New kitty woes and potential health issues

[Elvgrengrl]

I decided to adopt a new kitty 11 days ago. I'm definitely having remorse and don't feel like I gave myself enough time to heal from losing my soul-kitty. I'm going to give this new guy a couple of weeks trial, but in the meantime I'm a bit concerned about a few things. It could also be PTSD from my last experience. I should mention I had my last guy 16 years so it's been a while since I've adopted too.

I brought him home, gave him a safe space, took 7 days to transition his dry food (I kept the wet food they were giving him at the shelter), provided all the toys, scratch posts, multiple water bowls, snuggles, etc. I let him take his time to adapt. He's adapting quickly.

3 days after bringing him home I spotted tapeworm. So I took him to the vet for that plus a physical. The vet gave him Profender, suggested to vaccinate for Felv (which I did the first shot), suggested a fecal (which I'm going to do this week - I've been down with Covid), and she did a very gentle once-over. By gentle I mean she let his behavior dictate the exam because they are a no-fear practice (ie she only looked in one ear because he didn't let her look in the other and there was no thermometer in the bum).

Since then ...

• His poo has been both formed and super smelly/super soft (the formed poo happens overnight; smelly soft poo happens midday).
• He pees and poos a LOT. I'm talking 3+ times a day for each.
• His appetite is voracious. He inhales his food and begs for more. (I feed him wet [fancy feast] in the morning and dry [Iams urinary] in the evening at specific times)
• His breath is reeeeeeeeeally bad. Vet said his teeth and gums looked good but when I looked his gums seemed red, but I didn't get the best look. Considering her gentle approach and my lack of trust with doctors in general I question whether she missed something.
• He meows a LOT
• He attacks my legs and ankles. Like he'll be sitting on my lap and then out of nowhere dig his teeth into my thigh (he doesn't puncture the skin).

I know the fecal may show something. I'm going to have them check his gums again when he goes in for his booster shot. I know he could still be adjusting to everything. But considering my last guy had a myriad of health issues, and I'm not emotionally prepared to go down a similar road straight out of the gate, plus I'm not even sure I'm ready in general, I'm kinda freaking out. Any advice?

 

[Kris107]

I've been there. After my 2 loves passed we waited a little and got 2 kittens. Then, one of the kittens passed after about 6 months with us. It brought back a lot of the stress and worry I had from caring for and losing my previous ones. The kitten (now 1) that remained has been wild and sometimes prone to some over-stim behaviors. We've worked on boundaries diligently and I can now say I love him to pieces. There were times I wasn't sure if I'd ever get to the "loving completely" feeling with him and it definitely took a while. Now I do. So I'd say, give it time. I had forgotten what it was like to raise a kitten - hard work! But I can see what a great cat this guy will turn into. When he's a senior kitty (I hope), I bet I'll have rose colored glasses on again and think about how wonderful he has been.

 

[FeebysOwner]

How old is this kitty? Some of the reasons for his current behavior may have to do with that.

If he is fairly young, you might not be feeding him enough, and he may not have been with his mother long enough to learn 'cat manners'. Even changing food over the course of 7 days can cause digestive issues, regardless of a cat's age. The frequency of his using the litter box can be tied to food and still being in a new environment, especially if you know next to nothing to do with his previous situation.

If you are dealing with a younger cat, there is going to be an adaptation time after having cared for a 16yo cat, so that is likely part of your issue too.

Tell us more, but in the meantime, I wouldn't assume that this kitty is going to be destined for health issues based on what you've said so far.

 

[silent meowlook]

I wouldn't be transitioning him to dry food. Dry food is very high in carbohydrates and some cats don't do well with that. I would keep him on canned food.
How much time do you play with him a day? I mean actual attention only on him and play with a wand toy, Cats need a routine. He needs to be able to count on certain things happening at certain times.
How old is the cat? How long was he in the shelter? What is his back story if you know it?

Honestly, if one tapeworm and bad breath have you considering throwing in the towel, maybe you aren't ready for another cat. Although the sad thing about this is that he will be marked as a return cat and that can make people think twice about adopting him. (In my experience)

 

[Elvgrengrl]

How old is this kitty? Some of the reasons for his current behavior may have to do with that.

If he is fairly young, you might not be feeding him enough, and he may not have been with his mother long enough to learn 'cat manners'. Even changing food over the course of 7 days can cause digestive issues, regardless of a cat's age. The frequency of his using the litter box can be tied to food and still being in a new environment, especially if you know next to nothing to do with his previous situation.

If you are dealing with a younger cat, there is going to be an adaptation time after having cared for a 16yo cat, so that is likely part of your issue too.

Tell us more, but in the meantime, I wouldn't assume that this kitty is going to be destined for health issues based on what you've said so far.

He's 9 months old. What I know about him is that he was found wandering around a vet clinic - assumedly dumped. They trapped him and were planning on putting him in the catch and release program but the vet clinic was convinced he wasn't feral because he's flop over and expose his tummy. So they found a shelter to take him in where he stayed for 2 months before I adopted him. That's all we know. And I can vouch for the 'not feral' part as he's on my lap watching me type this.

I think you may be right about not feeding him enough. I did increase his intake from 1 can of fancy feast and 1/4 cup of Iams by adding another 1/4 of dry.

It's definitely been ad adjustment for the both of us.

 

[Elvgrengrl]

I wouldn't be transitioning him to dry food. Dry food is very high in carbohydrates and some cats don't do well with that. I would keep him on canned food.
How much time do you play with him a day? I mean actual attention only on him and play with a wand toy, Cats need a routine. He needs to be able to count on certain things happening at certain times.
How old is the cat? How long was he in the shelter? What is his back story if you know it?

Honestly, if one tapeworm and bad breath have you considering throwing in the towel, maybe you aren't ready for another cat. Although the sad thing about this is that he will be marked as a return cat and that can make people think twice about adopting him. (In my experience)

I will never keep a cat solely on dry food. I do plan to get him on wet food only eventually.

I'm trying to play with him as much as possible but I've had Covid for a week (almost the whole time I've had him) and haven't had energy to do basic functions. So his playtime has been limited to how long I can hold a laser pointer. Now that I'm on the mend I can start a routine.

He's 9 months old. He was in the shelter for 2 months. Before that he was found around a vet clinic (assumedly abandoned) and due to go into catch and release until someone insisted he wasn't feral.

I know. I feel horrible. I'm definitely not going to do anything impulsive. I have pretty bad anxiety - especially around money - and my last little guy had so many emergency visits. I also have ADHD. That's a good point about him having a red mark next to his name if I return him.

 

[Elvgrengrl]

I wouldn't be transitioning him to dry food. Dry food is very high in carbohydrates and some cats don't do well with that. I would keep him on canned food.
How much time do you play with him a day? I mean actual attention only on him and play with a wand toy, Cats need a routine. He needs to be able to count on certain things happening at certain times.
How old is the cat? How long was he in the shelter? What is his back story if you know it?

Honestly, if one tapeworm and bad breath have you considering throwing in the towel, maybe you aren't ready for another cat. Although the sad thing about this is that he will be marked as a return cat and that can make people think twice about adopting him. (In my experience)

I also wanted to mention that it isn't about one tapeworm and bad breath. The anxiety is around years and years of knowing there's an issue but no vet being able to help until it's too late and I've spent tons of money. That's that happened with my last guy. He suffered and despite me taking him from vet to vet to vet nobody was able to diagnose him until the very end. So now I have a laundry list of things that I will watch for whether I want to or not because I became conditioned to worry all the time.

 

[Kris107]

You can't spend your life worrying about if or when. I know though - they can feel like ticking time bombs. But none of us or them get to decide when or how. We just have to enjoy life for however long it is. Fill it with happiness and good memories.

 

[FeebysOwner]

It sounds like he could have been without some 'guidance' for a while, which would possibly explain his nipping - that, and he is still young. He is likely easily over stimulated at that age too, so watch his demeanor and see if you can pick up on clues as to when he might be heading for a nip. That is something you will learn over time, and also something that will diminish as he matures.

I get you about the concern and worry with cats and illnesses, and how it can be very hard to diagnose sometimes. I am dealing with my 18+yo cat with numerous health conditions, but even so, some of what she does seems not to be explainable or resolvable. For us, it is one day at a time, but tbh, I think that applies to all cats in general - young or old.

 

[silent meowlook]

Hi. if what I said came off harsh it wasn't intended to.
There is always a risk of health issues with any pet. There is no way to not have some expenses. But to worry about things before they happen is kind of taking the fun out of having a cat.

I do understand anxiety. Maybe not as it relates to you but as it relates to me and I do know that my saying "Don't worry about it" does just as much good as someone telling me to calm down. or have a glass of warm milk.
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