Approx 2 year old feral cat with seizures

[jr70895]

I feed several feral cats daily. I've been laid-off since March and funds becoming tighter by the day. Over a period of time I've trapped the cats I can and had them fixed.
There is one female cat about 2 years old that has medical issues that I'm really worried about.
She's having what I assume is seizures, a couple of times a day. She flops on the floor, drools, paddling, etc, obviously in distress and It's very scary to witness.
After 30 seconds to a minute or so she goes back to being normal.
I've called several local vets and all they care about is money. At least $200 and upwards just to start testing to see what the issue could be. I really can't afford that.
Any suggestions as to what I can do to help this poor cat. As mentioned I'm unemployed and funds are tight. I really don't want to put her down unless that's the last resort. They even want $125 to do that......

 

[fionasmom]

You are very kind to care for these cats at this difficult time. Seizures are a really slippery slope financially as it often takes expensive imaging and other tests to figure out what is going on. From your description, I have to agree that these sound like seizures and not hyperesthesia. Is t here any cause that you can think of in the environment such as the use of any flea preparation which might be the cause, or access to any type of pesticide? Toxins are a prime cause, but having said that my two cats who were affected with seizures were indoor only. One had heart arrhythmia and the other had cryptococcus, something that your cat could pick up depending on where you are, and lymphoma. The first died during a seizure thanks to the vet not taking it seriously, and the second was treated as far as we could and at quite an expense. He went blind as the conditions worsened, something not great if it were to happen to your feral.

I agree that it will be $200 and upward as you say for any diagnosis or treatment. Can you record the seizure and have a vet look at it? Would any of them at least talk to you? I am guessing possibly not. Are there any cat rescue groups or feral cat groups in the area, or even not in the area, who have some experienced people who could talk to you about what might be going on and give advice? If you make it clear that you want advice, not for them to take the cat, and that you have maintained these cats our of the goodness of your heart you might get someone who would be more receptive than if they thought you wanted them to take the cat.

 

[moxiewild]

I’m so sorry you’re going through a rough time right now.

Have you filmed these “episodes”? If not, could you?

There are some of the financial aid options I know about -

What might be even more effective, would be to contact rescues locally. Especially if you have a low cost spay/neuter clinic and/or TNR group in the area. They would be the most likely to help.

You can also try to find a low cost vet. It can be tricky, but this is another thing you should ask local rescues about if they can’t help you. In fact, if a rescue cannot help you, always ask for more resources they might be able to recommend - other rescues, shelters, or vets that might be able to help.

If you can find a local rescue community page on Facebook, they would also know about low cost vets or clinics. You’ll have to combinations of your location + rescue or feral or cats or strays, etc in the Facebook search bar to find these groups. Look in your area and the surrounding area.

Otherwise, ask on your local Lost and Found Pets Facebook page and on Nextdoor.

Just keep reaching out.

If this is a problem that could potentially be fixed with medication, will you be able to reliably give this kitty the meds they need? Are you able to separate her food from the others and ensure she’s the only one who can eat it?

Also, have you asked any of the vets you spoke to whether they can work out a payment plan with you or if they accept CareCredit?

If you can find a clinic that accepts CareCredit, then you could use that and try to crowdfund in order to pay it off. It’s not the best option in this case, but it is an option.

Thank you for caring doing everything you can within your means. I know how hard this is, and no matter what, this cat is very fortunate to have someone like you looking out for them.