Caring For Sick Community Cat

[tdanley0906]

My husband and I recently brought in one of my apartment complex’s resident community cats that we feed. We call him Binx and the poor guy was literally on the brink of death so we brought him in out of the cold and rushed him to the vet the next day. He has what the vet suspects is a really bad upper respiratory infection so he was given an antibiotic shot, a steroid shot and also tested for FeLV which was negative. Vet said if we hadn’t brought him in he wouldn’t have made it. It’s been about a week since we’ve had him in our bathroom and so far his appetite has come back along with drinking water normally and his bathroom habits are normal as well. He is still a little sneezy that occasionally produces a small amount of mucus which is thankfully no longer blood tinged and almost clear now. However he still seems a little wheezy at times like he’ll be breathing fast while he is resting. Is there anything I can do to help him get cleared up quicker? We run our shower for a little bit sometimes and steam up the bathroom for him like the vet suggested but I’d rather avoid a high water bill if other alternatives are available. Another thing is he seems kind of lonely and depressed at times but we have other cats in our household (which are vaccinated) so he can’t leave the bathroom and he’s not well enough to go back outside with his other feline buddies yet. He’s a very sweet and affectionate boy but I can’t sit in the bathroom all the time and hangout with him which he seems to love when I do lol I’ve never had a cat this sick before so any advice would be greatly appreciated in helping his recovery process.

 

[Kieka]

Thank you for taking him into the vet. If you can get a small room humidifier that would keep the moisture level up without running the shower. But it sounds like he is on the road to recovery and just needs some time for his body to heal. Whatever time you can spend with him is probably appreciated. If you have any stuffed animals, some cats like having the fuzzy lump to cuddle up to when they sleep so it wouldn't hurt to try that.

As a side note, if he is that friendly maybe you could find a home for him instead of returning him outside. If he got seriously ill with a URI once it does make him more prone to reinfection and I think he may like life in a home a little more then on the street, especially if he is older.

 

[tdanley0906]

Thank you for taking him into the vet. If you can get a small room humidifier that would keep the moisture level up without running the shower. But it sounds like he is on the road to recovery and just needs some time for his body to heal. Whatever time you can spend with him is probably appreciated. If you have any stuffed animals, some cats like having the fuzzy lump to cuddle up to when they sleep so it wouldn't hurt to try that.

As a side note, if he is that friendly maybe you could find a home for him instead of returning him outside. If he got seriously ill with a URI once it does make him more prone to reinfection and I think he may like life in a home a little more then on the street, especially if he is older.

I know he’s between 1 and 2 years old. We first saw him earlier this year in March and he looked to be maybe 6 months old at the most but it’s hard to tell with some of these cats. We had actually contacted the place where we adopted our first cat and they said we would have to foster him since they didn’t have room to house him and bring him to petsmart on Saturdays for adoptions. But they also said from their experience black cats are hard to adopt out. We are actually planning to take him to get his vaccinations and to get neutered at Texas Litter Control within the next month. We would have taken him sooner but we were planning our wedding and funds were tight then right after a sweet little momma cat decided to make our patio her home with her only surviving kitten so we had to get them taken care of first. I’m hoping the clinic we are taking him to will be able to assist us in finding Binx a home.

 

[Kieka]

I know he’s between 1 and 2 years old. We first saw him earlier this year in March and he looked to be maybe 6 months old at the most but it’s hard to tell with some of these cats. We had actually contacted the place where we adopted our first cat and they said we would have to foster him since they didn’t have room to house him and bring him to petsmart on Saturdays for adoptions. But they also said from their experience black cats are hard to adopt out. We are actually planning to take him to get his vaccinations and to get neutered at Texas Litter Control within the next month. We would have taken him sooner but we were planning our wedding and funds were tight then right after a sweet little momma cat decided to make our patio her home with her only surviving kitten so we had to get them taken care of first. I’m hoping the clinic we are taking him to will be able to assist us in finding Binx a home.

That would be wonderful. Black cats are a little harder to place but if you have space to foster him he would have that time.

 

[tdanley0906]

That would be wonderful. Black cats are a little harder to place but if you have space to foster him he would have that time.

It’s a shame because he’s so sweet and would make a great pet. I would love to foster him if we could but we live in an apartment plus my two adult cats don’t take very well to other adult cats so he’d be stuck in he bathroom which would be unfair to him. I guess I will be doing some research to find a local program that could help him out.

 

[kittychick]

How wonderfully sweet of you to take him in - - it definitely sounds like he wouldn't have made it much longer if you hadn't intervened. BIG kudos for taking the time, money and effort to do everything you've done for him so far. I read through things quickly and might have missed this - - but you didn't even need to trap him did you? In other words - - he's probably a dump from when someone moved out of their apartment. Argh. So thank you too for helping care for the community cats at your apartment complex. How many are there in the colony? You sound very responsible and caring - - is anyone but you two helping with the colony? Are you TNRing also or just feeding? I know personally how expensive that gets - - so I hope someone's helping you.

Back to Binx (I love that name!). He owes his life to you - - and it sounds like he know it, with the affection he's giving you despite feeling so rotten! He's obviously not a feral guy - - way too affectionate - - so it would be sad if he had to go back out to try to survive on his own - it would very likely shorten his life considerably as I'm sure you're all too aware of. But I understand everyone has monetary limits (I know we do!). And I understand worrying about keeping him in a bathroom while you foster, given your current two being less than thrilled with him. However - once he's healthy (and since he's been tested), is it possible that with slow introduction he could be eventually introduced to your own guys, just for the time you're fostering? (Many of us on this forum can help you with slow intros). Yes - black cats are the slowest to adopt at shelters as a general rule. But there ARE people out there who just love black kitties. And if his personality is as wonderful as it sounds - - - that - plus given his story, fostering could end up being pretty short-term! Have you checked with other no-kill shelters? (If you can go in person to talk to people at the shelters, you're more likely to get a "yes, we'll take him" than when you ask over the phone - - -I worked the front desk at several shelters - - and it's just human nature - - harder to look someone in the eye and say no!).

Do you have a second bedroom - or laundry room, etc. - that would give him a little more room if you can take the foster road? Yes - in the long run, he wouldn't be happy in a bathroom - -but most shelters will have him in a cage for a large portion of the day and a bathroom beats that by a mile! (I'm not coming down on shelters in the slightest - - - -- it's just the way it has to be for many of them - - - too many kitties, not enough space). If you could put a radio in there, that would also help keep him company.

I'll also say - - -check with friends - - - fire up your social media like crazy! Get good pics of him, write a little story about him, and tug on people's heartstrings!!! (If you'd like to PM me - I'm a graphic designer who does flyers and facebook postings for all of our fosters - and we've found homes for over 100 fosters over the past few years - without them even having to go back to the shelter. I'm slammed for the holidays - but I'd be willing to try to help put something together if you can get some good pics). You'll hopefully find a home for him -----but you also might at least find someone else who could foster him. Take advantage of holiday goodwill

Lastly - -instead of running the water - - do you have (or can you borrow?) a humidifier? They're cheap - - and as long as it was placed so that he couldn't put his nose right into the hot steam, that would be ALOT cheaper than running your shower for hours!

Keep us posted on Binx!

 

[tdanley0906]

How wonderfully sweet of you to take him in - - it definitely sounds like he wouldn't have made it much longer if you hadn't intervened. BIG kudos for taking the time, money and effort to do everything you've done for him so far. I read through things quickly and might have missed this - - but you didn't even need to trap him did you? In other words - - he's probably a dump from when someone moved out of their apartment. Argh. So thank you too for helping care for the community cats at your apartment complex. How many are there in the colony? You sound very responsible and caring - - is anyone but you two helping with the colony? Are you TNRing also or just feeding? I know personally how expensive that gets - - so I hope someone's helping you.

Back to Binx (I love that name!). He owes his life to you - - and it sounds like he know it, with the affection he's giving you despite feeling so rotten! He's obviously not a feral guy - - way too affectionate - - so it would be sad if he had to go back out to try to survive on his own - it would very likely shorten his life considerably as I'm sure you're all too aware of. But I understand everyone has monetary limits (I know we do!). And I understand worrying about keeping him in a bathroom while you foster, given your current two being less than thrilled with him. However - once he's healthy (and since he's been tested), is it possible that with slow introduction he could be eventually introduced to your own guys, just for the time you're fostering? (Many of us on this forum can help you with slow intros). Yes - black cats are the slowest to adopt at shelters as a general rule. But there ARE people out there who just love black kitties. And if his personality is as wonderful as it sounds - - - that - plus given his story, fostering could end up being pretty short-term! Have you checked with other no-kill shelters? (If you can go in person to talk to people at the shelters, you're more likely to get a "yes, we'll take him" than when you ask over the phone - - -I worked the front desk at several shelters - - and it's just human nature - - harder to look someone in the eye and say no!).

Do you have a second bedroom - or laundry room, etc. - that would give him a little more room if you can take the foster road? Yes - in the long run, he wouldn't be happy in a bathroom - -but most shelters will have him in a cage for a large portion of the day and a bathroom beats that by a mile! (I'm not coming down on shelters in the slightest - - - -- it's just the way it has to be for many of them - - - too many kitties, not enough space). If you could put a radio in there, that would also help keep him company.

I'll also say - - -check with friends - - - fire up your social media like crazy! Get good pics of him, write a little story about him, and tug on people's heartstrings!!! (If you'd like to PM me - I'm a graphic designer who does flyers and facebook postings for all of our fosters - and we've found homes for over 100 fosters over the past few years - without them even having to go back to the shelter. I'm slammed for the holidays - but I'd be willing to try to help put something together if you can get some good pics). You'll hopefully find a home for him -----but you also might at least find someone else who could foster him. Take advantage of holiday goodwill

Lastly - -instead of running the water - - do you have (or can you borrow?) a humidifier? They're cheap - - and as long as it was placed so that he couldn't put his nose right into the hot steam, that would be ALOT cheaper than running your shower for hours!

Keep us posted on Binx!

No we didn’t have to trap him but the majority of the cats at the complex are very friendly I’m assuming from the frequent human interaction they get. Right now we have 5 regulars including Binx that pretty much live on our patio and one other young cat that visits frequently for food and pets but usually won’t sleep there. Someone else in the complex is TNRing because out of the 5 3 males were already neutered and we took the female a few months ago after her kitten was weened. We tried to keep her but she’s too skittish, she’ll let us pet her but even now after at least 6 months of knowing us and a month inside with her baby we can’t pick her up. But she’s a fat little happy cat now even being outside lol The smaller young cat we are going to take eventually after we take Binx. We pretty much have a list now One of the cats we call Simba is apparently a long time “resident” because everyone knows him! as far as the really ferel cats go we know one of the maintenance guys catches the “mean” ones and TNRs them. We just have one bedroom and our laundry room has less room than the bathroom. I’m going to do whatever I can to find him a home. The humidifier is a good idea, I’m going to ask around if anyone has one I could borrow before purchasing one.

 

[msaimee]

You can make an unseasoned chicken broth by boiling a chicken breast with the skin on in a pot of water. Most cats love this, and it is very helpful in treating the symptoms of a URI and flushing the virus out of the system. Some cats enjoy eating some of the chicken meat as well. Can you move the cat into your bedroom at night? Or perhaps put him in your bedroom for an hour or two a day and keep the resident cats out for that amount of time? They would become familiar with his scent that way, and he'd enjoy the change of scenery. It takes a new cat a while to become adjusted and accepted into a home with other cats, but it can certainly be done. I have five rescued cats who are all very different, but have learned to coexist peacefully. So it can be done. If you can't keep this Kitty, I hope you can find him a home. Cats who come down with a URI retain that virus (Herpes V) in their system, and it can reoccur throughout their lives during times of stress. Good luck and I hope he feels better soon.

 

[kittychick]

Per usual - great advice from msaimee The chicken broth is great for cats with URIs, as they often get a little dehydrated (since they, like humans, lose a lot of their sense of smell while they have a "cold" - - - and a lot of a cat's desire to eat - and a human's - - comes from smelling something yummy). So the broth is a great way to get a little extra liquid into him - which I'm sure he really needs. Just make sure you don't season the broth with onions or garlic due to their toxicity for kitties. We also use Lysine powder (although it's not inexpensive) on several of our feral's food (it's tasteless and odorless) to help with Herpes symptoms (in our guys' cases, it's a single congested eye periodically). Not something you need to worry about at this point - - but you might talk to your vet about it if he can't kick some of the symptoms. Hopefully you can find a humidifier and he'll be back to normal soon!

If you do end up fostering him for any time period at all - - - the swapping of spaces that msaimee talks about is a great way to start getting all of them a bit more used to each other. Getting kitties to get along inside can be a process - - particularly depending on your definition of "getting along." The main ingredient is patience - and understanding everything happens at its own speed (which is rarely as fast as we'd like it!). But I wouldn't rule out the bathroom as a temporary place at the moment, and then trying some space swapping with the bedroom - - or even the smaller mudroom periodically - to get all the furry beings a bit more used to each other. You never know - they could end up getting along beautifully! And since it sounds like it's a possibility that he could eventually be an addition to the household (and if not yours - someone's - since he sounds too sweet to be put back out), helping him learn good kitty manners is a good idea. I've found that - at least in our experience - cats who have spent a decent amount of time in a colony learn to get along - or at least coexist - with other cats in a house more quickly than cats with no previous "hierarchy experience."

And as far as fostering and needing help finding a fosterer - - -I don't know ANYTHING about this site/service but someone asked me about it the other day, and I'd never heard of it: 911 Foster Pets So my mention of this is in no way a recommendation - - but if anyone else has heard of it/used it/etc. I'd love to hear about their experience, since many people (like you) would love it if they could find help in fostering a needy animal. I'll post about it somewhere else too to see if anyone's heard of it.

I'm glad to hear you've kind of got your own little "system" of TNRing/feeding/socializing going there - - -that way no one person gets the whole brunt. Apartment complexes - like vacation properties - are about the worst (except maybe college dorm areas) for having people just leave their cats when they go. I'm so glad Binx - and all of the others in your area - have such caring people to look after them!

Keep us posted on Binx!

 

[tdanley0906]

You can make an unseasoned chicken broth by boiling a chicken breast with the skin on in a pot of water. Most cats love this, and it is very helpful in treating the symptoms of a URI and flushing the virus out of the system. Some cats enjoy eating some of the chicken meat as well. Can you move the cat into your bedroom at night? Or perhaps put him in your bedroom for an hour or two a day and keep the resident cats out for that amount of time? They would become familiar with his scent that way, and he'd enjoy the change of scenery. It takes a new cat a while to become adjusted and accepted into a home with other cats, but it can certainly be done. I have five rescued cats who are all very different, but have learned to coexist peacefully. So it can be done. If you can't keep this Kitty, I hope you can find him a home. Cats who come down with a URI retain that virus (Herpes V) in their system, and it can reoccur throughout their lives during times of stress. Good luck and I hope he feels better soon.

I will definitely try the chicken broth idea. He’s eating pretty good right now finally but at first it I’d be sitting with him for a good 30 minutes coaxing him to eat. I actually had found some freeze dried tuna flakes at petsmart that have a really strong fishy smell which helped me get him to recognize his food. Good for him but my bathroom didn’t smell too good for a couple of days I actually did think just earlier today to let him in our bedroom for a little while since I have to keep the door closed anyways when I’m working on my projects for school. I’m sure he’d love to move around a bigger space for a bit.

 

[tdanley0906]

Per usual - great advice from msaimee The chicken broth is great for cats with URIs, as they often get a little dehydrated (since they, like humans, lose a lot of their sense of smell while they have a "cold" - - - and a lot of a cat's desire to eat - and a human's - - comes from smelling something yummy). So the broth is a great way to get a little extra liquid into him - which I'm sure he really needs. Just make sure you don't season the broth with onions or garlic due to their toxicity for kitties. We also use Lysine powder (although it's not inexpensive) on several of our feral's food (it's tasteless and odorless) to help with Herpes symptoms (in our guys' cases, it's a single congested eye periodically). Not something you need to worry about at this point - - but you might talk to your vet about it if he can't kick some of the symptoms. Hopefully you can find a humidifier and he'll be back to normal soon!

If you do end up fostering him for any time period at all - - - the swapping of spaces that msaimee talks about is a great way to start getting all of them a bit more used to each other. Getting kitties to get along inside can be a process - - particularly depending on your definition of "getting along." The main ingredient is patience - and understanding everything happens at its own speed (which is rarely as fast as we'd like it!). But I wouldn't rule out the bathroom as a temporary place at the moment, and then trying some space swapping with the bedroom - - or even the smaller mudroom periodically - to get all the furry beings a bit more used to each other. You never know - they could end up getting along beautifully! And since it sounds like it's a possibility that he could eventually be an addition to the household (and if not yours - someone's - since he sounds too sweet to be put back out), helping him learn good kitty manners is a good idea. I've found that - at least in our experience - cats who have spent a decent amount of time in a colony learn to get along - or at least coexist - with other cats in a house more quickly than cats with no previous "hierarchy experience."

And as far as fostering and needing help finding a fosterer - - -I don't know ANYTHING about this site/service but someone asked me about it the other day, and I'd never heard of it: 911 Foster Pets So my mention of this is in no way a recommendation - - but if anyone else has heard of it/used it/etc. I'd love to hear about their experience, since many people (like you) would love it if they could find help in fostering a needy animal. I'll post about it somewhere else too to see if anyone's heard of it.

I'm glad to hear you've kind of got your own little "system" of TNRing/feeding/socializing going there - - -that way no one person gets the whole brunt. Apartment complexes - like vacation properties - are about the worst (except maybe college dorm areas) for having people just leave their cats when they go. I'm so glad Binx - and all of the others in your area - have such caring people to look after them!

Keep us posted on Binx!

I know some of these cats around here had to of been either left behind or have wandered over from the neighborhood behind my complex. I actually think the female cat that we found outside and kept was left behind. She’s a very pretty and fluffy calico and so far I’ve seen no calicos or other fluffy cats around here. We thought she might belong to someone and everyday we saw her for about two weeks my husband would tell me we need to take her until finally I said ok if we see her again we’ll bring her in. Well literally the next morning we go to leave to have breakfast and she was sitting right by his car! It’s like she was just waiting for us lol But yes I’m glad our neighbors are just as caring as we are, it’s quite amusing to come around the building and randomly see grown men petting and playing with the cats

 

[tdanley0906]

This is Mr. Binx! He climbs right in my lap anytime I sit down with him. He does not seem very amused that I accidentally left the flash on

 

[msaimee]

it looks like he's making himself right at home

 

[tdanley0906]

Well finally have an updat on Binx and it’s not the happy ending I was hoping for After a couple of rounds of antibiotics since mid December he started doing really well until a few days ago. He began laying around, not eating but still drinking water and not “talking” to us like he normally does. Took him to the vet and they went ahead and did X-rays and blood work only to find out that the poor guy more than likely has FIP. His X-rays showed nodules on his lungs and his blood work was consistent with a FIP diagnosis. I went ahead and had them give him another antibiotic shot to try and make him feel better while my husband and I prepare for his passing. We are devastated that this sweet boys life will be cut short and it’s been so hard deciding when and if to get him euthanized. Neither of us have had to make a decision like this and its hard deciding what the right choice will be, either letting him pass naturally if possible or making the choice to end his life. As of now Binx has perked up some in the last 24 hours, talking to us a little more, eating and also moving around some. We were getting ready to make him a permanent member of our family only to find out his time with us is being cut short

 

[msaimee]

I am so sorry this is happening to you and Binky. Making these kinds of decisions is the hardest part of loving a pet. I pray you'll know how to care for Binky and I hope you can make him comfortable and have some good time together

 

[kittychick]

I too am so sorry to hear that this was his diagnosis. FIP is indeed such a difficult diagnosis. I hate that you have to deal with this so soon into his life as an inside family member. And yes - - it is a very, very difficult and emotional decision, but I always tell myself it's one of the kindest things we can do for them - which is end any suffering when it gets to that point. And having been around multiple cats with FIP, I can say that you likely will know when it's his time. As long as he's enjoying you, enjoying food, and enjoying talking with you - - I personally think he's in a good place and the happiness in his life is outweighing any discomfort he's having. I've always sat with my pets right up until the end (and when possible - had a vet come to our house), as I believe that holding them as they pass over - while not easy for me - is such a comfort for them. I know it's not an easy thing to discuss - but if you ask your vet - they may be willing (for a small extra fee) to come to your house so that he won't even have to ride to the vet. Or they may know of a mobile vet who will perform that in your home. No matter what you decide - - -know how much better his life has been because of you.

You brought SUCH joy and comfort into his life in such a short time! He's had two people to love who love him right back. And since he's known you - - - he's never had to want for food, or want for love. Here in the latter part of his life he's felt safe, full, warm and loved beyond measure -----and you've made that happen. And because of you, even when his life here is over - - he'll go with all of that love in his heart. I know I'll be thinking of all of you - - as I'm sure everyone on here who has been touched by Binx's story - will be doing. Love him - cuddle him - spoil him as much as possible. You've all been SO good for each other - - never forget that.