Is there a specific weight or do I need a vet evaluation or what?
Full explanation
I feed a few local stray cats and neighbors outdoor cats and a black one has been coming around. I noticed a few days ago that not only is he just skin and bones, but had a bad bite wound near his tail. So I brought him in.
I already have a male cat (fixed) named Paxton.
The stray (ive named Noir like film noir cause he’s black) slept the entire first two days I had him. Very lethargic. Honestly thought he might pass. I treated his wound. It was gushing blood then white pus. But now scabed over . I used spray bactin.
I De-wormed him. And I’m trying to fatten him up with kitten food mixed in with high quality adult cat food.
Seems to be recovering but it’s only been about 5 days and it’s going to be a while until he’s got a little weight put on him. Maybe months ?!
But hes up and moving around a bit these last two days.
It’s been stressful having him. My long term cat doesn’t really like him. Expected and reasonable.
But Noir keeps approaching him. When he needs to chill.
Also someone peed on the kitchen floor. I don’t know who, but it wasn’t me.
At least it was on lenoleum.
I’ve got two litter boxes out but they both are using both now.
I suspect the testicles are part of the issues of posturing and urinating.
Also yesterday a female neighbor’s cat visited me. She comes over sometimes.
And even though she’s fixed, Nior pestered her the entire time she was here.
I don’t really want another cat. Noir has a good personality, actually a great personality, but it’s the additional responsibility, cleaning, care, etc. So I’m going to just try to get him healthy. Fixed. Vaccinated. And find him a forever home.
But who knows how long that will take.
But I gotta get him fixed asap. Before he starts spraying all over and stressing my Paxton out.
Disclaimer: I am not a vet and this is not veterinary advice. However I live in an area with a very large stray cat population and I’ve helped probably 30 cats get fixed over the years, so I have a lot of experience with situations like yours.
First and most importantly, please separate Noir and Paxton until you are able to get Nior tested. FIV and FeLV are both very common in strays. These typically (but not exclusively) spread through fighting, and intact males are much more likely to engage in fighting behaviors so the chances that Noir is already positive for one or for both are relatively high — especially since he had a visible injury when you found him. If you’re able, keep him isolated (i.e. in a dedicated room with the door kept closed) and with his own litterbox since FeLV can spread via shared litter.
As far as getting him fixed is concerned, you should be fine doing it as soon as possible. The surgery for males is not very invasive and the recovery time is much shorter than with females. If Noir is moving around on his own, eating and using the litterbox without help, etc, he’s probably healthy enough to be fixed.
When booking his surgery it’s fine to go through a traditional vet, but you can also look for a local “TNR” program (trap, neuter, release). Most shelters run these themselves or can put you in contact with a local organization that does. Typically this will be several hundred dollars cheaper than a traditional vet, and they can test for all of various diseases and parasites that a stray could reasonably have. They can also give all of the necessary vaccines as part of the procedure, and provide you with any meds required for their aftercare. Usually TNR programs will have you drop the cat off in the morning and then pick them up the next day so they can recover with you at home. This is all the more reason to set up a dedicated space for Noir since he’ll probably want to be left alone after his surgery.
Finally, on a personal note, thank you so much for volunteering your time, money and personal space like this. Most people don’t realize just how bad the stray situation is in many places, and even fewer are willing to help out. Just know that there are people who sincerely appreciate what you’re doing — and I know Noir will too!
That’s very helpful information. Thank you. Yes the local shelter has discounts for feral and community cats.
I was also under the impression that neutering was less risky than spaying. Wouldn’t require as much recovery time.
Also The services are discounted at the local shelter.
I’ll give them a call Monday and see what they suggest and the cost. I need to now also get Paxtons vaccinations (boosters?) done. They are expired. I’m making that a priority too.
I felt like I had to take Noir in. Or maybe he would have died. He’s just so skinny and was injured.
But my beloved Paxton is stressed with an un-fixed male around and I don’t want to do that to him. He didn’t have the best life before me and I try to pamper him.
I’m not sure if I can separate them. I’d have to lock Noir in the bedroom 24/7. He’s now getting much more active and isn’t going to like that. But I’ll do what I can.
Tomorrow I’m also going to trim both of their front claws.
I already do Paxtons so he doesn’t get caught on furniture and blankets. We will see how it goes with Noir. That should also help lower risk to everyone including whoever vaccinates them.
I’m not sure if I can separate them. I’d have to lock Noir in the bedroom 24/7. He’s now getting much more active and isn’t going to like that. But I’ll do what I can.
I know it sucks, but it’s really the only thing you can do in this situation. FeLV is no joke, and it’s rare that an infected cat lives longer than 2 years, even with proper care. Noir is in the highest risk group for FeLV, and if he does have it being in direct contact with other cats greatly increases the chance of it spreading — especially if he’s sharing a litterbox.
The temporary inconvenience to one cat could end up being a live-saving intervention to the other.
Talk to a vet… Don’t take veterinary advice from random Internet strangers
You can’t just get the scissors out? Wild
I guess I’m asking like. A month of recovery is reasonable to set up an appointment or should I wait 2? 3?
Has anyone had a cat in this state ? How long should I wait before I even try to get it scheduled cause if I bring him in too thin they will tell me to wait. I may as well wait the appropriate time the first go.
I realize all cats are different. I was just looking for a ballpark number or any other info that the vets said regarding when it’s appropriate to fix a cat that had been malnourished. Maybe 6 months ?
I have no clue. That’s why I ask.
You can call the vet office and ask this question to the staff there. They should be able to give you an answer.
If you can afford it, I’d take him ASAP (or at worst within a couple weeks) for a checkup. There may be lingering health issues that need treating before he can be neutered (various worms and similar) that will take time to clear up once they’re addressed - so it’s better to find out sooner rather than wait and then have to wait even longer after that. If he’s got FIV or kidney issues you need to start treatment as early as possible.Okay I read more and it looks like you can’t - the advice from my vet friend is “make an appointment once his coat starts to get full and glossy again” which is an indication that he’s got all the nutrients he needs and is grooming himself well
I think it’s a fine starting point. It’s not like we’re telling you to do the surgery yourself.
I think the response is harsh. People have to start looking for answers somewhere and asking other people is perfectly reasonable. You can’t know if you don’t ask.
If you’re going to get him fixed, just set up a vet appointment for him and get him checked out. That’s the best way to know. You don’t know anything about this cat and it sounds like he was in rough shape. He needs a vet visit and they can tell you if he’s good to go for getting fixed.
Feline leukemia (FeLV) snd aids (FIV) are a thing, I highly recommend a vet visit for tests before introducing to Paxton. A full blood test & vax shots, inspection can run $$, look around your area for rescue groups, call them and ask who they go to for care.
I was told to go through the APL
They don’t do vet checkups. Just vaccines and neuter/spay services.
I would call them and ask what they recommend.
For TNR situations I would look at the existing wounds and see if they are on the road to recovery. You dewormed which is great. I always want to minimize the amount of time they are away from their home area. If they are healing (not necessarily healed), eating, have healthy dedication and urine then I would get them fixed ASAP, hold for 24 hours to make sure everything is going okay, and release them.
That’s for boys. I might keep girls for up to a week longer because the fixing is a bit more traumatic.
But when in doubt ask a vet. Fortunately I’m not paying out of pocket for any of that other than gas money. Our local shelter or SPCA handles the expenses. Have you reached out to them or local rescues to see what they can do?
They do discounts for feral and community cats. Although Noir meets their definition of community cat , I don’t want to release him back outside. He’s basically starved.
I’m going to foster him for a while at least. Get some weight on him.
More power to you. We have a number of cats that aren’t “ours.” Ones that we decided couldn’t be released back where they came from for health or other issues.
I recently got a message from the local rescue saying something to the effect of “here is every cat we know about that lives with you but isn’t yours. If any of them need anything like flea meds, vaccines or something else just let us know. And if the list isn’t complete let us know that too.”
Between that and the hundred pounds of cat food they recently gave us it really relieved a lot of stress.
Wouldn’t the vet that spays him be able to do this for you?
Well I was planning on using the local shelter services. They work a bit more basic. You are expected to book an appointment and drop the cat off. They don’t do vet exams.
I personally have never had an animal fixed. Paxton was fixed already and in the past my parents did all of that stuff for our dogs or cats and I know they went through the local vet.
I’m not in money. As they say. I can’t afford a $300 vet visit on top of the neutering. $70. And required vaccinations. $75.
I’m generally of the opinion, dont have pets if you can’t afford them. But it was a life or death situation here. So I’m just trying to do what I can.
Well that’s always an option. They’ll decide on their end.
Bring them into a vet first to have this assessed.
A few things about cats, one, they’re incredibly good at hiding pain and injuries. Its a survival strategy, if you look weak in nature, you are a target. You need a vet to assess if they are healthy enough (which honestly, it’s not a super invasive procedure).
Two, cats are inscrutable in terms of their age. This is the second thing you need the vet for.
Third, while your waiting, keep them separate from you house cats or other outdoor cats. Feline leukemia, other shit, you typically don’t vaccine for those diseases in indoor cats.
Yeah good point. He could be hiding pain or disease from me.
I’ll try to keep them apart as best I can. I definitely share your concerns with transmission of diseases.
My Paxton used to be my cousin’s cat and I messaged her to ask about his vaccinations.
And she’s like “he has all his vaccinations, he had them when I got him”. And then I asked how old he was when she got him and she said he was a kitten (he’s a purebred or something. She bought him).
But my research shows that 1. Rabies vaccination isn’t given to kittens. 2. Cats need boosters of the distemper. Which he has not have. And 3. The lukemia one is only given if there is a risk. And it’s also not given to kittens.
So now I’m thinking. It’s basically like he’s not vaccinated.
So I also need to get him vaccinated. He’s healthy so he’s ready for vaccines now. So that’s happening next schedule date I can get him in.
FIV is also a major risk with stray cats. This isn’t something that can be vaccinated for and needs to be tested. Your local animal shelter might do reduced cost spay/neutering for strays.
He needs to go to the vet now.
I’m unemployed and living off of savings.
I’m just trying to do what I can. He seems to be recovering and I watched some videos from vets on how to check body temp, anemia, lyphnodes (sign of leukemia). Stools for parasites. Check coat quality for signs of leukemia and immunodeficiency.
Loss of appetite can be a sign of many problems but he doesn’t have that.
I think he did have a fever when I brought him in and had it for 2 days. But he’s up and walking around fine.
His gums are a little pale but darker than they were. So I think he was anemic but recovering.
His breathing is normal. Heart rate normal.
Vision fine. Hearing fine.
Eating . No vomiting. Could be drinking more but that’s always an issue with cats. I do have a fountain. That helps.
I made him a blended food for the first 3 days. Canned food mixed with a little water. Blended to soup. He liked that. It’s a suggested food by shelters for underweight and dehydrated cats.
I checked his claw , eye, and ear reflexes. All fine.
Eyes are clear and reactive to light .
His bottom is clean and systems work fine.
Though his stool is soft but not runny. This could be from the de wormer.
I have some experience taking care of animals and I’ve always put effort into learning basic medical care so I can spot a problem before it gets bad.
I’ve had a lot of different animals over the years. I currently also have a ball python. There aren’t too many vets for snakes so you have to learn basic medical care when there isn’t professional service around.
It sounds like you’re really putting a lot into his care. He’s a lucky boy.
Imo, regular checkups from a vet are the best approach.
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I think this got posted to wrong post. ?
Oh, well. You got it.
Happened to me a few times. I think it’s an app bug.
