Stray cat advice

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Lindsayj014

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You're doing a good thing. For your own sake, if you do not wear glasses consider getting a pair of safety glasses or goggles to wear when you are moving him around. Protecting your eyes will make you more relaxed which will make him more relaxed.
Thank you. I do wear glasses but safety goggles arent a bad idea.
 

Kflowers

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There is a lot to be said for getting the basics for a cat who won't get them otherwise. You may not be able to get all kinds of medical care for him, but neutering, shots, a warm place to live and regular food count for more than you might think. A warm space without the promise of the Mayo clinic vet care in the future, is more than he has hoped for. There's no point in worrying about not being able to bring him to 22 years when next year was something he didn't expect to see.

Not lecturing, just speaking of the realities that have been created in our lives that shouldn't have happened. I know the kind of bills you're talking about.
 
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Lindsayj014

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That’s a good shot of the crawl space…might be helpful to see what’s just outside of the frame for better perspective. Do you have a measurement of the hole width? (Sorry to ask but it helps). Failing the excellent idea of traps, or a small skinny child (?) being able to make a go of it, both plumbers and firefighters have gadgets & tools that might help. Is there anything you feel comfortable actually ripping out or wedging open further? Again, a “further away” shot might get you more advice.
The entrance to the crawl space is about 4-6 inches wide. Its gets a little bigger after that but not much. Im not sure how far it goes within the house but from what i can see, i dont think a person could get into that space.

He did come out at 3 pm this afternoon but i scared him when i opened the door so he ran back in and hasnt come out since. I am planning on trying smellier food like Kfc and putting a trap in the bedroom. He hasnt ate since early this morning but hopefully he will come out tonight to eat.
 
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Lindsayj014

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Hello,

Update on this cat, he is out of the crawl space and the door is now secure. However, i had to use a trap to catch him so hes terrifed again. This is new territory for me so im seeking advice on how to gain his trust again. This is the first friendly outdoor cat that ive taken in that has been completely terrified inside.

What can I do this week to help him with his stress and restlessness? Hes calm most of the day but in the early morning he seems to pace and cry. I caught him on camera crying a little bit later in the morning too. Should i leave the light on in the room or keep it off? How soon should i try to introduce him to my friendly cat? I cant let him out of the bedroom right now because i know i wont be able to get him back in. I have been sitting at a distance in the room with him a few times a day but im not sure if theres anything else i should be doing to gain his trust again.
 

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Glad he is out of the crawl space! Now, he just needs to some to decompress. No need to rush into anything until that happens. It will take time for him to trust you.

I've included a link (below) to an article about how to deal with a new cat in your home, so see if that helps any. He needs to have a safe zone, so a closed bedroom is fine, and he should remain there for some time to come until he has adjusted to you and will come to you when you enter the room. No cat introductions should start before you and he have established a relationship. Spending time in the room with him frequently throughout the day is a good idea. You can sit on the floor, not necessarily close to him at first, and maybe read a book out loud to help him acclimate to your presence and your voice.

As far as the crying in the morning - are you leaving out food for him 24/7? Perhaps, it is gone by the time he starts crying/pacing? It could also be that you haven't been in the room for hours, and he is looking for your presence.
How To Help A New Cat Adjust To Your Home - TheCatSite

Keep us posted, please!
 
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Lindsayj014

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Glad he is out of the crawl space! Now, he just needs to some to decompress. No need to rush into anything until that happens. It will take time for him to trust you.

I've included a link (below) to an article about how to deal with a new cat in your home, so see if that helps any. He needs to have a safe zone, so a closed bedroom is fine, and he should remain there for some time to come until he has adjusted to you and will come to you when you enter the room. No cat introductions should start before you and he have established a relationship. Spending time in the room with him frequently throughout the day is a good idea. You can sit on the floor, not necessarily close to him at first, and maybe read a book out loud to help him acclimate to your presence and your voice.

As far as the crying in the morning - are you leaving out food for him 24/7? Perhaps, it is gone by the time he starts crying/pacing? It could also be that you haven't been in the room for hours, and he is looking for your presence.
How To Help A New Cat Adjust To Your Home - TheCatSite

Keep us posted, please!
Thank you for the link! I do leave dry food in the room for him at all times. He usually finishes the wet food and his water right away. He is still drinking a lot and urinating more than normal so i do think bloodwork and a urinalysis is still necessary.

He is quiet through the night and when im home, but when i leave for work he starts crying/meowing and pacing. I am able to watch him through a camera in the room and it probably starts about an hour after i leave. Usually when i check on him in the afternoon, hes calm and sleeping. So its just in the morning he does it.
 
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Lindsayj014

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I can try a radio and see if that helps. He might also be hearing a couple of my cats crying at the door too. My youngest cat is very curious and ive caught him pawing at the door and crying to get in.

He is going in the litter box well still but this morning, the cat bed i had in the room had a lot of urine in it. I had laid my head on it last night and he saw that so is he mark his territory or letting me know hes upset? I cant put anything in the room besides the carrier and boxes because he feels like he needs to mark everything still. His urine does have less of a smell to it already so thats a good thing.
 
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Lindsayj014

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Update on this cat. Not a very good update unfortunately, i was able to get him into the vet for a blood test and he has stage 3 kidney disease. Hes also a lot older than i was originally told, the vet i spoke to today says hes in his teens.

I was just told to give him as much liquids as possible and to possibly try a prescription kidney disease food. Is there anything else i can do for him? I realize that he probably doesnt have much time left but i want to do as much as i can to help him. He also has a urinary tract infection, so i am trying to get him to take antibiotics as well.
 

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I'm sorry to hear about his kidney disease. UTIs are fairly common in these cats, so make sure he finishes his antibiotics.

By Stage 3, most cats are on sub-Q fluids at home. Did the vet mention that at all? I suppose they didn't as I am guessing they doubt you can manage him well enough to administer them.

A lot of cats won't eat the kidney prescription foods, but you can try the canned ones (the less dry food the better). What is his creatinine, BUN, and phosphorus levels? Depending on where his phosphorus level is, he may need a phosphorus binder added to his food, especially if he is not going to eat the prescription foods. Some cats with kidney disease eat the prescription food and still require a phosphorus binder in order to keep the level down.

If he seems to be nauseous or not wanting to eat food, the vet can prescribe an appetite stimulant and an anti-nausea med to possibly help him eat better.

All of these things can help to slow down the progression of kidney disease, but most importantly, they can help make him feel better.
 
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Lindsayj014

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I'm sorry to hear about his kidney disease. UTIs are fairly common in these cats, so make sure he finishes his antibiotics.

By Stage 3, most cats are on sub-Q fluids at home. Did the vet mention that at all? I suppose they didn't as I am guessing they doubt you can manage him well enough to administer them.

A lot of cats won't eat the kidney prescription foods, but you can try the canned ones (the less dry food the better). What is his creatinine, BUN, and phosphorus levels? Depending on where his phosphorus level is, he may need a phosphorus binder added to his food, especially if he is not going to eat the prescription foods. Some cats with kidney disease eat the prescription food and still require a phosphorus binder in order to keep the level down.

If he seems to be nauseous or not wanting to eat food, the vet can prescribe an appetite stimulant and an anti-nausea med to possibly help him eat better.

All of these things can help to slow down the progression of kidney disease, but most importantly, they can help make him feel better.

The sub q fluids were mentioned, but thats not something that will be possible at this time. I was gaining some ground with him before this appt but he still hissed at me a little when we left. I think it will still be a while before he trusts me again and im not sure how quickly his kidney disease will progess without any of those fluids.

Creatinine is 4.5, so its actually the end stage of stage 3. Bun is 118 and i dont see a phosphorus level. Just a idexx sdma, which is 36. His white blood cell count was high too. I thought the vet said his numbers might be slightly better if the antibiotics help his uti but i could have misheard her. She wants to see him again in 2 weeks.

He did throw up a couple times last week. I do actually have some elura that i could give him if i can put that in some food.
 

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His numbers could improve once the UTI is taken care of, and I hope that is the case. SDMA is not really considered a great indicator of much, except to identify those cats who may acquire CKD down the road. But, it too probably can be impacted by a UTI. (My cat's SDMA never was high, even in Stage 3-4.)

Most lab work that is done to look at creatinine and BUN also checks phosphorus - it might be listed as 'phosphates', or even as 'P'.

I believe Elura is supposed to be given about an hour in advance of food, but while it may be less effective to give with food, it is still probably better than nothing. A lot of CKD cats are given ondansetron or Cerenia, which as far as I know, both can be given with food.
 
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Lindsayj014

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I just looked over the bloodwork again, phosphorus, phosphates or p are definitely not on there. Weird.

He already ate a little bit of wet food so im going to hold off on the appetite stimulant for now. I just really need him to eat the antibiotic that i put in his food too.

I have seen one big improvement, he no longer has diarrhea. So im glad theres been one positive health change since hes been inside.
 

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I am sorry to hear about the kidney disease. I am so glad that you are there to take care of him and he knows that he is loved.
 
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Lindsayj014

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I am sorry to hear about the kidney disease. I am so glad that you are there to take care of him and he knows that he is loved.
Im not sure he has kidney disease now or at least not stage 3. This cat has sure been challenging. I took him to another vet because he hasnt been eating and the local shelter is very busy and i needed to get him in Asap. The vet there told me hes nowhere near his teens and is only around 4. He thinks its possible he doesnt have kidney disease either since a bladder infection can elevate the kidney numbers a lot.

To make matters worse, he now has a large abscess by his anal glands and it ruptured a few days ago. So that is the reason why he was limping and wouldnt eat. I have been getting help with someone who has dealt with feral cats so we are giving him antibiotics but he is still in a lot of pain and not eating. So its most likely back to the vet again 😔. He is terrified of me since i have to keep giving him medication, but i hope once he heals i can start gaining his trust again. Its a struggle, but i dont want to give up on him. Especially since now im being told hes pretty young.
 
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