My outdoor cat is sick. Emotional support needed please

Jasminelopeze

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Jul 19, 2019
Messages
49
Purraise
72
Towards the middle of the pandemic a black and white long haired cat showed up at my door. I feed the cats in the neighborhood so I just added him to the group. He’s stuck around since then. He’s very sweet but does not like being indoors. Up until 4 months ago he started letting me bring him in. Immediately within 10-20 mins he’d cried to go out. I wanted him to get used to being inside cause I planned to neuter him and have him recover indoors.
Unfortunately as a result of the pandemic, work has been chaotic (work in a school for children with autism full time and have a weekend job) even though he isn’t neutered he never left. So I put it aside. Recently he’s started to explore and go missing for a day at a time. He’s only done this twice. After the first time I called and made arrangements for him to be neutered. His appointment is on the 4th. Two nights ago he went missing again. I was worried but tried to remain calm since he always comes back. He came back the next day late at night but he was different. He didn’t come to me when I called out for him. He’s not as affectionate as he normally is. He just seems so out of it.
I feed him some wet food mixed with alittle water. He eagerly ate it but within 20 mins he threw it up. I figured it must of been a bad can and waited about and hour and a half to feed him again. To have something in his belly. I gave him a churro tube. He loves those and finished the whole thing. He then threw up again within 20 mins. Throughout the night he kept drinking water and throw it up 20-30 mins later. I also noticed he has mucus coming out of his nose.

this morning a bought some pedialyte (learned that it’s okay to give to dehydrated cats) and made an appointment with a vet. Because of the pandemic not a lot of places accepting new patients. So it was a miracle this clinic could see me on such short notice.

*sigh*

the Doctor suggested that he possible ate something bad while he was out. He took a blood sample.This is what is breaking my heart and giving me the worst anxiety that he’s gonna die.

the doctor found a vein and stuck him and the blood would not fully come out. He pricked him in several different places and he was able to get enough blood for the sample. But said that was rare. 💔 I asked if that meant he was in really bad shape and all he said that it’s possible (because he’s an outdoor and unaltered male) that because ofall the muscle and long hair he has (he’s a pretty big cat) that could have been a reason why. ButI feel like they’re lying to me. It could just be me over thinking but idk.

the doctor also gave him a shot of something (I was so emotional I don’t remember the name of it. I think it was an anti-viral? Idk. Im so stupid I should have paid attention) said it would help him. Then gave me amoxicillin to give home twice a day for his upper respiratory infection (seems like he has one) we got home and he drank some pedialyte. by that point it’s important to add that anytime he’s eaten or drank water the night before, he would vomit. before leaving for the vet he drank some water and didn’t throw up. He drank some pedialyte when we got home from the doctor and I waited for 20 mins, he didn’t vomit. So I proceeded To give him his first dose of amoxicillin. He didn’t vomit. I read online that it takes about 2 hours for the medicine to effectively go into their system (please tell me if this is true or not) and offered him alittle wet food mixed with pedialyte. He ate maybe 1/4 of a small wet food can. About an hour later I offered him some chicken baby food with pedialyte and he loved it. I probably gave him 1/3 of the jar. To start off slow. I was feeling optimistic. He then ate some dry food and has used the litter box about 3 times to pee throughout the day.

*sigh*

maybe I pushed too hard. Maybe this is my fault. I read online that it’s important for cats to eat and drink so the owners should try small meals frequently. I tried giving him more chicken baby food with pedialyte (I might have made it too liquidy) and he didn’t want it. I then found an old chicken tube in my room (possibly 1 month old, never opened and checked the date, not expired) and gave it to him. He eagerly ate it. 10 minutes later he threw up.I could see chunks of the dry food he had earlier. I waited about an hour and a half to give him his next dose of amoxicillin and within 30 mins he threw up (small amount but still) so now I’m worried that he threw up the meds.

Idk what to do. I was planning on waiting 2 hours to try and feed him again if he didn’t vomit. But he did. I don’t want to make it worse. I don’t want him vomiting all night like last night. Should I feed him again? I was gonna give him a delectable treat (it’s like a stew for cats) but now I don’t know if it’ll do more harm than good.

I need support please. Advise. Idk if I’m doing something wrong. If I’m pushing to much. Am I the problem? I really just want him to be okay. I feel horrible. I can’t afford an emergency vet. The vet today cost me $312. I hate this. Why is pet care or pet insurance (I looked into it) so expensive. 😞😞 what do you guys think? His blood work results won’t be back until Monday. And I asked the vet assistant to be straight with me. To let me know if he looks really bad so I can prepare myself. She said no. At the moment no. She’s seen worse. That didn’t really help. (I overthink so that might just be my problem)

*sigh*

I feel sick. Right now he’s laying in his spot (he likes this corner of my room by the wall. It’s kinda cold but he’s always loved that spot to nap) I keep praying he won’t throw up again. I also haven’t seen him poo. This morning it looked like a little poop was in the litter box but it was very liquidy. He hasn’t really eaten a lot so idk if that could be why he hasn’t.

i know this is a lot. Any support, advise, is appreciated.
 

Meowmee

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 2, 2018
Messages
2,874
Purraise
3,605
So sorry your kitty is suffering. Hugs to you. If a cat has been throwing up a lot, it is a good idea not to feed them at all for 12 hours at least to let them recover. No dry food either. Did the dvm give him an injection of cerenia and pepcid? That would help the vomiting and nausea. If it is something he ingested it needs to be figured out asap so it can be treated depending on what it is.

Don’t let him out again at all. Keep him in a small room and let him adjust to being inside, it may take a few weeks but once he is neutered he will adjust.
 

Cat McCannon

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Mar 28, 2021
Messages
919
Purraise
2,233
Pull yourself together. You are your cat’s best hope of recovery. You need to clear your head and be present to make sure your cat gets the care it needs. If you go to pieces, you won’t be able to care for your

Be calm. Your cat will pick up on your anxiety and become anxious himself, wasting the energy he needs to get better. When you’re calm, your cat will pick up on that and will also become calm knowing you’ve got everything under control and are taking care of him. This will give him the best chance to heal.

Take a breath, roll up your sleeves get to work and everything will be fine.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5

Jasminelopeze

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Jul 19, 2019
Messages
49
Purraise
72
UPDATE:

he threw up maybe two more time throw out the night. This morning like around 9ish I spoon fed him a likable treat. He was really into it. I gave him maybe 4-5 spoonfuls every hour and a half till he finished it. So far no vomit. I also gave him his first dose of amoxicillin. And I checked the packet it says the entire thing is about 540 calories so he has something in his system. I’m probably gonna go to the store and buy more since it’s the only thing he’s interested in eating right now. He’s not interested in drinking any water. Idk if that’s a bad thing since the likable treat is very liquidy. But I gave him some pedialyte with a syringe and he accepted. So far no vomit.
He still isn’t himself though. All he wants to do is sleep. But at this point I shouldn’t over think that too much right? I have a tendency to do that. I’m just scared.
 

Meowmee

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 2, 2018
Messages
2,874
Purraise
3,605
UPDATE:

he threw up maybe two more time throw out the night. This morning like around 9ish I spoon fed him a likable treat. He was really into it. I gave him maybe 4-5 spoonfuls every hour and a half till he finished it. So far no vomit. I also gave him his first dose of amoxicillin. And I checked the packet it says the entire thing is about 540 calories so he has something in his system. I’m probably gonna go to the store and buy more since it’s the only thing he’s interested in eating right now. He’s not interested in drinking any water. Idk if that’s a bad thing since the likable treat is very liquidy. But I gave him some pedialyte with a syringe and he accepted. So far no vomit.
He still isn’t himself though. All he wants to do is sleep. But at this point I shouldn’t over think that too much right? I have a tendency to do that. I’m just scared.
Yes just keep doing the treats for now if he can keep them down. If he seems dehydrated take to dvm for fluids. You can tell by gently pulling up his skin, if it takes too long to go back down he is dehydrated. Hang in there.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #8

Jasminelopeze

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Jul 19, 2019
Messages
49
Purraise
72
Thank you everyone.
I went to the store and bought a packet of those lockable treats and repeated the same process until he was done with it. It’s been about 3 hours since then and no vomit thank god. I am worried about hydration though. He doesn’t want any water. I tried giving him some through a syringe and he doesn’t want it. Instead surprisingly he ate some dry food and so far has not vomited.

I know that people have mentioned the scruff test to see if he’s dehydrated. I did it and his skin went down okay? I’m gonna be honest I’m not entirely sure what’s considered normal or dehydrated. I know its suppose to stay up if it’s bad but he’s just went down okay. Idk. 😞😞

should I stop with the water syringe since he had those two lickable treats? I’m not sure how much hydration is in those but it’s all he wants and I don’t want him to puke again tonight 😢

right now he’s sleeping. He’s just been sleeping all day. He peed twice. Still no poop 😞😞 but is that to be expected since as of right now, he hasn’t been able to keep down any food? I’m suppose to get his blood test results tomorrow.
 

Meowmee

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 2, 2018
Messages
2,874
Purraise
3,605
It sounds like he is doing ok, he may not be drinking because he ate the lickable treats which have water. Cats who eat wet food don't tend to drink as much but make sure he has plenty of clean water available. Here is a link on the tenting and other signs of dehydration. I would not give him dry food, I think I mentioned that before, until he is completely out of the woods for vomiting. It is harder to digest. Canned food and or boiled chicken is good. I am not a fan of syringing anything into a cat except small doses of meds because they can aspirate.

For the tent dehydration test, skin should drop back down in 1 second. For the gums, they should be moist and red, if they are pale and dry it could be dehydration, for eyes if they are sunken it could be dehydration.

Cat Dehydration: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments


 
Last edited:
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #10

Jasminelopeze

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Jul 19, 2019
Messages
49
Purraise
72
UPDATE:

He’s okay everyone 😌. It got alittle scary but he pulled through with the antibiotics the vet provided. Within the last few days he’s eating dry food again and drinking lot of water. His stool was very liquidy but within the last few days it’s slowly getting firmer and firmer.

His blood results showed that one of his liver enzymes is high. The doctor said this could mean several things. Could mean he is in liver failure (doesn’t appear to be the issue since he’s back to his normal self.) or that he’s older than I believed him to be. This is possible. He showed up during the pandemic as a grown cat so It’s possible, or that he had eaten something he wasn’t suppose to and that’s why the liver enzyme is high.

Bits of his personality are coming back and he actually wants to go back outside. (No surprise 🙄) but unfortunately because of this we had to push back his neuter date. He was initial suppose to have the surgery on Feb 4 but the vet advised it may be too soon and he needs more time to get better which I completely agree. So now it’s scheduled for the 25th. I feel so bad but I’m not letting him back outside until after the surgery (once he’s healed of course) he keeps crying that he wants to go out but heaven for bid he gets into whatever it was that got him sick. Or gets lost for good this time.

Thank you all the the advise and support. 💕💕

Haru says Thanks too!
 

Attachments

fionasmom

Moderator
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
Jun 21, 2014
Messages
13,114
Purraise
17,350
Location
Los Angeles
Thank you for posting an update! He looks happy inside, maybe as if he is in that transitionary period where he still wants out but may rethink it, especially once he is fixed. He looks like a great cat!

High liver enzymes can mean a lot of things, especially in the case of a stray. Just keep taking good care of him and they may improve as he continues to heal. They are not always a cause to panic either as other factors play into liver conditions.

Keep him inside and try to make the indoors fun for him with some playtime, etc. Cats don't think that whatever happened to them is going to happen twice, especially outdoor strays, so he may get right back into whatever hurt him the first time.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #13

Jasminelopeze

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Jul 19, 2019
Messages
49
Purraise
72
I’m hoping that he’ll turn out like one of my other outdoor cats, Kisa. She was the same way where she never like being inside for more than a few minutes. After I had her spayed she calmed down a lot. She still doesn’t like to be inside but she likes the outdoor shelters I’ve made. She sleeps there every night. She also stays by my house and only comes in to nap everyday. Within a good 2 hours she’s meowing at the door asking to leave.

it took months, for Haru to finally feel somewhat comfortable being inside. It’s a good thing I started months ago. I had planned to get him neutered before and figured I wanted him to heal indoors so he needed time to see indoor isn’t so scary. And even then he still begs to go out. He’s actually throwing a tantrum as I type 😅😔. He’s always stayed near by and came to eat everyday. He’s pretty big so he’s not too fond of the outdoor shelter I made. They’re not too small but as you can see from the photos he likes to be very comfortable lol. But he sleeps in my previous dog’s house which is carpeted and insulated as well. It was only recently that he started to go farther and not come back for a day at a time after a year of consistency. I’m really hoping he can be like Kisa. I can’t get another cat. I already have 3 indoor, my parents would never allow it. They’re best friends and play all the time outside (when it was warmer at least but they still are good friends and hang out and take naps together in my room)
 

kittyprincesss

Loving Mother of a Flower Petal
Adult Cat
Joined
Jan 24, 2018
Messages
169
Purraise
403
I'm so glad to hear Haru is doing better, fingers crossed he can adjust to the indoor life. After all, what is better than unlimited cuddles?:)
 

Meowmee

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 2, 2018
Messages
2,874
Purraise
3,605
I am very glad he is ok. 😻 Denamarin is a miracle worker if he turns out to have liver issues.

Please do not put him back outside. Convince your parents to allow him to be indoor only and allow him to adapt, he will adapt in time. If you cant keep him find someone to adopt him.. enlist the help of a rescue group. He is obviously capable of leading a happy life inside, he is touchable and tame. Outside he will die sooner most likely than later and you will have to watch it, or wonder what happened to him when he vanishes.

In addition once a cat is inside for more than 2 -3 weeks it becomes much harder for them to adapt to being outdoors again, they get disoriented, lose territorial status and are more likely to die sooner.
 

di and bob

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 12, 2012
Messages
16,581
Purraise
22,953
Location
Nebraska, USA
Once he is neutered he will settle down a lot. Don't forget it takes at least 30 days for the hormones to leave his system. He is crying because that is what intact male cats do, they are driven to get outside and mate. I would keep him in unless you have a chicken coop or a big dog kennel for him to be safe in. As you found out there are just too many dangers out there for them. i sure found out the hard way.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #18

Jasminelopeze

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Jul 19, 2019
Messages
49
Purraise
72
Hey everyone.
Haru had made a remarkable recovery. He’s eating and drinking and using the bathroom properly. Now we’re just waiting for his surgery date and boy does this cat want to go outside.

it is a constant meowing, climbing on things, knocking them over and breaking them. And it’s clear this is all steming from wanting to go out and find a mate. i Have to do something. I stepped on a piece of glass from something he broke and had to dig it out. 🙃🙃🙃

I remember seeing all these calming treats and sprays at the pet stires. Would something Like that help him? If not do any of you have any experience in unalter males? How to help them calm down? I’ve tried toys, cuddles, treats, food. Nothing works.
 

fionasmom

Moderator
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
Jun 21, 2014
Messages
13,114
Purraise
17,350
Location
Los Angeles
As for the calming sprays, I have not had good luck with them, but recently had to take in a cat whose life was threatened (spayed female fortunately) and used Feliway Optimum. Now, I have to say that in an attempt to save a little bit of money, I tried Feliway regular (whatever that is called) and it did nothing but the Optimum appeared to be much more effective. Jackson Galaxy seems a number of these on his website; I have not used those, so can't speak to them. Calming products which are designed for a cat should all be safe.

When is the surgery? I hope your foot is healed.

Do male cats go into heat? Is your male cat in heat?.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #20

Jasminelopeze

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Jul 19, 2019
Messages
49
Purraise
72
Ahhh…I guess I’ll just have to see if it helps him. Hopefully it does something. I love him to pieces but lord. I’ve never had an unaltered male indoors for this long, so this is all new to me. His surgery is on the 25th. It was originally on the 4th but due to his sudden illness the vet advised it would be better to give him more time to recover which I completely understand. But now I’m afraid to let him back out until after his surgery. In case he goes out farther like he’s been doing to find a mate or turns up hurt again.
 
Top