Adopt Or Not?

slykat12

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A good friend rescued a family of cats off the street. A mom & 3 beautiful blue eyed seal point kittens. We took them to the local shelter because they claimed they were low kill-However, they immediately classified our 4 as feral-they weren't- and told us they all would be put down in less than a week. They turned out to be lying and were very high kill according to their own website.

We tried to get them out immediately upon earning this but because we found them they forced us to wait 5 days in case their real owner came forward. In these 5 days all 4 cats got really sick with eye infections and URIs. My friend being a hero adopted all 4 to save them. The two females- the mom and one kitten appear to have fully recovered.

Two male kittens- I am guessing were 3 months old when turned into the shelter-now 6-7 months- have been sick going on 3 months!!! They have been to the vet several times and received various meds yet still cough and sneeze and no real diagnosis has been given. They eat and play and socialize fine.

Anyhoo, When finding the family I took a fancy to one of the little boys. I would like to be his mommy. BUT I have my own heathy cat that I do not want to get sick. I just do not know what to do. I want to help my friend who is broke and I want to help the kitten but not at the risk of my cats health. Sigh... What to do?
 

Elfilou

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Keep the kitten separated from your own cats for as long as he is sick. Give him his own room until he's better. Take him to the vet, make sure he gets healthy etc.
 
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slykat12

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I think what I was looking for was probabilities. The kits are at the vet weekly with no answers or improvement. Any statistians out there?
 

Blakeney Green

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No one is going to be able to give you the odds of your cat contracting an unknown disease, because the odds depend on what the disease is. Some things are highly contagious, and some are not.

That said, URIs are really common in shelters and often clear up with some meds once the animals gets home. The cats may be just passing germs back and forth, and might do better in a lower-density environment.

If you adopt, there is a risk your cat might get sick. You can mitigate that risk significantly by quarantining the new arrival until symptoms abate.

I would suggest trying to find out the specifics about what the vet has diagnosed and what has been tried so far before you make any decisions.
 
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slykat12

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Ya sadly, the vet has no clue. He told me he sees cats with uris lasting months now. Sheesh
 

ej x

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Is there anyway it can stay at the vet until he gets better? or at a friend's or relative's house?
I would get a second opinion on what the actual disease is before getting them into proximity of your cat. Try to find a way, there is always a way to help our furry friends, but I would not risk endangering my own.
 
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