Feral Cat with What Appears to be an Infection. Don't Know What to Do!

Chasm

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In case this is relevant, I live in Orange County, California.

About a week ago my fiance noticed that one of the feral cats that lives at our apparent complex was injured (bloody at the mouth and drooling). This cat is very feral and doesn't allow people to come up close to him. He ran off and we couldn't find him.

A couple days ago we were able to locate him in our apartment complex garage. We put out food and water and a small cat tree for him in our parking space. He has been sleeping in the cat tree since then. He seems very lethargic and has what appears to be pus coming from his nose, and discharge from his eyes which are swollen.

I am very concerned and I'm not sure what to do. He is very feral. I am torn between just letting him rest and hoping he recovers naturally, and trying to catch him. I am concerned that if I do try to catch him he will run off somewhere else. At least now he has access to food and water and a safe place to sleep (although I don't know how much he has been eating and drinking).

Even if I am able to catch him I have no idea where to take him for vet care, or even if it would be possible for a very to treat him (given how feral he is). Vet cost is also a concern, albeit a secondary one.

I feel like whatever choice I make is the wrong one.
 

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FeebysOwner

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Any chance of calling around to rescue centers/shelters that might have some antibiotics on hand to feed them to him in his food? Some places will work with such a situation, others will not. Also, asking on web sites like Next Door Neighbor might elicit some help for those who also help/work with ferals/strays. Some of them even keep 'left over' antibiotics for occasions such as this one. They also might have some other ideas/thoughts to share.

Feeding wise, you can try baby food meat (Gerber Stage 2 or Beechnut) to see if he will eat those if he is not eating the food you put out - and, especially so if you can manage to find some meds for him. They are not nutritionally complete but using them for a while is better than him not eating.

There are by far more experienced members on this site that deal routinely with ferals/strays that I hope will soon see your post and offer more than I can.

I hope you can help this little guy and bless you for trying!
 
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Chasm

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Any chance of calling around to rescue centers/shelters that might have some antibiotics on hand to feed them to him in his food? Some places will work with such a situation, others will not. Also, asking on web sites like Next Door Neighbor might elicit some help for those who also help/work with ferals/strays. Some of them even keep 'left over' antibiotics for occasions such as this one. They also might have some other ideas/thoughts to share.

Feeding wise, you can try baby food meat (Gerber Stage 2 or Beechnut) to see if he will eat those if he is not eating the food you put out - and, especially so if you can manage to find some meds for him. They are not nutritionally complete but using them for a while is better than him not eating.

There are by far more experienced members on this site that deal routinely with ferals/strays that I hope will soon see your post and offer more than I can.

I hope you can help this little guy and bless you for trying!
Thank you for your quick reply. He doesn't seem to be eating much at the moment, unfortunately. Also, other strays and ferals are around the area, so they might eat his food too.

Could the antibiotics harm healthy ferals if they eat some of his food? Also, would an incomplete dose harm him (there would be no way to control the dose)
 

FeebysOwner

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If it doesn't appear that he is eating much food, it would seem to make logical sense that other ferals are not coming around (yet) and eating the food you set out for him - or that is my guess. Antibiotics aren't likely to hurt the other cats if they would eat them, but an insufficient dose for him is just going to take longer to help.

If he is really that sick, it might be best to consult with the above connections I mentioned to see about trapping him and getting better care for him.
 
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Chasm

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If it doesn't appear that he is eating much food, it would seem to make logical sense that other ferals are not coming around (yet) and eating the food you set out for him - or that is my guess. Antibiotics aren't likely to hurt the other cats if they would eat them, but an insufficient dose for him is just going to take longer to help.

If he is really that sick, it might be best to consult with the above connections I mentioned to see about trapping him and getting better care for him.
Just to clarify, by the above sources do you mean Next Door?
 

FeebysOwner

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Just to clarify, by the above sources do you mean Next Door?
Yes - that and local rescue groups who seem to be a bit more 'flexible' than shelters.

There are supplements that can help with a cat's immune system, but they won't do much if he has an infection. L-lysine and DMG to name a couple.
 

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Hi C Chasm and a very warm welcome to the forum !

To find some competent local help, Google exactly this: "cat rescue in Orange County, California".

Unless you know for certain that local 'animal control' won't euthanize cats like this, approach one of the private rescues first and describe your situation. That cat looks to be in need of some serious Vet care - personally, I wouldn't be attempting any kind of antibiotic treatment because that could interfere with a proper diagnosis and treatment (and promote an antibiotic resistance). An experienced trapper from such a group is your best bet now.

We have lots of experienced rescue folks here - they're sure to chime in.

Do keep us updated!
.
 

shadowsrescue

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You could also try a mobile vet. I have used them with feral cats. You would need to contain him in the garage or somewhere he can't escape. You also have to be sure the mobile vet will work with feral cats.

He needs some serious vet care.
 
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Chasm

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Hi,

Thanks for your replies, everyone. I'm sorry for taking so long to update- its been a crazy week with work and holiday stuff as well as this cat situation.

We were able to catch the cat on Monday (day after I originally posted this). We took him to a vet, who said it looked like he had gotten into a car accident. He has a fractured jaw, an abscess on his paw, a pretty bad nasal/eye infection and was very dehydrated. The vet suspected that he was hit by a car which caused the broken jaw and abscess.

He got IV fluids, a long-acting antibiotic shot, they treated his abscess and did surgery on his jaw. We also got him shots and got him neutered. This treatment was over the course of a few days (we boarded him at the vet).

We now have him in a large cage on our balcony while he continues to recover (our own two cats are very territorial and would not let him inside). His appetite has returned and he is eating a ton!

He is completely feral (hisses whenever we get too close, does not meow, ect). Given how feral he is, I genuinely think the kindest option is to release him once he recovers and gets his sutures removed. He is simply unsuited for adoption and would be genuinely miserable in a household. He is part of a group of feral cats that hang around the outdoor area of our apartment complex, so the complex is home for him. Several people in the apartment complex look out for the ferals and feed them.

Anyway, thank you for your thoughtful responses to my initial post, and sorry to leave you hanging!
 
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Chasm

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I was just thinking about the helpful people on this site, and I thought you might be interested in an update. Things did NOT go as expected with this cat.

The cat had to get his broken jaw wired. He was scheduled to get the wire removed in early February. He was a completely feral adult cat (ran away from people, ect). We knew we had no hope of re-capturing him in February if we released him, so we decided to keep him in captivity until he got the wire removed. Given how feral he was, we fully intended on releasing him once the wire was removed.

We named him Frederick.

We kept Frederick in a large cage. He would retreat to his cat condo every time we opened the door. We wore shoulder length gloves and face shields to feed him, clean his cage, and change his litter, because he would hiss constantly and swipe at our hands and arms the entire time. He trashed his cage- flinging litter everywhere. I was counting the days before the wire removal surgery when we could release him!

Then, in late January, a switch seemed to flip in Frederick. He allowed us to 'pet' him, with a back scratcher, through the bars of his cage. He realized he liked petting, and immediately allowed us to pet him with our bare hands. He purred.

After that, Frederick stopped hissing and swiping when we cleaned his cage. He became very affectionate- he loved petting and cheek scratches. He started vocalizing (meowing), which we had never heard him do before.

We realized that releasing Frederick was no longer an option. He tested positive for FIV, so we could not keep him ourselves. We ended up finding an excellent home for him with a good friend of ours, a self-described "crazy cat man" whose previous cat passed away from old age a few months ago. We have no doubt that Frederick is in excellent hands.

Thank you to everyone who read my initial post, and offered advice. I know thats a long story, but I thought it would be nice to hear how unexpectedly, and happily, this turned out.

P.S. Here are a few recent photos of Frederick.
 

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shadowsrescue

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Thank you so much for the update!!! You did so much to help Frederick and now he is in a loving home. He so needed your help and loving care to move forward in his life. I hope the best for Frederick.

Thanks so much for all you did and for coming back and giving this wonderful update!!
 
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Chasm

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Shadowsrescue- thank you so much for your help with Frederick, and everything you do! I just checked out your blog. It seems like you have significant experience socializing adult feral cats. To be honest, I didn't realize it was possible to socialize an adult feral until Frederick proved me wrong.
 

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What a wonderful story. I was so happy to hear that latest update and see photos that show how much a cat can change! I dont ever like to accept that a feral cat cannot be helped, i've helped too many myself and only cound that they need care, time, and a good petting to let them know things can change afe they're safer now.

Well done, it's another great inspiring story of how we can all help our little furry friends 👍
 
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Chasm

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Quick update while I am on this site: Frederick is absolutely thriving with Ricky! He is incredibly affectionate and calm, and is now one of the friendliest cats I know. We have seen him multiple times when visiting Ricky, and receive regular photo updates as well. Here is a recent photo of him- his coat is absolutely amazing.
 

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