Sick Cat Help!!

[aleahpayne]

My cat was an inside cat, but he kept peeing EVERYWHERE in the house, so we put him outside. We recently brought him back in, when we realized something was wrong with him. It started with him not being able to meow properly. It would come out raspy, if it came out at all. Then he started drooling excessively, and wouldn't eat or drink. His eyes got really dark, and he would shed a lot. I put him in our spare bathroom with some food, water, blanket, and litterbox, and kept checking on him. About a week later he was doing better. He was climbing, eating, drinking, and wanting to be rubbed, but weirdly he still couldn't meow properly. Yesterday I went to feed him, and he looks horrible again. We are back to square one. He won't eat, his eyes are dark, he still can't meow, he won't drink, and he is drooling A LOT. I don't know what is wrong with him and I need help.

 

[FeebysOwner]

You need a vet. There is clearly something wrong, and if you don't take him to a vet for a full check-up, complete blood work, urinalysis/fecal sample, you will never know.

I would ask how old this cat is, but it really doesn't matter - he needs to be seen by a reputable vet for a full diagnostic. He is sick and it won't go away on its own.

 

[aleahpayne]

You need a vet. There is clearly something wrong, and if you don't take him to a vet for a full check-up, complete blood work, urinalysis/fecal sample, you will never know.

I would ask how old this cat is, but it really doesn't matter - he needs to be seen by a reputable vet for a full diagnostic. He is sick and it won't go away on its own.

 

[aleahpayne]

We would take him to the vet but we would never have enough for the vet fees, so we were trying to see if there were any home remedies or something.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I am sorry that you can't get him to a vet. But, there are so many things that could be wrong, I don't know where to begin.

When he first started peeing everywhere in the house, that could be related to a urinary infection - which can only be effectively treated with antibiotics. The drooling, loss of ability to meow, lack of desire to eat or drink would suggest a possible upper respiratory infection - again requiring antibiotics.

There is not much you can do at home for a urinary infection, you can make sure he is well-hydrated, but that will not get rid of an infection. For an upper respiratory infection, to help ease the symptoms, you can run hot water in a tub or shower - enough to create steam (like a sauna) and sit with him there to help clear some of the congestion. If there is any gunk in his eyes, clean it off with clean water multiple times a day.

I am sure there will be other members that can offer some home remedies that you can try to at least relieve some of his symptoms. When it comes to possible infections, I am not sure what to suggest.

 

[aleahpayne]

Okay I will definitely try that in the meantime, thank you so much!!

 

[fionasmom]

I agree with FeebysOwner that the cat does need to be seen by a vet, even if you can afford the least expensive opinion or prescription. Some people use D Mannose for a bladder infection but it is more of a preventative than a cure, if that is what he has. It is available in health food stores and online. If you need to rely only on home remedies you might want to google the symptoms that your cat is having and see what you find. However, I would double check if herbs are involved or plant material as there is a lot out there that does not agree with cats.

 

[MissClouseau]

You need a vet. If you can't afford one, call the shelters, vet clinics, or try local forums to check what can be done. Maybe a payment plan, a loan, etc But you absolutely need a vet and need one fast.

Home remedies might make the situation worse especially if there is something wrong with his kidneys and you say he hasnt been eating and that automatically puts his kidneys (and liver) at risk even if there was nothing wrong with it in the first place.

 

[maggiedemi]

It sounds like he might need antibiotics from the vet. It only cost me $100 when Demi had a UTI.… Maybe try switching to canned food too.

 

[Maria Bayote]

For prolonged cough/cold and in serious cases, your cat may lose his appetite and will have difficulty in breathing. My Bourbon recently had URI and could not eat and drink well for hours, so I rushed her to the vet to also re-hydrate her.

At home you can clean your cat's nose with a warm paper towel or a clean soft cloth and you should be gentle. Steam will also help a lot. You can heat water till its steaming and place near your cat. Make sure he is leaned toward the steam and let the steam do its work. Or as feebys owner suggested, run hot water in the tub and let it steam. If you have nebulizer its better. However, antibiotics as prescribed by the vet can help shorten the duration of URI.

Do not give cold/cough medications to cats without a vet's prescriptions.

I hope your cat gets better soon.

 

[jen]

This cat needs a vet ASAP. The first time he was peeing all over the house he should have went in for a urinalysis to make sure there was no infection, now he could be worse with the symptoms you are describing. Male cats can get crystals and block fairly quickly which is a risk to their life if ignored. Try for carecredit.com or borrow money, but this visit probably won't be the cheapest since it has been going on so long and symptoms are advanced. Even if he seems a little better, he still needs a vet because there is something underlying that is going on. Exam, bloodwork and urinalysis at minimum, plus treatment, medication, fluids. ASAP. I cannot stress that enough.

Cats are excellent at hiding when they are ill or not feeling well. This is a survival tactic. So when you visibly see that a cat is sick there is something very wrong or the issue has progressed to a more serious situation. This is why yearly check ups and occasional bloodwork are SO important in responsible cat ownership. Waiting until you see something is wrong is not the time to first take a cat to be seen. Start saving for a cat vet fund to get him in more often.