URGENT!!! EMACIATED STRAY...HOW DO I FEED HER???

Bloodmilk

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Hi y'all. I'm new here and have been looking for any info and this seemed the best place...I DONT KNOW HOW MUCH OR HOW OFTEN I SHOULD BE FEEDING THIS POOR BABY!!! so earlier today at my job like 4pm this poor kitty came to me...SEVERELY EMACIATED...you can see all her bones in her hips, spine etc... I have never seen a cat so thin in my life...so I freaked ran in grabbed some turkey ( I work at a resturant) coaxed her over and fed her maybe half a slice of real not lunch meat turkey breast...got my friend to come with a carrier and we got her in it...meanwhile the shelter near me cannot take her until monday...the vet can't see her til friday...and the emergency vet near me is ridiculous...by the time I talked my husband into letting me take her home and getting her new room fixed up which is my basement bathroom (blankets, a box to hide in with more blankets, my own kitty babies heated bed she doesn't use, a space heater, litter box, and water dish) it was like 7pm...I brought her in and she laid in the carrier I got her to drink water by dipping my finger and patting her mouth...eventually she realized I wasn't gonna hurt her and came out and started drinking...and drinking and drinking...poor thing drank soooo much water in one sitting...anyway I fed her some wet cat food soup...the only way my own kitty eats is by mixing water and her wet food and blending it into soup...and I know about feeding small and slow KIND OF...I have her like 2 small size spoonfuls with a little more water slightly warmed...she came out and very slowly ate it and then drank some more water and then layed in front of and on the water dish and acted like I was gonna steal it...at this point I she let me pet her and I lost it...you can feel every bone to the point i was afraid I was gonna hurt her just by petting...so I just face petted for a long time...I got a little purr...she got tired just from this small activity and layed back in the carrier...at this point I noticed a small pee spot in the litter (yay!!!) So I'm crying and heartbroken about this poor creature and I'm like she's gonna die before I can get her anywhere...there's gotta be something else I can do...so found tons of stuff about pedialyte and kitten replacement milk and i also bought some kitten wetfood...so I'm like hot damn maybe she has a shot...i go get both and mixed up 1 tablespoon formula and 2 tablespoons pedialyte...the time was 11pm and I fed her this...she seemed more active than before but again quickly laid back down...no new litter box spots at this time...I told my husband that I'm sleeping out in the kitchen at the table to make sure I wake up every few hours to feed her...so at 2am I made wet kitten food soup with pedialyte instead of water...blended it and gave her 2 more small spoonfuls...I walk in the bathroom where she is...she immediately comes and SCARFS down this food I mean like very very fast and aggressively...not like she tried to attack just very forceful with how she was lacking this stuff up...very active at this point and I'm like dammit she's starving so I went back up and got like 1 and a half small spoonfuls of the soup and go back down open the door she ran out looking for the food...got her back in the room set food down and shut door and came back up...HELP ME!!! I don't know if I'm doing any of this right...if I'm giving too much pedialyte or not enough or too much food or if 3 hours between is too long...do i keep alternating between wet food soup and the kitten formula pedialyte mix...I need HELP!!! I have never dealt with a stray in this poor condition before...I'll attach a couple pictures...if ANYONE knows how much and how often I should be feeding her please please PLEASE let me know!!! Thankyou!!! VideoCapture_20211124-204800.jpg 20211124_190727.jpg VideoCapture_20211124-204940.jpg
 

Jcatbird

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Cats are not like dogs. They generally won’t eat themselves into oblivion. She may take more than she needs just because she has been starving but just keep doing what you are doing. If she barfs up a lot, slow it down a bit. If she wants the food, keep offering it. Slow and steady should be okay. You can leave food out for her but I suspect she desires your company. It sounds like she has been lost or abandoned and just could not hunt enough to survive. She definitely needs to see a vet. She may be dealing with some issues but you have given her great care and it sounds like she is responding quite well. Keep her warm and continue to give her food, liquids and love. The love may do as much as everything else you are giving her. The kitten replacement is good. The pedialyte should be the unflavored form. That’s good too. It will help to rehydrate her. You can probably expect her to finally feel full and rest a bit when she realizes that the food will continue and you are not going to stop being there for her. If you can keep her, she will do far better with you than at a shelter. She really needs to regain her health before any attempts to adopt her out snyway. Some shelters would help her but many would put her down. Adoptions are few and far between these days due to shelters being overwhelmed lately. There are some routes that can be taken but she needs your help right now. She trusts you. Just keep doing what you are doing! I am so very grateful that you cared and found her. On this, very appropriate day, I am thankful to you for loving this cat and giving her comfort in the time of her greatest need. May the blessings you have given her come back to you ten fold. You have my greatest gratitude. If the world was made of people like you, suffering would not exist. She is a beautiful kitty and very lucky to have found you. Please do keep us updated and ask any questions you have as they arise. We have members all over the world and there are time differences but post often and someone should see. I had actually signed out for the night when I happened to see your post so I signed back in to talk to you. Welcome to TCS, you are in the right place. I’m so glad I saw this post. You have given her great help and comfort.
 

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Hi B Bloodmilk Thank you so much for helping her. I'm really glad she found you.

I think that, as she is an adult cat and appears fairly healthy apart from the low weight, you can feed her more at one sitting. Do you know how to check for dehydration? Gently pinch a fold of skin at her scruff. The skin should go back down as soon as you release it. If it stays tented up she's dehydrated.

You can leave the water bowl in the room for her to drink whenever she wants to. Feed her wet food that is high in fats and protein, rather than dry.

Give her about 5 calories worth of food at one time. 3 hours between feeding is about right for the first few days.

Please keep us updated and let us know how it goes at the vet.

:heartshape:
 
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Bloodmilk

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Thankyou so much for answering...i apologize in advance if rhis is incoherent...ive been awake since 6am yesterday morning...i slept 2 hours a little bit ago because she is soooo bad i cant let her skip ANY feedings cause im asleep...the pictures do not show how bad she actually is...im afraid to touch her body...it's ALL bone...I don't wanna tent test her because of this...but 100% she's dehydrated...I have no idea how much 5 calories is wahhhh...like I need measurement sizes here if anyone knows??? 1 tablespoon??? More??? I'm doing about 2 to 3 teaspoons of wet every 2 to 3 hours and I gave her 1 tablespoon of KMR mixed with 2 tablespoons pedialyte in between the wet food...like alternating wet food then formula then wet food...I'm getting ready to feed her again...ima do 3 teaspoons wet food mixed pedialyte to make a soup with about a teaspoon of the kitten formula also mixed with pedialyte...if any of this WRONG please let me know in the next 2 hours so I can adjust what I'm doing before i feed her again...and again THANKYOU so so so much
 
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Bloodmilk

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And Also let me just say how much I 100% believe she was brought to me from God ( I'm obviously a Christian and in now way do i want to offend anyone who may help because of my own beliefs...so I'm sorry!!!) Just too many "coincidences" led up to her coming to me being completely terrified and not running off while I got her wrangled...I'm a waitress and got stuck at work late because I decided to wait on some of my regular customers...which I normally wouldn't have done because I had like 10 minutes left...so after they finished their meal I was gonna go outside and smoke ( yes I know it's HORRIBLE...and I hate it and am trying to quit) so I get these people all set and then they decide to get dessert which they never order...so I get them all set with THAT...then my coworker decides to clean 4 of my dirty tables ( which I had to do before I could go outside) and when I say this girl NEVER helps like that I mean she NEVER has ever not once helped me clean a table...so she cleaned 4...I thought that was odd...so I go outside and finish smoking and instead of going back in I decided to finish the last 10 minutes of a video I was watching ( which I wouldn't normally do because I want to leave work ASAP) and it was freezing out and it was just weird i did that...so my video finishes and I see something from the corner of my eye and there she is...she just walked up to the smoking area which is enclosed on one side with evergreen bushes and was like 3 feet from me and I was like uhhhh hello kitty??? And she mewled and looked terrified and retreated to a bush about 5 feet away...so I ran inside got my friend who's a cat person to come out with me and make sure I wasn't losing my mind...and that kitty stayed there for a good half hour completely terrified and she should have ran but she didn't and now she's here...oh!!! And just the fact that my husband let me bring her here and keep her in the basement bathroom is a MIRACLE in itself...oh wow I'm sorry...I'm very ranty from being sleep deprived...anyway...thankyou so much!!!
 
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Bloodmilk

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OK thankyou guys so much...I've just never dealt with a stray THIS bad...i would love to be able to keep her...BUT...I know always a but...I have an 8 year old kitty we adopted last year...SEVERELY ABUSED in her previous place of residence...because it was never a home for her...one of my regular customers at my restaurant rescues strays all the time and my baby used to live behind him and she'd escape out of her torture basement ( a michigan basement so idk if anyone knows what that is basically dirt floor mold wet no heat a hole in the ground with a house on it basically) because they would put her there to punish her for fighting with the other 4 cats they had...it's a long sad story but my baby will not tolerate another kitty and as much as I love this little black kitty...I can't traumatize my baby...I brought the black kitty in through our basement entrance and my baby has no idea she's here...I live in michigan and we just no kill the whole state...I will make 100% sure before she goes ANYWHERE that nothing bad will happen to her... there are all kinds of rescues here...I'll find the best one and keep you posted...thankyou so so so much...
 

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The fact that she is so friendly might suggest she has a home somewhere.

One of my girls got out and turned up 3 miles away a month later. A lady who feeds feral cats near her house noticed this new, skinny cat with a collar on and eventually got close enough to read my phone number. She'd lost a ton of weight, but was healthy otherwise.

Ask the vet to scan for a chip. She could be someone's pet, it would be awesome if she had a home she could be returned to.
 

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After 24 hours I would start giving her a 1/2 can of small cat food every 4 hours or so. Then the next day offer her a full can every 8 and leave hard food out at all times for her to munch on. Bless you, for taking her in. Cats are very strong, she'll be fine! Seh definitely would have died without you! i would contact all nearby shelters and vet's offices and give them her description, you never know, someone may be looking for her.
 

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:hithere::welcomesign::hellosmiley::rock::alright::grouphug2::grouphug:
A Thanksgiving miracle indeed. I've no experience with your dilemma but want to chime in with some moral support. Bless you for showing this poor sweet darling warmth, food, water and love and for saving your resident kitty. Sending love, prayers and healing vibes to you all. :vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::goldstar::hangin:Tell your husband that we here at TCS consider him a hero too. Keep us updated and feel free to vent. We try to not judge but rather offer all the support we can:goodluck::bouquet::touched::thanks::redheartpump::hearthrob:
 

MackerelTabbyStripes

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I'm so glad this kitty found you and has good help now. I definitely agree with the others that she is acting like a lost or abandoned cat, not a feral -- she wants your attention, she was not doing well outside at all, she looks to people as a source of food and shelter. I really hope she has a microchip when you take her to the vet, and that she will be reunited with a loving family who has been desperate to know where she is. Even if she's not chipped, you may want to post on local social media or put up a found cat poster. Other posters should have some good advice here on how to make certain any respondents really do have a good history with her and aren't just trying to grab a free cat for whatever reason. At least do a search on local postings for lost pets in the past few months -- that level of deterioration indicates to me she may have gone missing much earlier this year so go back a ways just in case.

If you can't determine that she was lost from someone who misses her dearly and wants her back, I hope you are able to feed her and get her strength up for a bit and find a shelter with plenty of space to let her shine. If your basement can accommodate this one separated from your current rescued kitty for awhile, you could potentially approach rescues with an offer to foster her. They can get her through intake, get her on their website & some pictures up, and you could keep her to continue recovering until they find an adopter or a more permanent foster placement.
 
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Bloodmilk

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Hiii y'all!!! I'm sorry I didn't post yesterday...I was super exhausted from not sleeping and it was Thanksgiving and I had to work at 7am today didnt get home til 4ish...meh...Real quick...
She is doing GREAT...I'll go into detail Ina sec...I haven't read anything since Weds night...so I need to catch up...please forgive me:kiss::kiss::kiss:
 
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Bloodmilk

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First off let me say you are all so so so amazing and I cherish every kind word...may God bless you all!!! It has been a rough emotional last couple days but we are pulling through...let me update with all that has happened first then I will answer everyone that has posted...I'll start a separate update reply so y'all don't have to listen to my sappyness hehehe...and AGAIN thankyou all so so so much...I don't know if she would have made it through that first night...
 

dustydiamond1

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First off let me say you are all so so so amazing and I cherish every kind word...may God bless you all!!! It has been a rough emotional last couple days but we are pulling through...let me update with all that has happened first then I will answer everyone that has posted...I'll start a separate update reply so y'all don't have to listen to my sappyness hehehe...and AGAIN thankyou all so so so much...I don't know if she would have made it through that first night...
:touched:No rush! We just really needed to know she was still with us and doing well, we knew you were/are emotionally and physically exhausted so take your time & relax. We're not going anywhere.:grouphug2::grouphug::redheartpump::hearthrob::sunshine::bouquet::vibes::vibes::vibes::hangin::goldstar:
 

dustydiamond1

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First off let me say you are all so so so amazing and I cherish every kind word...may God bless you all!!! It has been a rough emotional last couple days but we are pulling through...let me update with all that has happened first then I will answer everyone that has posted...I'll start a separate update reply so y'all don't have to listen to my sappyness hehehe...and AGAIN thankyou all so so so much...I don't know if she would have made it through that first night...
:woohoo::dance::bunnydance::banana2::banana1::purr::dancingblackcat::clapcat::bigeyes::catlove::catrub:
 
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Bloodmilk

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***UPDATE***
Ok...sooo she is doing so so so much better...and im stupid and thought the vet was today...it wasnt...its tomorrow at 12:30...so im freaking about that...i am just praying to God that she doesnt have FIV or FLV or anything super serious and that starving the way she did didnt have any lasting effects AND that i havent caused re-feeding syndrome...so prayers for all that please!!! Anyways,she's still super frantic over her feedings so I haven't really been able to spend very much time with her because as soon as she finishes she is frantically looking for more food and won't chill...THAT breaks my heart...I cannot imagine what she went through before she found me...anyway I get maybe 10 minutes from the time I give her the KMR/pedialyte mix and let her lick that all up, and give her the wet food...but she is very lovey and leg rubby in the franticness of looking for more food...she is getting a little better tho...as in she didn't stand up and try to pull the plate down as soon as I walked in hehehe...she almost waited til I had set it down this last feeding about an hour ago...so I'm thinking about giving even smaller portions every hour to hour and a half while I'm home and awake to get her used to the fact that she doesn't have to struggle anymore...le sigh!!! le wahhhhh!!! So because she is so frantic about the food I haven't attempted to pick her up and weigh her...I still don't know if she's a feral baby...if she has any injuries I can't see or if I'm gonna hurt her JUST by picking her up because she's SOOO SKELETAL...so tomorrow we will all know her actual weight...it's making me cry just thinking about it...I'm trying to think of what else has happened hehehe...OH!!! She is using the litterbox for 100% she has pooped both days(cause I've really only had her since weds night so I'm not counting that night) and is peeing alot...but she also was severely dehydrated and CHUGGED the water first thing...and I'm giving her about a half tablespoon of pedialyte split up into the KMR and her wet food and adding a little water to both...so yay!!! AND her fur just looks so much better than it did the first night...and she may look a little thicker...y'all tell me!!! I'll post pics I took tonight...her energy level is 100% better...I have plywood blocking her way into the rest of my basement by the bathroom so when I come down I'll talk to her before I open the door so she knows it's OK and she will scratch for a sec like "hey!!! Yeah I'm hungry!!! What you waiting for!!!" But in a French accent because...just because that's her voice in my head hehehe...and I'll open the door and she runs out sees the KMR plate and runs back in her room and I shut the door and sit and talk while she finishes that and then the same thing I open the door let her run out and she smells the wetfood and runs back in to eat...and I'll talk to her til she's almost done and then I have to go cause she'll freak out looking for more food...so I fell asleep in the middle of this and it is now 6am Saturday morning...I'll update more today after the vet...and work...thanks everyone!!!
 
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