Aggressive Resident - It Just Got Real. No Idea How To Help Him.

[1 bruce 1]

People would actually do that to their furry family???!

Guilt if it's caused by the stress from the Feral I had to bring in.

Guilt for being too passive when telling the vet about his poop all these years and not pushing even though the blood work came back fine.

Did I do this? Did I fail to see something?

He jumped the gate a few months ago - first time in his life and looked a bit hurt. I waited and after a day or two he appeared fine. Did he / does he have an internal injury from that and I didn't take it serious?

He has a plastic water fountain - I clean it weekly / bi-weekly depending on how it appears. Should I have done it more? Is this bacteria build up in his system because of that? (BTW I noticed cleaning it tonight the plastic is slightly degrading - I tossed it and ordered him a drink well 360 that is stainless steel - there is plastic on the top - but I think that should be okay.)

Should I have kept trying with the food - even though he was starving himself. Did I give up too soon changing it?

Am I feeding him too much Salmon with his food and treats?

Guilt - loads of guilt.

I will try to curb that. I had to stay outside for a bit tonight and cry and get centered before I came in to see him. Trying hard to be zen for the babies.



Really though I cannot thank you guys/gals enough. I am so very very grateful.

Yep, I know that feeling.
We have a few that either upset the balance (temporarily) or just came to us with the worlds shittiest luck.
I don't think you should be feeling guilty, but I kind of understand the feeling of your heart, when your head tells you you're doing nothing wrong.
I think about our medical nightmare cat, with IBD, Asthma, God knows what else and the little signs I missed. Random diarrhea, lots of coughing whenever he would run around, and stuff like that.
Dogs are usually pretty good at hiding pain when they don't feel good. But cats blow them out of the water if you compare them. When you're tough old hunting dog is screaming in pain over something, your cat that's experiencing the same thing is sitting there like "whatever, bruh, it's good."
That's one thing that absolutely sucks about cats, even though it's cool how tough they are. Any time they feel real pain, or discomfort, they hide it so well that by the time you know something isn't quite right, the problem is advanced. A GOOD vet won't blame you for this. Actually, one of our vets is who put this in my head.
Keep your chin up. You're doing fine. Better than fine IMO. You're stressed, you're frustrated a little but you've got plenty going on and that's understandable.
If you need to go over the "what if"s in your mind ("what if I did this, what if that jump hurt him, etc."), do it....then let it go as best you can. And then tell yourself "this is a learning thing. They're teachers. I'm the student. I can learn and they can help me."
Then imagine some nice person on TCS said what you just posted, and imagine your response to them.
Would you berate them and fill them full of guilt, or would you say "you clean their water fountain that often? You worry over his diet, his happiness, his general over all health? I think you're doing fine!"?
You'd probably give them a virtual hug () and would help them with support and ideas that have helped you in the past. Guilt is exhausting. Do the best you can to deal with it, then let it go. If you're exhausted, it will be even more tiring to do what's needed to help him.
You both deserve better than that, am I right?

 

[Jcatbird]

Huge hugs! 1 bruce 1 is right! No guilt! The true cat loves tend to do that to themselves. We second guess ourselves when the sad fact is, we are only human. We cannot see the future or work magic. We simply do our best and trust in our faith and instincts. You have been doing AMAZING things with these cats. You have come as close to working magic as a human can. I know that nagging feeling is hard to push away. It’s the unknown that pulls at our hearts. Turn to the known. We know the love, the care, the work, the tenderness the will power and all else you have poured forth. We know you have been near to falling flat on your face with stress and exhaustion. The known is that you have put forth more than any one person. You have done the work of multiples. I have been following all the kitties a long time now and you have no reason to ever feel guilt. Not to sell anyone short here who helped, the moral support and tips often keep me going too, but you have saved these cats. You sought out the help, knowledge advice and medical care. Without you, we would not have existed in their lives. You are the hero here. Remember the music from before? Remeber my joke when you said you were holding your breath that the cats would be using the puffer on you and forming a cat circle to raise you from the floor? That was all because of the huge amount of love and care you put out. HUGE! Amor vincit omnia is a Latin phrase that a friend and I share. It means , love conquers all. If anything can be conquered, you have done it with love. Trust that. Know it in your heart. You have done that already.
They feel loved and are loved.

 

[Furballsmom]

We love you honey, you are so wonderful and are working so hard for your babies!

Sometimes it's like that. I call myself the bumbling human

 

[foxxycat]

F FeralHearts I just found this thread and totally understand everything you wrote about, and agree with the others, you have no reason to feel guilty. You definitely going above the call of duty. And 1bruce is right, there are people who callously dump pets at the shelter when things get hard.

You mentioned the IBS, one of my cats Honeybee has poop issues. We have to do daily miralax and canned pumpkin. She won't really eat wet food. The vet is the one who suggested a combination of pumpkin and mira to help her poop. Otherwise it's hard as a rock and for a small cat she has huge poop. So I try to do the pumpkin every other day.


She basically eats any human food so she will lick it off my finger. My other cat Pumps hates pumpkin and will run away if she even smells it. Your boy may hate it too..so you can try to smear a bit on his mouth to get him to eat it, or water it down and syringe it. A small amount goes a long way except for my Bee. She needs a full teaspoon where Pumps only needs a few fingerfuls, I also put it in a container, add water and mix it like pudding. You can experiment to see what works.
With vet's approval of course.

For fleas you can use DE on the rugs. it won't harm you or the cats, make sure it's food grade.

Also I was laughing like crazy at @1bruce1 story about his cat at the vet and he said sorry buddy told ya for ten years you are full of "$hit" lol I couldn't stop laughing!!

Also the hissing at the visitor maybe he senses something not right with this person. I have people my cat doesn't like...and others she will crawl all over...take heed. There's usually a reason they react like that. Maybe he senses your stress and picks up that you don't feel comfortable with this person....

 

[FeralHearts]

Sorry I didn't reply sooner. Been centering myself, tossing stuff out and reading anything I can to prepare. Charlie's new water fountain arrived yesterday night so I cleaned and put it together last night. A drinkwell 360 - there is some plastic on it but I think it's okay. He drank from it shortly after arrival so a bonus.

Tossed out any dish that was scratched or worn. Even though they all get a fresh clean dish every feeding I don't want to take chances.

Good news: Mia made it all the way to the dining room last night. At least that was something positive. Charlie then stalked her and forced her back downstairs but - still it was something.

Yep, I know that feeling.
We have a few that either upset the balance (temporarily) or just came to us with the worlds shittiest luck.
I don't think you should be feeling guilty, but I kind of understand the feeling of your heart, when your head tells you you're doing nothing wrong.
I think about our medical nightmare cat, with IBD, Asthma, God knows what else and the little signs I missed. Random diarrhea, lots of coughing whenever he would run around, and stuff like that.
Dogs are usually pretty good at hiding pain when they don't feel good. But cats blow them out of the water if you compare them. When you're tough old hunting dog is screaming in pain over something, your cat that's experiencing the same thing is sitting there like "whatever, bruh, it's good."
That's one thing that absolutely sucks about cats, even though it's cool how tough they are. Any time they feel real pain, or discomfort, they hide it so well that by the time you know something isn't quite right, the problem is advanced. A GOOD vet won't blame you for this. Actually, one of our vets is who put this in my head.
Keep your chin up. You're doing fine. Better than fine IMO. You're stressed, you're frustrated a little but you've got plenty going on and that's understandable.
If you need to go over the "what if"s in your mind ("what if I did this, what if that jump hurt him, etc."), do it....then let it go as best you can. And then tell yourself "this is a learning thing. They're teachers. I'm the student. I can learn and they can help me."
Then imagine some nice person on TCS said what you just posted, and imagine your response to them.
Would you berate them and fill them full of guilt, or would you say "you clean their water fountain that often? You worry over his diet, his happiness, his general over all health? I think you're doing fine!"?
You'd probably give them a virtual hug () and would help them with support and ideas that have helped you in the past. Guilt is exhausting. Do the best you can to deal with it, then let it go. If you're exhausted, it will be even more tiring to do what's needed to help him.
You both deserve better than that, am I right?

Thank you XOXOXOX

Your logic brain is right. I think I've written out every what if I can possibly think of and that has helped quell it a little. Now mostly worry and trying to think logically - and not emotionally - because I know I can't help him fully if I can't think straight.

I'm with you on the dog cat thing - I thought my dogs could hide pain well. (No doggies atm) but they have nothing on these cats. (I used to take in Rottweilers that had no place to go or bad owners that wanted to make them mean dogs or abused them.) Lovely doggies - but they would hide pain often until it was too late - or close to it. I think this is what is terrifying me with Charlie right now. That thought that I'll lose him because I missed something.

Yur IBD kitty is doing good though :-)

Yes we do deserve better and he really deserves a nice happy pain-free LONG life after everything he's already gone through.

Huge hugs! 1 bruce 1 is right! No guilt! The true cat loves tend to do that to themselves. We second guess ourselves when the sad fact is, we are only human. We cannot see the future or work magic. We simply do our best and trust in our faith and instincts. You have been doing AMAZING things with these cats. You have come as close to working magic as a human can. I know that nagging feeling is hard to push away. It’s the unknown that pulls at our hearts. Turn to the known. We know the love, the care, the work, the tenderness the will power and all else you have poured forth. We know you have been near to falling flat on your face with stress and exhaustion. The known is that you have put forth more than any one person. You have done the work of multiples. I have been following all the kitties a long time now and you have no reason to ever feel guilt. Not to sell anyone short here who helped, the moral support and tips often keep me going too, but you have saved these cats. You sought out the help, knowledge advice and medical care. Without you, we would not have existed in their lives. You are the hero here.

XOXO Thank you.

It's really hard not to wonder what you missed or screwed up. Trying to push it away and focus on getting him healthy. I look at him and think how sorry I am I missed this. I promised him that I would try my best and he might need new food and this time he will have to take it and not starve himself. He's giving me his non-compliant look- but maybe this time it will work.

I have scars on my arms from his bites over the years - I don't care - as long as he is happy - I will take his mood swings.

XOXOXOX

Remember the music from before? Remeber my joke when you said you were holding your breath that the cats would be using the puffer on you and forming a cat circle to raise you from the floor? That was all because of the huge amount of love and care you put out. HUGE! Amor vincit omnia is a Latin phrase that a friend and I share. It means , love conquers all. If anything can be conquered, you have done it with love. Trust that. Know it in your heart. You have done that already.
They feel loved and are loved.

LOL, I remember that joke. I was so tired and White label wouldn't eat, or poop or breath without struggling. You guys - and yes pure love - kept me going. :-)

And she struggled - but now is bright-eyed, playing and breathing great on her own!

We love you honey, you are so wonderful and are working so hard for your babies!

I love you guys too. You are so amazing.

I am trying hard. I told them they need to meet me half way now.

Sometimes it's like that. I call myself the bumbling human

I know that feeling. I feel like I'm tripping and "bumbling" all the way through it.

F FeralHearts I just found this thread and totally understand everything you wrote about, and agree with the others, you have no reason to feel guilty. You definitely going above the call of duty. And 1bruce is right, there are people who callously dump pets at the shelter when things get hard.

Hi Foxxycat!

Thank you and thank you for taking the time to come in and post and help. It's really appreciated. XOXO

People doing that - just - I have no words. I can't imagine even thinking of doing that. He may have attitude and I have scars to prove it - but he's my family and I accept him - "warts and all" as the saying goes.

You mentioned the IBS, one of my cats Honeybee has poop issues. We have to do daily miralax and canned pumpkin. She won't really eat wet food. The vet is the one who suggested a combination of pumpkin and mira to help her poop. Otherwise it's hard as a rock and for a small cat she has huge poop. So I try to do the pumpkin every other day.

She basically eats any human food so she will lick it off my finger. My other cat Pumps hates pumpkin and will run away if she even smells it. Your boy may hate it too..so you can try to smear a bit on his mouth to get him to eat it, or water it down and syringe it. A small amount goes a long way except for my Bee. She needs a full teaspoon where Pumps only needs a few fingerfuls, I also put it in a container, add water and mix it like pudding. You can experiment to see what works.
With vet's approval of course.

Oddly enough I just started him on the restoraLAX / Miralax - the vet said it was okay. :-) We talked about the pumpkin (learned that from here :-) ) the vet said sadly it doesn't do as much fiber as they once thought but it does add more water and bulk so it's good to use. I have done that with him, and Mia - who had a blockage. Mia can eat double her weight in food if you let her so the pumpkin helps with her appetite too. Lucky neither mind it.

Charlie, I have to be sneaky - if he sees me to do he will refuse his food. If he doesn't see me - we are good. He doesn't like a lot of it though. They all get three small meals a day of wet (gives me lots of opportunities to sneak stuff in) then a bit of dry with their last meal of wet at bedtime. (Separate bowl of course.) Considering the circumstances I feel very fortunate they all seem to like their wet food.

Niether will eat it straight. I get weird looks if I try.

Does Honeybee still have her issues even with the mirilax / pumpkin or are you finding that as long as she has it she is stable?

F FeralHearts
For fleas you can use DE on the rugs. it won't harm you or the cats, make sure it's food grade.

So far no sign of Fleas - only very annoying fruit flies here and there. Tis' that time of year here but we are near the end of that now that the weather is shifting.

I can start the DE on the few throw rugs be to extra careful.

Also I was laughing like crazy at @1bruce1 story about his cat at the vet and he said sorry buddy told ya for ten years you are full of "$hit" lol I couldn't stop laughing!!

I was in tears laughing too on that one.

Also the hissing at the visitor maybe he senses something not right with this person. I have people my cat doesn't like...and others she will crawl all over...take heed. There's usually a reason they react like that. Maybe he senses your stress and picks up that you don't feel comfortable with this person....

*nods*

As much as I want to help her by giving her a place to stay. With Charlie being how he is - I can't risk it. For both their sakes. I feel bad but he has to come first.

XOXOXOXOXX

 

[Furballsmom]

He drank from it shortly after arrival so a bonus.

Y E S!!

if he sees me to do he will refuse his food

...just almost too smart, geez!

Mia made it all the way to the dining room last night.

GO Mia BABY!!

but now is bright-eyed, playing and breathing great on her own!

This is an amazing story all on it's own - W.L. you have a truly AWESOME mama!!!

 

[1 bruce 1]

When I was younger, I had a cat that ate dry food. When she was 19, she began losing weight but I thought "whatever, she's old" and went on with it. It wasn't a lack of caring, it was a lack of knowing when they act off and unwell, something IS off and they ARE unwell. One day I got home and she was taking one step, squatting, crying out, and leaving drops of blood on the floor.
The vet we had at the time suspected end stage kidney failure, as she wasn't eating well and had lost so much weight. I chose to end her suffering, due to her age and her weight/health status being so bad.
I still have her inked paw print and a little lock of her hair in my dresser drawer, after all those years decades eras You know what this old fart means.
She was the beginning of the obsession. Losing her (what I thought) so quickly (even though she'd lived a good, long life) made me become almost unhealthily neurotic with noticing things, or trying to notice things. Which then lead to many frantic middle-of-the-night calls to my very patient vet because my cat threw up bile, my cat threw up food, my cat threw up something unidentifiable, the dog wouldn't get up when I said "treat", etc. One of my big dogs one night scarfed down an M&M and I called the vet in panic thinking he was going to die. He was fine. They all were!
This cat wasn't affectionate. She bit me, clawed me, didn't want to be held or pet, and would slap me if I even looked at her wrong, but she was mine at the time, and I enjoyed living with something so independent and not afraid to give me the cold shoulder if I screwed up bad. (It prepared me for being married... Just a joke of course. )
Wife if you read this please no divorce papers.
All in all, we do the best we can with what we have at the time. You have what sounds like a good vet, loads of support here, and your own knowledge that will grow by miles with this experience alone.

 

[FeralHearts]

Update: I posted in another thread but wanted you guys/gals to see this too:

I managed to get a clean sample this morning and rushed it down to the vet. I was shocked at the dark brown cloud it was. In the litter box it always simply looked a slight darker yellow - not different than normal.

So the Vet called a few minutes ago - on a scale of 1 -4 - the blood is now a 4. I go tomorrow to pick up some pain killers for him. Very mild. They can be used on kittens too, to help ease him until we can sort out what's going on.

We've sent it in to see if they can make bacteria grow. 3-5 days. If yes - anti-biotics - if no - Ultrasound time as he has too much poop (x-ray) to see if there are stones etc.

Yeah there is big terror in me now and extreme worry. I know what to look for over the next few days of waiting.

...just almost too smart, geez!

Way too smart - and apparently shows very little no NO signs of pain. That's a big problem. His new nickname is "Tough guy"

Y E S!!

GO Mia BABY!!

I'm pretty proud of her efforts. :-) She's slowly getting there.

This is an amazing story all on it's own - W.L. you have a truly AWESOME mama!!!

Thank you XOXOX

When I was younger, I had a cat that ate dry food. When she was 19, she began losing weight but I thought "whatever, she's old" and went on with it. It wasn't a lack of caring, it was a lack of knowing when they act off and unwell, something IS off and they ARE unwell. One day I got home and she was taking one step, squatting, crying out, and leaving drops of blood on the floor.
The vet we had at the time suspected end stage kidney failure, as she wasn't eating well and had lost so much weight. I chose to end her suffering, due to her age and her weight/health status being so bad.
I still have her inked paw print and a little lock of her hair in my dresser drawer, after all those years decades eras You know what this old fart means.

19 is such a great age. I would have chosen the same path for her. It's a kindness IMHO.

She was the beginning of the obsession. Losing her (what I thought) so quickly (even though she'd lived a good, long life) made me become almost unhealthily neurotic with noticing things, or trying to notice things. Which then lead to many frantic middle-of-the-night calls to my very patient vet because my cat threw up bile, my cat threw up food, my cat threw up something unidentifiable, the dog wouldn't get up when I said "treat", etc. One of my big dogs one night scarfed down an M&M and I called the vet in panic thinking he was going to die. He was fine. They all were!

This sounds like the road I'm about to be on. I'm close.

.
This cat wasn't affectionate. She bit me, clawed me, didn't want to be held or pet, and would slap me if I even looked at her wrong, but she was mine at the time, and I enjoyed living with something so independent and not afraid to give me the cold shoulder if I screwed up bad. (It prepared me for being married... Just a joke of course. )
Wife if you read this please no divorce papers.

All in all, we do the best we can with what we have at the time. You have what sounds like a good vet, loads of support here, and your own knowledge that will grow by miles with this experience alone.

So true - I'm VERY lucky, this vet is so amazing. I can't say enough good things. She's done magic on the girls so I have faith that if there is magic that can happen - we have the best chance to do it for Charlie too with her at the helm.

Can I vote for no more needed medical experience - ever! - and more play experience?

It's true though - I've learned more the last 6 months about kitties needs and issues then ever in my lifetime so far.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

 

[Furballsmom]

Oh my goodness!!
.

 

[Jcatbird]

I remember a previous round of worry you experienced. It’s very hard to fight but you should remember that things changed. They can this time too. I have spent so many anxiety filled days and nights over kitties. When I look back at many of these times I realize that I mostly drove myself crazy. The cats were not nearly as affected as I was. I bet they were kind of shaking their heads and thinking, “ what on earth is her problem? Is she losing it? Huh, humans!” They are tough. Hang on and wait for results before showing the kitties just how crazy we humans really are. We’ll get a bad rep! I will join my hands with the many, many paws here and try to send all the strength we can your way. XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

 

[1 bruce 1]

Update: I posted in another thread but wanted you guys/gals to see this too:

I managed to get a clean sample this morning and rushed it down to the vet. I was shocked at the dark brown cloud it was. In the litter box it always simply looked a slight darker yellow - not different than normal.

So the Vet called a few minutes ago - on a scale of 1 -4 - the blood is now a 4. I go tomorrow to pick up some pain killers for him. Very mild. They can be used on kittens too, to help ease him until we can sort out what's going on.

We've sent it in to see if they can make bacteria grow. 3-5 days. If yes - anti-biotics - if no - Ultrasound time as he has too much poop (x-ray) to see if there are stones etc.

Yeah there is big terror in me now and extreme worry. I know what to look for over the next few days of waiting.




Way too smart - and apparently shows very little no NO signs of pain. That's a big problem. His new nickname is "Tough guy"



I'm pretty proud of her efforts. :-) She's slowly getting there.



Thank you XOXOX



19 is such a great age. I would have chosen the same path for her. It's a kindness IMHO.



This sounds like the road I'm about to be on. I'm close.







So true - I'm VERY lucky, this vet is so amazing. I can't say enough good things. She's done magic on the girls so I have faith that if there is magic that can happen - we have the best chance to do it for Charlie too with her at the helm.

Can I vote for no more needed medical experience - ever! - and more play experience?

It's true though - I've learned more the last 6 months about kitties needs and issues then ever in my lifetime so far.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

As the song says, "oh Lordy when it rains it pours"!
It seems like they love passing the "get sick NOW" baton, when one starts having problems, the others join in and say "hey, look at me. I'm having problems too" and before you know it, your entire colony is acting weird and you do nothing but care for them and pull your hair out.
Hang in there, you're doing great. It's enough to make you go nuts, but you'll get through!

 

[FeralHearts]

If there is a light in the situation, on top of the excellent people here, and the top notch vet, is that at least atm is that this didn't happen as an emergency with me driving him somewhere near death with no clue what was happening. While I would think a scale of 4/4 in terms of blood is very, very, very much serious, he wasn't rushed to a ER near death. We have a tiny head start on whatever this is - so I'm taking that as a win right now.

Should it turn suddenly and I have to rush him to ER, I know what to look for and have information to run with. Though I really hope we don't go down that road but if we do, at least there will be some information to give which is more than what a lot of people get to work with.

Oh my goodness!!
.

XOXOXOXOXO thank you.

I remember a previous round of worry you experienced. It’s very hard to fight but you should remember that things changed. They can this time too. I have spent so many anxiety filled days and nights over kitties. When I look back at many of these times I realize that I mostly drove myself crazy. The cats were not nearly as affected as I was. I bet they were kind of shaking their heads and thinking, “ what on earth is her problem? Is she losing it? Huh, humans!” They are tough. Hang on and wait for results before showing the kitties just how crazy we humans really are. We’ll get a bad rep! I will join my hands with the many, many paws here and try to send all the strength we can your way. XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Yes, I remember, first Mia with her blockage, anal gland issue and pooping out a tiny skull, not eating etc, then W.L struggling to breath after that poisoning and I really thought I could lose them both. They did turn around and one day it sudden relief. They were going to pull through.

I'm trying to maintain calm - I have to walk outside a lot right now and sit.

He's very sensitive to touch tonight, but wants to play - so we play.

Thank you for all the paws! :-) XOXOXOXOXOXOX

You have many more kitties - are you saying you have experienced one full day of not worrying? *looks at you*

As the song says, "oh Lordy when it rains it pours"!
It seems like they love passing the "get sick NOW" baton, when one starts having problems, the others join in and say "hey, look at me. I'm having problems too" and before you know it, your entire colony is acting weird and you do nothing but care for them and pull your hair out.
Hang in there, you're doing great. It's enough to make you go nuts, but you'll get through!

LOL I think that's the plan. "Let's all see how much she loves us and how nuts we can make her."

I want to do something for him like now, now, now. He'll have some pain meds tomorrow though. That should help him rest a bit.

 

[Jcatbird]

You always make me smile. Everything from pooping out that skull, I have thought of that more than once since you first wrote about it, to *looks at you* of the 120+total kitties in my life in the past year, believe it or not, there have been days without worry. Many days were filled with sadness, anxiety( that I thought might just be the end of me) and even tears. Even more days were filled with laughter, surprise and amazement. I could not save them all but I saved more than I lost. The ones that are here with me or that I , tearfully, allowed to go to new homes, remind me to be grateful for every grin, playful moment and good old belly laugh they gave or give to me. I learn something new every day from them. Maybe I earned a few more ( okay, my hair was turning white anyway) white hairs from the stress but I gained more smiles than white hairs. I also gained better instincts, more catspeak abilities and more knowledge. I have even managed to find a small amount of control that allows me to shelve my worries until the concerns are sorted and hopefully solved. THEN I turn into a melted jelly bean! As with my daughter, it’s all connected to love. The love seems to carry us. Love for each other and love from others. You all have that so I am hoping it will heal, carry and sustain you all. If you play and laugh at every opportunity, it really helps. Savor the moment! Let tomorrow wait until tomorrow because I can tell you that we will NEVER be able to predict what tomorrow will bring. My daughter saw dozens of experts who predicted she would not survive a day. She was happy and smiling for 29 years. You might get hit by a foul ball but it dorsn’t mean the game is over. You are great at this. Just keep batting.

If you need a smile, go and look at the silly cat I brought in most recently. With all my years of experience.....I managed to trap myself in a room with an enraged feral! Ooops! Luckily he didn’t eat me.
When he was outside he was really funny. Inside he is hilarious. BJ is a new experience altogether.

 

[Furballsmom]

Should it turn suddenly and I have to rush him to ER, I know what to look for and have information to run with. Though I really hope we don't go down that road but if we do, at least there will be some information to give which is more than what a lot of people get to work with.

You are so right, knowledge is a powerful thing.

but wants to play - so we play.

I almost don't have words, but You Totally Rock

 

[Jcatbird]

Ditto! Totally!

 

[FeralHearts]

Thank you XOXOX I'm trying.

So here is the shocking update:

We've been waiting as his Urine was sent away to see if it could grow anything. It did.

FREAKIN' E-COLI!!!!

WHAT!????

and another bacteria called Sudamodous (not sure how to spell it - I'll get more details later.) that we think was the sample being infected when I was taking it.

Waiting to hear back from the lab on what strain so we know what to treat him with.

His litter is cleaned once to twice a day. Every week dumped and fresh put in. There is even a litter liner.

The vet did explain that it's easy for it to spread since the pens and anus as so close but my point is - how did it get there to start with, is it transmittable to other kitties, what can I do to never have this happen to him again. SHOCKED!

I guess we wait for the strain to come back and see what the helk.

I've opted for the ultrasound to be sure there is nothing else we need to know since he's had the poop issue side for a while.

This way we have the whole story and all the puzzle pieces.

 

[Jcatbird]

Considering that cats lick everything..... maybe transmitted that way? Pseudomonas? That is just a bacteria that is very common. I bet the sample was just contaminated. Did you wash the container holding the sample? That bacteria can be in water, soil, plants etc. I used to find it in my orchids sometimes.
Things have been much calmer there for him so I am thinking he just had a bump in the immune system and will fight this off okay with medicine. There may never be any worry of a repeat. I actually got food poisoning once but they couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me because I didn’t shake it for months. Normally you get rid of it fairly quickly. Wierd stuff happens sometimes. Luckily the meds got rid of it because the culture didn’t show exactly what I had until after I was released from the hospital. Apparently I got it from restaurant food at my birthday celebration. Ha! Lol Great gift.
I know you are probably trying to sanitize everything ( I have done that) and going cleaning crazy but it was probably just a freak thing. The cleaning is great but don’t let this make you paranoid. Exposure once does not mean it is everywhere and he will get it again. Just take reasonable precautions, as I am sure you were already doing. Cats do lick their bums you know.....That is the one thing you CANNOT Clorox.
XOXOXO right back to you all.

 

[FeralHearts]

Some

Considering that cats lick everything..... maybe transmitted that way? Pseudomonas? That is just a bacteria that is very common. I bet the sample was just contaminated. Did you wash the container holding the sample? That bacteria can be in water, soil, plants etc. I used to find it in my orchids sometimes.

Yes, that sounds like it - Pseudomonas.

No washing and I was very careful about getting it. I did wash my hands before and after the sample and of course, I had to touch the container. Yes, she did say that one was very common. *nods*

Things have been much calmer there for him so I am thinking he just had a bump in the immune system and will fight this off okay with medicine. There may never be any worry of a repeat. I actually got food poisoning once but they couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me because I didn’t shake it for months. Normally you get rid of it fairly quickly. Wierd stuff happens sometimes. Luckily the meds got rid of it because the culture didn’t show exactly what I had until after I was released from the hospital. Apparently I got it from restaurant food at my birthday celebration. Ha! Lol Great gift.

Yes, things have been calmer for him and I'm going extremely slow with the introductions to W.L and Braveheart. I'm trying very hard not to stress anyone out too badly as this has to work out. (He is still at the stage of eating through a gate with them - and probably will be for a while. Not because there is a bad reaction, there isn't, there is no reaction, but because he did the same with Mia and even though his reaction was fine - he still is mean to her.) We might have to go back to square one with Mia.

Food poisoning on your birthday? ohhhhh geezeee. I think you and I angered the same luck genie! People don't realize often how long food poisoning can last and how much damage it can do!

The interesting thing I learned is that there are many strains, each requiring a different antibiotic. We will know in a few days which strain and how to treat it. I always thought e-coli was - well - e-coli. I never knew there were strains that required different treatments.

I know you are probably trying to sanitize everything ( I have done that) and going cleaning crazy but it was probably just a freak thing. The cleaning is great but don’t let this make you paranoid. Exposure once does not mean it is everywhere and he will get it again. Just take reasonable precautions, as I am sure you were already doing.

How did you know! Been there done that huh? lol

The first reaction is - E-Coli??? What??? and then all the questions start - how did this happen? Where did I fail to clean something or?

Then the other reaction of CLEANNNNNNNNN INSANITY BEGINS! Yup.

I'm trying to sort out where to begin - I wish I was able to hose down the whole house for him - and then I worry about the other kitties too!

I wonder what reasonable is now. The litter is always clean. He gets a new clean dish for every meal. I did have to start keeping the toilet seat closed down about a year ago as he decided he was a dog and wanted to drink from it regularly. *sigh*

Cats do lick their bums you know.....That is the one thing you CANNOT Clorox.
XOXOXO right back to you all.

LOL dang nab it - I wish we could!

XOXOXOXOXOX

Edit: I had to fix a quote as not all my response was there. All better now. The post anyway.

 

[Wile]

I wonder what reasonable is now. The litter is always clean. He gets a new clean dish for every meal. I did have to start keeping the toilet seat closed down about a year ago as he decided he was a dog and wanted to drink from it regularly. *sigh*

No need to blame yourself. E-coli is the most common offender when a cat gets a UTI. That is also what my cat had this summer. It is a perfectly normal bacteria that naturally lives in the intestines. We all have it, and crap it out.

He probably just licked his bum, then his penis, and some bacteria travelled up the urethra and colonized his bladder. The only thing you really can do, other than changing the litter once a week and managing his stress/diet, is know the signs that he is coming down with something.

This is going to sound weird, but remember what his urine smells like right now because urine from a UTI has a strong and distinct odour. You'll notice how different and mild his healthy urine smells once he has completed treatment. That way if you ever notice the strong scent again you'll know to take him in for treatment.

 

[Jcatbird]

Some

Yes, that sounds like it - Pseudomonas.

No washing and I was very careful about getting it. I did wash my hands before and after the sample and of course, I had to touch the container. Yes, she did say that one was very common. *nods*

Neither one is a rare thing. Pseudomonas is everywhere. Don’t panic though. Lots of bacteria is everywhere. Good and bad.


I think you and I angered the same luck genie! People don't realize often how long food poisoning can last and how much damage it can do!

May have been bad luck to get it but VERY good luck to see the end of it. It was yucky! No more birthday lunches at that place for me! I prefer to fix my own meals now.


The interesting thing I learned is that there are many strains, each requiring a different antibiotic. We will know in a few days which strain and how to treat it. I always thought e-coli was - well - e-coli. I never knew there were strains that required different treatments.

I hope getting the meds started will give you a feeling of relief. I always feel better when I have a grasp on the problem and can finally take action.


How did you know! Been there done that huh? lol
Yes! Cleaning mania! I didn’t stop until exhaustion made me. Did it make a difference? Well..... I slept.

The first reaction is - E-Coli??? What??? and then all the questions start - how did this happen? Where did I fail to clean something or?
You did not fail to clean anything. We live with germs everywhere. I have banished cats from rooms and used everything out there from Clorox to Alcohol. I even got a friend from the hospital to tell me what they use to disinfect as well as pumping my vet for info. ( No, I did not mix cleaning chemicals. Lol) Within a few months of starting this regimen, a litter of kittens got sick. I had to medicate them and Mom. All recovered but it made me realize that I can’t sterilize the world.


Then the other reaction of CLEANNNNNNNNN INSANITY BEGINS! Yup.

I'm trying to sort out where to begin - I wish I was able to hose down the whole house for him - and then I worry about the other kitties too!

I doubt that he spread that to anyone or that it crawled from him to the others.
As a precaution I would just suggest separate litter boxes for now if possible. If not then keep the boxes scooped and regularly change the litter and clean the box with a mild solution of any disinfectant your vet suggests. I use a dilute solution of water and Clorox. The box should be left to dry completely before the cats use it again. Clorox is not good around cats.

I wonder what reasonable is now. The litter is always clean. He gets a new clean dish for every meal. I did have to start keeping the toilet seat closed down about a year ago as he decided he was a dog and wanted to drink from it regularly. *sigh*
I have a cat that wants to drink there too! What is the attraction?!?!? Yuck! I also have a cat that wants to use the potty like a person! What’s a human to do?


LOL dang nab it - I wish we could!

XOXOXOXOXOX

Edit: I had to fix a quote as not all my response was there. All better now. The post anyway.

I often have to repair my posts. Heh! Vision, fumble fingers or the system? All three!
Hang in there. I think you are about to be at the top of the mountain. You have done an amazing job putting all the pieces of a monster jigsaw puzzle together. Without the picture on the front of the box to go by, this is truly an accomplishment. These cats have found the best kind of person that exists. The fact that you have endured and kept going forward is awesome! Good job! You can join my crew anytime.

Wile I love your advice. The scent is telling. We all try to avoid smelling the litter when we clean the box! In this case it could be very useful to sniff! Just for future reference.