One of my rescues, Cipher, died today.
I rescued him about 6 months ago when he just strolled into my house when I opened the door. He was in a HORRIBLE state. He had mange and scabies all over his neck and was limping, too, it seemed. He was a long-haired cat (people mistakenly call them Persian's over here) so I'm guessing he was a pet who had been neglected and chucked out when he had gotten sick. He was incredibly friendly though. The way he just wandered into my house, you would have thought that he had lived there his whole life! He followed me around and would pounce on my legs whenever I walked past him. He was almost impossible not to bond with.
So, I took him in and kept him in the spare room we have on our third storey. I couldn't take him to the vets because I didn't know any at the time so I began to treating him myself. I had exams going on at the time but he was my priority. I had to make him better and I promised him I would. And I did. Against all the odds a 15 year old saved a rather fat tom-cat and gave him a home. His mange was gone within a few weeks and although he did develop a floppy ear because of a hematoma, he was good as new at least 2 months after I got him.
I knew that I couldn't keep him though, and that's when I gave him to my cousin. He keeps them in a factory, a very very very large space full of lots of worn down machines that aren't used anymore. It's got lots of planks of wood for him to play on and lots of beams for him to walk across, and even a little pool for him to swim in (he was a strange cat and really loved baths!). He loved it there and would yell at everyone and everything and get excited whenever he saw someone, pouncing on their legs.
My cousin bred him with his Queen, too, and she had 6 babies a few weeks ago. 3 of the babies died and 1 of them was stolen when he was a month old. The babies suddenly stopped eating and were fatigued. My cousin took them to the vet and the vet simply said that "they had the flu". He didn't prescribe any antibiotics that I know of, he just gave them an injection that I don't know the name of and told my cousin to put them in the sun. They both died within a week of each other. They had a fit and passed away. I'm guessing it was dehydration and low-blood sugar that finally got them and I can't help but feel as if it could have been prevented. Though I couldn't have told the vet what to give the kittens, out of fear of him thinking I was disrespecting him. People over here don't like to admit that they're wrong.
And then Cipher fell sick about 4 days ago. He kept vomiting (it was greeny-yellow) and refused to eat. He was drooling and hardly moving too, though would drink water every so often. His symptoms were so much like Butty's when he had an obstruction but again, the vet just said that he had a cold. The vet prescribed calpol (I told my cousin to NOT give him the calpol, the vet is stupid to have even suggested that in my opinion), Gravinate, Entox and Flagyl. My cousin would miss a few doses though, claiming that his own work was more important than the welfare of Cipher. If I was in his space, I wouldn't have left Cipher's side. I would have spent every single second with him to make sure he was eating and drinking every hour and help him urinate and ensure that he was okay. That he felt loved, even if he was destined to die.
I feel like all of this could have been prevented. I'm not sure if the vet palpated his stomach to check for an obstruction, but I don't think he did. The vet, in my opinion, is underqualified, too slacking at his job. I don't think I'll ever know why Cipher or the kittens died and that really does sadden me. I know that it probably could have been prevented if I was there to help him, but my exams are in less than a month and they live two hours away so there's no way I could have gone to help
Personally, I think in the end low-blood-sugar killed all of them, that and possibly dehydration from not drinking and vomiting (the kittens weren't vomiting, though). If anyone else has any ideas as to why they could have died, it'd be much appreciated.
Edit: here is a picture of the fluffball about a month after I got him.
I rescued him about 6 months ago when he just strolled into my house when I opened the door. He was in a HORRIBLE state. He had mange and scabies all over his neck and was limping, too, it seemed. He was a long-haired cat (people mistakenly call them Persian's over here) so I'm guessing he was a pet who had been neglected and chucked out when he had gotten sick. He was incredibly friendly though. The way he just wandered into my house, you would have thought that he had lived there his whole life! He followed me around and would pounce on my legs whenever I walked past him. He was almost impossible not to bond with.
So, I took him in and kept him in the spare room we have on our third storey. I couldn't take him to the vets because I didn't know any at the time so I began to treating him myself. I had exams going on at the time but he was my priority. I had to make him better and I promised him I would. And I did. Against all the odds a 15 year old saved a rather fat tom-cat and gave him a home. His mange was gone within a few weeks and although he did develop a floppy ear because of a hematoma, he was good as new at least 2 months after I got him.
I knew that I couldn't keep him though, and that's when I gave him to my cousin. He keeps them in a factory, a very very very large space full of lots of worn down machines that aren't used anymore. It's got lots of planks of wood for him to play on and lots of beams for him to walk across, and even a little pool for him to swim in (he was a strange cat and really loved baths!). He loved it there and would yell at everyone and everything and get excited whenever he saw someone, pouncing on their legs.
My cousin bred him with his Queen, too, and she had 6 babies a few weeks ago. 3 of the babies died and 1 of them was stolen when he was a month old. The babies suddenly stopped eating and were fatigued. My cousin took them to the vet and the vet simply said that "they had the flu". He didn't prescribe any antibiotics that I know of, he just gave them an injection that I don't know the name of and told my cousin to put them in the sun. They both died within a week of each other. They had a fit and passed away. I'm guessing it was dehydration and low-blood sugar that finally got them and I can't help but feel as if it could have been prevented. Though I couldn't have told the vet what to give the kittens, out of fear of him thinking I was disrespecting him. People over here don't like to admit that they're wrong.
And then Cipher fell sick about 4 days ago. He kept vomiting (it was greeny-yellow) and refused to eat. He was drooling and hardly moving too, though would drink water every so often. His symptoms were so much like Butty's when he had an obstruction but again, the vet just said that he had a cold. The vet prescribed calpol (I told my cousin to NOT give him the calpol, the vet is stupid to have even suggested that in my opinion), Gravinate, Entox and Flagyl. My cousin would miss a few doses though, claiming that his own work was more important than the welfare of Cipher. If I was in his space, I wouldn't have left Cipher's side. I would have spent every single second with him to make sure he was eating and drinking every hour and help him urinate and ensure that he was okay. That he felt loved, even if he was destined to die.
I feel like all of this could have been prevented. I'm not sure if the vet palpated his stomach to check for an obstruction, but I don't think he did. The vet, in my opinion, is underqualified, too slacking at his job. I don't think I'll ever know why Cipher or the kittens died and that really does sadden me. I know that it probably could have been prevented if I was there to help him, but my exams are in less than a month and they live two hours away so there's no way I could have gone to help
Personally, I think in the end low-blood-sugar killed all of them, that and possibly dehydration from not drinking and vomiting (the kittens weren't vomiting, though). If anyone else has any ideas as to why they could have died, it'd be much appreciated.
Edit: here is a picture of the fluffball about a month after I got him.
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