy,7yr old TNR true feral! COLD TURKEY!

[fluffpaws]

thank you both for your quick responses and detailed advice. I am working today but as soon as i get a minute I will answer your questions. Thanks again for the advice.

 

[dustydiamond1]

Yes,I saw you mentioned recently you've switched to Credilio because of Gypsy's sudden reaction to it- Good call,how about ear mites?I actually went back to the Rev for Timmy because I noticed a little flicking when I'd pet behind the ear and figured I'd try again and at least see if the flicking stops,his ears look clean though and we are not to the point I'd be able to medicate or clean in his ears without sedation - they all spend lots of time outside in the patio so Florida is crazy with bugs & parasites

I'm well pleased with Credilio too,if I go back I'll add HeartGuard ( brilliant)great advice for fluffpaws ... I'm sure you can clean Gypsy's ears, that little love bug girl - I know she LOVES frolicking around in the grass on her leash

The lack of ear mite prevention does worry me but she and her dad have a face and inner and eartip massage thing going on so if we ever notice any mites I know we can deal with it. About 2 yrs ago we noticed black lines in her ears. Even though she wasn't showing any signs, head shaking, itching etc... away to the vet we went. Her vet said it was dirt, when I asked if we should start cleaning her ears he said no the wax would work the dirt out. Now and again we use a fingertip and wipe a few spots off but mostly it vanishes on it's own.
When we used the Revolution I would hold her and her dad would apply.
I posted photos yesterday on the 'What is your cat doing now' thread while we were outside and the lioness was hidden in one of the tall grass patches her Highness insisted we minions leave when we mowed.

 

[Kwik]

The lack of ear mite prevention does worry me but she and her dad have a face and inner and eartip massage thing going on so if we ever notice any mites I know we can deal with it. About 2 yrs ago we noticed black lines in her ears. Even though she wasn't showing any signs, head shaking, itching etc... away to the vet we went. Her vet said it was dirt, when I asked if we should start cleaning her ears he said no the wax would work the dirt out. Now and again we use a fingertip and wipe a few spots off but mostly it vanishes on it's own.
When we used the Revolution I would hold her and her dad would apply.
I posted photos yesterday on the 'What is your cat doing now' thread while we were outside and the lioness was hidden in one of the tall grass patches her Highness insisted we minions leave when we mowed.

I saw those - Gypsy looked like she was in the jungles stalking prey- adorable.... I laughed so hard and truly thought " lioness"

 

[Kwik]

My sweetheart now likes to snuggle onto my lap- when he cuddles next to me he can't get enough pets or get close enough so he found out it's perfectly okay to step up on my legs and lie down on me- if I stop petting he pushes that darling face under my arm or hands- he's the most loving boy

I'm super concerned about his health ,having a difficult time about sharing- not sure if I should start thread in cat health or right here

Without expressing my worries I hope I can ask y'all to pray for my Timmy,send those good vibes and positive energy our way- I love this little guy so very much,he's my bestie

 

[tabbytom]

I'm super concerned about his health ,having a difficult time about sharing- not sure if I should start thread in cat health or right here

Without expressing my worries I hope I can ask y'all to pray for my Timmy,send those good vibes and positive energy our way- I love this little guy so very much,he's my bestie

I think you can start a new thread in Cat Health since Timmy's been indoors for quite sometime now.

Sending vibes and prayers for Timmy

 

[Alldara]

 

[rubysmama]

'm super concerned about his health ,having a difficult time about sharing- not sure if I should start thread in cat health or right here

Without expressing my worries I hope I can ask y'all to pray for my Timmy,send those good vibes and positive energy our way- I love this little guy so very much,he's my bestie

Oh, no. Sorry he's not doing well. You can handle him enough now to get him to a vet, right.
Sending healing vibes.

About starting a new thread, I guess it depends if there's health issues you want comments / advice / supporrt on. If that's the case, then a new thread in the health forum will likely see different people reading it than this one.

 

[Kwik]

Oh, no. Sorry he's not doing well. You can handle him enough now to get him to a vet, right.
Sending healing vibes.

About starting a new thread, I guess it depends if there's health issues you want comments / advice / supporrt on. If that's the case, then a new thread in the health forum will likely see different people reading it than this one.

Thank you- I hesitate to start a thread because the answer is to take him to the Vet ..... No,cannot handle him into a carrier as of yet to get him to the Vet( opthalmologist really)

His left Iris is turning brown,pupil is not dilating equally to the right and everything from cataract, glaucoma,uvetis, tumors and cancer is running through my head....

I'm doing well with post surgery recovery but not yet agile enough to take on such a task,
squat low enough or get on the ground( getting there )- Timmy is not social in the least so I'm really beside myself-

 

[fluffpaws]

All of us who"s hearts belong to feral cats can relate to that gut wrenching feeling when one of our babies are sick , my heart goes out to you and Timmy.

 

[Kwik]

All of us who"s hearts belong to feral cats can relate to that gut wrenching feeling when one of our babies are sick , my heart goes out to you and Timmy.

Thank you,that means alot to me- tonight I wanted to see how far I could manage picking my little baby love up.....
If I could only squat all the way- dang!I had him in my hands and as soon as all fours are off the ground he gets wiggly trying to touch ground with his rear paws---- if I could just get on the ground I'd be able to push him right into the carrier ,I need to be at his level and not bent over at the waist because he so easily gets under me

This time last year I would've been sliced n diced,bit and off to the ER- now I say:" cmon baby- after I failed and he comes back for treats n pets"

I feel like such a total waste- my baby needs help .....I looked for mobile Vets,nobody seems capable of handling such a boy....My Vet will be at a certain place in June,I believe those assistants are capable- I'm trying to let him go in on his own but so far he wants no part of carriers,cages ,boxes etc.....the only cubby he liked was in his enclosure,he don't even like cubbies or corners,always likes clear escape routes all around him,very typical of ferals,only recently does he snuggle on my lap with my arm around him( only one way out)

 

[fluffpaws]

Hi Kwik
Have you considered gabapentin? I found it to be a miracle drug with one of my feral boys who had to be vetted, he literally turned into Jell-O in my hands.Even the vet commented on how much better he behaved that day. Sometimes we all need a little help.

 

[Kwik]

Hi Kwik
Have you considered gabapentin? I found it to be a miracle drug with one of my feral boys who had to be vetted, he literally turned into Jell-O in my hands.Even the vet commented on how much better he behaved that day. Sometimes we all need a little help.

Its so bitter I've tried disguising it in food,churu- even teeny amounts but he is quite difficult to dose- even the credilio became a very difficult process having to disguise it in very small amounts in portions

Last year when I finally did dose him it did nothing -I never had much success with it on ferals but since Timmy is no longer in a feral state it may be worth a try- I've got to get in touch with my Vet which has become another ordeal since he is no longer where he was( long story)

 

[Kwik]

fluffpaws

Oh and yes indeed- sometimes we ALL do need a little help-sadly I've needed a great deal of help these past couple of years and have barely gotten ANY

On the positive side I've gotta say " thank you" to you and everyone of my friends here on TCS- I've gotten ALOT of help,support,encouragement and love right here..... I'd be losing my mind right now because I'd be keeping all my stress and emotions to myself ,by myself without you all

 

[fluffpaws]

I guess I was fortunate that my boy was a tuna hound !!! I used to be able to sneak almost any med as long as it was in his tuna tuna.
Please don't be so hard on yourself, you are still recovering from your own medical problem.We all know that Timmy is in the best of hands.

 

[Kwik]

I guess I was fortunate that my boy was a tuna hound !!! I used to be able to sneak almost any med as long as it was in his tuna tuna.
Please don't be so hard on yourself, you are still recovering from your own medical problem.We all know that Timmy is in the best of hands.

Ah yes- that's always a great food to disguise bitter meds....Timmy's funny,rarely finishes his wet meals so I've wasted many meds that way and had to use more but he really likes lickable squeeze tenptation treat so I might be able to divvy it up into maybe 3 packets- I'm really hoping he won't detect it because then it's quite the task to coax him to try again- he's a very smart,cautious boy..... I guess it served him well all those years on his own,I've caught people here poisoning cans of tuna outside,Timmy would never touch anythjng put out by humans yet the dry treats the lady left under the hedges he gobbled up..... it was very hard to get him to eat any wet food,he's such a character

Well,I'm going to start trying to contact my Vet who will get me more gabapentin & then I'll see what the opthamologist office says about making an appt....


One step at a time I guess- but at least it's some kind of plan..... still trying mobile Vets but you know how reluctant many are concerning ferals- I don't even consider my Timmy to be feral at all except when other humans are in the equationHe just my baby,he's had a very hard life

 

[rubysmama]

Well,I'm going to start trying to contact my Vet who will get me more gabapentin

yet the dry treats the lady left under the hedges he gobbled up..... it was very hard to get him to eat any wet food,he's such a character

Since he likes dry treats, you could maybe get gabapentin in tablet form, and try hiding it in Temptation treats, like the below video. Or even wrapping the tablet in a small bit of pill pocket, then coating the pill pocket in fortiflora.

 

[Kwik]

Since he likes dry treats, you could maybe get gabapentin in tablet form, and try hiding it in Temptation treats, like the below video. Or even wrapping the tablet in a small bit of pill pocket, then coating the pill pocket in fortiflora.

Thanks so much for the video-my ears perked up when she mentioned her cats do not like pill pockets,not one of my cats do either,lol..... I'm definitely going to try this temptation sandwich out and practice with some kitty suppliments I have that none of them like and turn their little noses up when I try to disguise them in different foods or licky treats - might be good idea to get some fortiflora too and see what Timmy boy thinks of it...hes sure turned off by pill pockets so that too is a great suggestion worth trying as well
Now the gabapentin are capsules so it's a bit tricky with powder so I'll see what suppliments I've got that's powder form to practice with - If this works I'll try to get the Rx in capsule form

 

[dustydiamond1]

My sweetheart now likes to snuggle onto my lap- when he cuddles next to me he can't get enough pets or get close enough so he found out it's perfectly okay to step up on my legs and lie down on me- if I stop petting he pushes that darling face under my arm or hands- he's the most loving boy

I'm super concerned about his health ,having a difficult time about sharing- not sure if I should start thread in cat health or right here

Without expressing my worries I hope I can ask y'all to pray for my Timmy,send those good vibes and positive energy our way- I love this little guy so very much,he's my bestie

 

[dustydiamond1]

The pill pockets worked for Gypsy for awhile, now she won't touch them. She is easy to pill, I pull her next to me on the bed alongside my leg kinda holding her in place with my elbow & right arm (I'm right handed( then place a dry treat (greenie, Temptation etc..) an arms length away on the bed where she can see it another on my left, lay one next to my left leg then I give her one still having her tucked to my side. I put my right hand on top of her head pull it up & back to open her mouth drop in the pill stroke her throat, let her go get the treat on the right then she goes to the treat on the left then I show her the last one, she gets in my lap and eats the last one, not always laying down, while I pet and tell her what a good girl she is. Nowadays we only need to do this if she spits it out of the piece of Sheba meat stick I poke it into, I give her a unloaded piece then the loaded one . Its a small pill. The meat sticks are the only treat she will heed outside, inside greenies work. She gets half a churu daily mixed with her probiotic/prebiotics. Liquid meds she gets put on the counter, sees a treat sitting close by, I surrounded her with my body at her butt arms on each side quickly hold her head with my left hand poke the syringe in her mouth and squeeze in one motion then give/let her go to the piece of meatsticks to get the taste out. Always staying calm on the outside (not always on the inside). You may be able to modify our techniques to work for you. For Gypsy I would try mixing the Gabapentin with a couple of crushed greenies, a crumbled piece of the Sheba meat stick (I tried an off brand but she threw it up) mixed with a bit of Churu. Like Sammy gotta get it right the first time, no second chance.
The 1st time I had to take her to the vet solo I was terrified about loading her, we didn't know her real well yet. All the videos I researched made it worse until I found this one, worked perfectly carrier is at waist (or close) level and she was in before she knew it. You might do a couple of dry runs with treats? Gypsy will not go into a carrier on her own, likes having an exit. I can't load the video but you can do a search. This guy is fantastic.

It's been 8 years and Gypsy is just now climbing into laps and snuggling on her own. She always let us cuddle and comb and massage and clip nails and basically anything we wanted to as long as she was in one of her low boxes/ box lid but the last few years she has let us outside the box . She always made us go to her as she lounged in her box like we had to prove something to her. She was always close by but now she will come next to us for snuggles. She has never bit or scratched and becomes liquid when she is picked up. Good luck

 

[Kwik]

So my Vet called and tomorrow he'll be at a clinic nearby and I can get gabapentin- he will also be at the clinic on Monday so the plan is to get him in then and he can have a look and see what's going on- if I'm not successful we'll try again Wednesday......

It's some sort of plan anyway- I might put the carrier out on the patio where he likes to nap and will be confined to a room if I can get the drug in him Sunday night and then Monday morning again...... he said pick up some Greek yogurt,they usually like it alot and it masks the bitter very well..... I'll try it tomorrow