New cat is not healthy.

Mrsty1203

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Feb 7, 2021
Messages
74
Purraise
94
Location
New Jersey
So we just adopted this beauty Stella from a rescue group. I’m so angry, turns out she’s really not too healthy. The stinky diarrhea she’s been having is not so much from diet change to new food but from Giardiasis and worms. The group blames the foster mother for not telling them. Well, I was able to get my vet to put the Profender on her but I am really struggling trying to get the medicine for the Giardia into her. Turns out this cat is rather on the feral side also... she gave the vet and the assistant a really hard time. I’m supposed to give her this medication for 5 days in a row and it looks like she can smell/taste it in her food so is refusing to eat. Any suggestions? She does not seem tempted by strong smelling cat foods containing fish flavors... I tried people tuna as a treat once already and she ignored it. She keeps screaming at me because she’s hungry but won’t eat the food. I‘ve been playing with her, trying to get her tired and hungrier... but nothing. Dropped a couple treats into it thinking it might get her started, but nope.... she’s a stubborn one. Ferals I’ve dealt with before have not been this stubborn eating medicine in their food. I’m at a loss at what to try next. I’m so angry at this rescue group.
 

Furballsmom

Cat Devotee
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Jan 9, 2018
Messages
39,270
Purraise
53,927
Location
Colorado US
Hi!

she gave the vet and the assistant a really hard time.
This isn't necessarily an indication of feral-ness.

My Poppycat is one of those who will starve himself rather than eat something that to him smells of "wrongness". I personally would let her eat, and then can you talk to the vet about whether there's a different form of the medicine that you could maybe put in her ear, or can a vet assistant stop by and help you?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3

Mrsty1203

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Feb 7, 2021
Messages
74
Purraise
94
Location
New Jersey
Hi!


This isn't necessarily an indication of feral-ness.

My Poppycat is one of those who will starve himself rather than eat something that to him smells of "wrongness". I personally would let her eat, and you talk to the vet about whether there's a different form of the medicine that you could maybe put in her ear, or can a vet assistant stop by and help you?
The feral-ness was how she was at the vets office... she’s not been that bad with us that I would call her feral, but we’ve been being patient with her. They suggested putting it in the food because the only other option was squirting a liquid directly into her mouth for 5 days. This cat hasn’t even sat on our lap yet so grabbing her to do anything like that is out of the question, as far as we’re both concerned. We just got this cat a couple weeks ago and she’s 4 years old, not a baby.
 

Beholder

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Jan 10, 2021
Messages
515
Purraise
701
So we just adopted this beauty Stella from a rescue group. I’m so angry, turns out she’s really not too healthy. The stinky diarrhea she’s been having is not so much from diet change to new food but from Giardiasis and worms. The group blames the foster mother for not telling them. Well, I was able to get my vet to put the Profender on her but I am really struggling trying to get the medicine for the Giardia into her. Turns out this cat is rather on the feral side also... she gave the vet and the assistant a really hard time. I’m supposed to give her this medication for 5 days in a row and it looks like she can smell/taste it in her food so is refusing to eat. Any suggestions? She does not seem tempted by strong smelling cat foods containing fish flavors... I tried people tuna as a treat once already and she ignored it. She keeps screaming at me because she’s hungry but won’t eat the food. I‘ve been playing with her, trying to get her tired and hungrier... but nothing. Dropped a couple treats into it thinking it might get her started, but nope.... she’s a stubborn one. Ferals I’ve dealt with before have not been this stubborn eating medicine in their food. I’m at a loss at what to try next. I’m so angry at this rescue group.
I don't know if this will help or if you have tried this, but I found a lot of luck with Temptations treats. Normally I avoid "cat-crack" because of the ingredients, but it was the only way I could get my Morty to take his meds. He could smell them and ignored it when I tried putting it in his food, and when I put it down his throat he would just hold it in his cheeks until I let him go. For the liquid meds, I crushed up 10 chicken temptations into a fine powder. I rolled a can of cat food over it until it was crushed up. Then I mixed them together and he licked the plate clean. For the pills I got those chicken pill pockets, stuffed the pill in and then stuck a temptations treat on top. This is the only way I've been able to give him his meds, every other common way has failed me.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #6

Mrsty1203

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Feb 7, 2021
Messages
74
Purraise
94
Location
New Jersey
I don't know if this will help or if you have tried this, but I found a lot of luck with Temptations treats. Normally I avoid "cat-crack" because of the ingredients, but it was the only way I could get my Morty to take his meds. He could smell them and ignored it when I tried putting it in his food, and when I put it down his throat he would just hold it in his cheeks until I let him go. For the liquid meds, I crushed up 10 chicken temptations into a fine powder. I rolled a can of cat food over it until it was crushed up. Then I mixed them together and he licked the plate clean. For the pills I got those chicken pill pockets, stuffed the pill in and then stuck a temptations treat on top. This is the only way I've been able to give him his meds, every other common way has failed me.
It was certainly worth a try but unfortunately didn’t work either. I‘m at my wits end with this already. I am absolutely disgusted with the rescue that did this to us. I told them about it and all they say is sorry, but they tell me they’ll take the cat back. I think I’m going to have to let her go. I can’t even get medicine in her to treat it. We were really trying to do a good thing adopting a mom instead of a kitten, but now I’m beside myself.
 

Carolina SA

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Nov 7, 2020
Messages
57
Purraise
6
Location
Paraguay
Can the rescue keep her for 5 days and give her the medicine?
That way she'll recover nicely but hate them and not you!!
It would be such a shame for her to lose you because of 5 days of treatment they should be able to manage.

I'd bribe them with a donation on the promise they give her back (illness free of course), but that's just me.
Sometimes people in rescue groups get tired and don't think straight, I've seen it when volunteering to give them a break. I know I do not have the stamina to do that 24/7 year after year.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #8

Mrsty1203

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Feb 7, 2021
Messages
74
Purraise
94
Location
New Jersey
Thankfully, she ate the meds this morning!! After refusing them all night, thank God. I had actually just texted them to make arrangements to take her back... so I said, let’s hold off... Praying that now she’s used to the scent/taste the next doses won’t be so bad. I don’t want to give her back to these people, they’ll just take her back to the foster who was basically feeding her and not paying attention to anything else. This cat was with her for a whole year and never said a word to them about her stool.
 

Beholder

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Jan 10, 2021
Messages
515
Purraise
701
Thankfully, she ate the meds this morning!! After refusing them all night, thank God. I had actually just texted them to make arrangements to take her back... so I said, let’s hold off... Praying that now she’s used to the scent/taste the next doses won’t be so bad. I don’t want to give her back to these people, they’ll just take her back to the foster who was basically feeding her and not paying attention to anything else. This cat was with her for a whole year and never said a word to them about her stool.
That's great! Hopefully she can keep it up!
 

FeebysOwner

TCS Member
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Jun 13, 2018
Messages
22,429
Purraise
33,188
Location
Central FL (Born in OH)
Hi. If it stops working, try baby food meat (Gerber Stage 2 or Beechnut). If not that, then a lickable cat treat might work - the ones I have used are Vitakraft, Applaws, Wholehearted, Inaba Churu, and Tiki Cat Stix. Perhaps, even Tiki Cat Mousse which is a complete cat meal, rather than just a treat.
 

Beholder

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Jan 10, 2021
Messages
515
Purraise
701
Hi. If it stops working, try baby food meat (Gerber Stage 2 or Beechnut). If not that, then a lickable cat treat might work - the ones I have used are Vitakraft, Applaws, Wholehearted, Inaba Churu, and Tiki Cat Stix. Perhaps, even Tiki Cat Mousse which is a complete cat meal, rather than just a treat.
I second this. My cats loved the Tiki cat lickable stix treats as well as the Nulo ones. Unfortunately they all have fish so Morty can't have them anymore.
 

FeebysOwner

TCS Member
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Jun 13, 2018
Messages
22,429
Purraise
33,188
Location
Central FL (Born in OH)
I second this. My cats loved the Tiki cat lickable stix treats as well as the Nulo ones. Unfortunately they all have fish so Morty can't have them anymore.
I don't think the Tiki Cat Mousse (chicken) has any fish flavoring added. Nor does the Vitakraft or Wholehearted (both chicken).
 

Beholder

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Jan 10, 2021
Messages
515
Purraise
701
I don't think the Tiki Cat Mousse (chicken) has any fish flavoring added. Nor does the Vitakraft or Wholehearted (both chicken).
A few of the mousses don't, but my cats don't go for them like they do with the stix, sadly. Luckily we're still having good luck with crushed chicken Temptations.
 

FeebysOwner

TCS Member
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Jun 13, 2018
Messages
22,429
Purraise
33,188
Location
Central FL (Born in OH)
A few of the mousses don't, but my cats don't go for them like they do with the stix, sadly. Luckily we're still having good luck with crushed chicken Temptations.
Wholehearted and Vitakraft are of the exact same consistency of the Tiki Cat Stix. They both come in 'tubes' just the like Tiki and can be squeezed out the same way.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #16

Mrsty1203

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Feb 7, 2021
Messages
74
Purraise
94
Location
New Jersey
Hi. If it stops working, try baby food meat (Gerber Stage 2 or Beechnut). If not that, then a lickable cat treat might work - the ones I have used are Vitakraft, Applaws, Wholehearted, Inaba Churu, and Tiki Cat Stix. Perhaps, even Tiki Cat Mousse which is a complete cat meal, rather than just a treat.
Day 2 - she ate it again... in Gravy Lover’s Fancy Feast, but don’t care... she seems to be feeling better already. Hopefully day 5 will do the trick and we can have this all behind us.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #18

Mrsty1203

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Feb 7, 2021
Messages
74
Purraise
94
Location
New Jersey
Happy to report that she has gotten all 5 doses in using Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers ... I think she is feeling better. Much more lively and looking to play more. She definitely was a sick cat when we adopted her. Vet said bring in a new stool sample next week and they will retest. glad to see that my instincts were on also... I just knew something didn’t seem right, but with her being a new cat to us for only a couple weeks I couldn’t be sure that it was just an adjustment phase or something. But now she is acting like a 4 year old....
 

Beholder

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Jan 10, 2021
Messages
515
Purraise
701
That's great news! Hopefully everything looks good in the stool sample next week. It took my kitten Goose nearly a month of antibiotics to get better but he had a rare parasite. Let us know the results!
 
Top