Eye Infection In A Feral / Socialization Progress

[be81174]

Hi!

My little feral has an eye infection but there is no way I can safely touch her yet, let alone put drops in her eyes. I read that sometimes an oral antibiotic can help but the vet said eye drops are the best.

I get that they're the best but they are hard to administer in most cats and impossible to administer on a cat that you can't even touch without a swat!

Does anyone have any advice or experience with such a thing?

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I'd say you've got an issue, but if the Vet says oral can help, then is he willing to prescribe one without seeing her, or are you able to get her into a carrier. If he'll prescribe an oral, might as well give it a try...better than nothing, right?

 

[be81174]

my feral is not touchable but has an eye infection. I took her to the vet today and confirmed it and let me tell you - she was impossible to touch. She got out of the towel burrito they made and hid. It took 10 minutes and a lot of hissing, spitting and biting before we could get her in the carrier again.

There is no way I can drop her eyes.

The vet prescribed an anti depressant that should help. I am to crush 1/2 a pill into her canned food for 3 days and then try to put the drops in.

She. Won't. Eat. The. Food.

I am crying. What else can I do? She won't take the pill. I crushed it and put it in her food. I tried putting it in tuna (she loves tuna). SHE WON'T EAT IT!

I just don't know what to do anymore.

 

[StefanZ]

If its impossible, so its impossible. She is feral, so her fate is her own; if we want to take it philosphically... Otherwise, having them in a cage makes sometimes medication easier. Easier to get hold on them not needing to hunt down nor turn the house up and down every time.

Re anti- depressants: Try with calming music, classical harp music, or almost any soft relaxing music may work.
A Feliway adaper may also help...

 

[ondine]

I've been here. I ended up putting L-lysine crushed in the stinkiest wet food I could find. It helped but the infection was not that bad.

We ended up giving the cat an antibiotic shot that lasted two weeks (Covenia?). They do not use these too often, as there have been many reports of adverse affects. I'd ask the vet.

Take a deep breath - feral cats can be such a challenge. One of those times when you know you are doing the right thing but no one else seems to understand. Blessings on you for helping her.

 

[Sarthur2]

Would you be able to smear terramycin ointment across the eyes with gloves on?

Otherwise, keep trying different flavors of food. Wiil she eat a pill pocket or cheese with pill inside?

 

[keeneland]

We had a feral at the time with a eye injury that got infected. We took to the vet and got a steroid shot and left him at the vet for 3 days because we knew we could not get the medication in his eye ourselves. It cost us but that cat has now turned into a big baby. Hard to believe now that we were once afraid of him and scared to try and put drops in his eyes. At the time I was actually worried he would scratch and injure the vet. Didn't happen and it worked out!

 

[be81174]

I was up until 3:00am googling different ideas. This morning I cut the pill in two, dipped each half in butter and then wrapped the buttered pill in a layer of tuna. This seemed to do the trick. She ate both pieces.

Sigh of relief!!

I hope it keeps up. I also noticed that she didn't eat the non-medicated food I gave her either. I think when she is very stressed she stops eating so perhaps last night she was still stressed from the trip to the vet. It must have been exhausting for her.

She has her Feliway diffuser, some Jackson Galaxy Feral Flower and now her trazodone.

 

[Sarthur2]

Nice job!

I agree she may have been too stressed to feel like eating.

 

[be81174]

Last night we left the door to the bathroom open so she could wander the apartment a little. We close all of the doors and kept the other cats in the bedroom with us. It went very well. She seemed to enjoy the place and was under a couch when I got up this morning. I sat on the couch and she skittered back to her bathroom.

She also took her pill like a champ this morning! Yay! One more day and then I am supposed to try to put a drop in her eyes. Not sure how that will go!!!! She still doesn't allow any kind of touch at all. She was in the bathtub earlier and was actually "chatting" with me. She doesn't meow - I don't think she quite remembers how - but today she was making meow-type chattering noises while I was talking to her. I slowly put a finger toward her and got a hiss. So - no touching. She just wants to talk ;-)

I also took her hard, plastic carrier away and replaced it with a soft one that has 3 doors. I think it will be easier for getting her for her drops. I have to return the plastic carrier to the SPCA anyways. I don't think she likes the soft carrier and I feel bad for taking away some of her comfort...but she will get used to this new one!

 

[Sarthur2]

Are her eyes looking any better yet from the pills?

 

[be81174]

Are her eyes looking any better yet from the pills?

Actually, the pills are only to relax her enough so that I am able to give her the drops. The vet says oral antibiotics won't do anything for her eyes :-(

 

[ondine]

Sounds like your making great progress. The more familiar she feels, the less objections she'll give.

 

[be81174]

I am going to have to wrap her in a towel and work with my boyfriend to get her drops in. I am not looking forward to that! I don't want her to never trust me!!!!

 

[be81174]

So today I dipped a cotton ball in some warm water and taped it to the end of a wand and rubbed it against her face. She enjoyed it!! I cleaned her eyes as best as I could. She was a little hesitant at first but seemed to get into it. Even let me rub the side of her face and the top of her head!! I didn't want to just go for her eyes, in case she got nervous.

My friend is going to come and help with drops tomorrow. I am not looking forward to it at all

 

[be81174]

Hi!

I have been treating my feral eye infection as best as I can while still trying to get her a little socialized. I am sometimes a little confused by her signals and was wondering if I might have your input!

Instead of trying to get her bundled in a towel and forcing drops in her eyes, I decided to first try and "dab" an ointment in her eyes with a damp cotton ball. I tape a sterile cotton ball on a wand and put it in warm water. Then I add a large glob of ointment on it and very, very carefully dab it in the corner of her eye. I use a large glob so that the cotton doesn't actually have to touch her. I am sure that not a lot of it actually gets in the eye and there is an awful waste of medication but it seems to be working a bit. Her left eye seems to be responding! Her right eye is harder to get but also looks less irritated and weepy. If this doesn't work then I will switch to the drops (she will be a very angry kitty).

As for socializing...I am not always sure what to make of her signals. She stays in the bathroom all day and doesn't come out for anything. She might use the litter but doesn't eat or drink. She mainly stays in her carrier or maybe moves behind the toilet. Some tuna can draw her out but then she's right back in her hiding spot. A too close hand will still elicit a swat and a recoil.

At night we bring our 2 cats in the bedroom with us and close the door (3 nights now). She does come out of the bathroom to explore. She doesn't go running if we come out of the bedroom. I have seen her up on the couch, laying under a window and laying in the kitchen. She will watch me but not run and hide. I leave her be though. In the morning she is generally back in her carrier in the bathroom by the time we wake up.

Sometimes she will "chatter" to me. It's almost like a meow but a little hoarse. Also when I talk to her she will sometimes close her eyes and fall asleep, or look a little sleepy. She might snuggle in a little wherever she is hiding...showing her tummy a little but not much.

What do you guys think? To me it seems like she is ok but some nights I feel a little distressed. I was very discouraged the other night, feeling like it was kind of hopeless.

 

[ondine]

No, it is not hopeless at all! She sounds like she's coming along nicely.

I especially like your solution for getting the ointment in her eye. If she wasn't trusting of you, she'd never allow a wand near her eye like that.

The fact that she knows her little routine (explore the house at night and be back in the carrier on time) is great, too. The chattering sounds like what one of our cats does. He was on the streets for a few years before he adopted us, so he can be a little rough around the edges. But he loves to chatter at us.

It really sounds like you are doing great!

 

[be81174]

No, it is not hopeless at all! She sounds like she's coming along nicely.

I especially like your solution for getting the ointment in her eye. If she wasn't trusting of you, she'd never allow a wand near her eye like that.

It really sounds like you are doing great!

Oh thank you! I feel like one of those first time parents that keeps waking the baby up to make sure it's still breathing! I don't question when my 2 cats lay around and hardly move all day but when she does I freak out! Is she sick!? Is she breathing? Is she depressed? Why isn't she putting her scent around? Why doesn't she come out of the bathroom during the day or even sit in the open?

It's not like I've never had a cat before but I have never socialized a feral so it feels completely different.

 

[ondine]

It is hard, especially with cats you don't know well. But it really sounds like she's coming along.

 

[be81174]

It's been a week and I think her little eye is doing better. She still stays in the bathroom all day but comes out at night to explore. I let my cats go in to see her and there are zero fights!!! A little hissing but nothing bad!

Here is a picture of her eye...what do you guys think? Does it look infected? It's not weepy and she doesn't squint anymore,...