Please help me!!!!!! My cat is in trouble!

i am new here and i need help with one of my cats. he is about 7 years old (which is old for an inside-outside cat) and he keeps getting this abcess on his head that is getting bad. last time it was there he became completely bald on one side of his head and had 2 have and expensive surgery!!!!!!!! my mom said that we can't do that again and that we might have 2 put him down if he gets really bad again! is there any way to keep him or should i just let him rest in peace?

I think the best thing to do is take him to the vet. If they cannot do anything or you cannot afford treatment the best thing to do is put him down. I know that's a hard thing to do. But we all do not like to see pets suffer.

Dear KittyLover:

No no NO! Seven is NOT old at all -- in fact, it's not even middle-aged for a cat, no matter what you may have heard! and just because he has an abscess is NO REASON to deprive him of his life! Please don't even think of doing that! Yes, he does need medical attention because infections can lead to complications, just like in humans. If a child had an infection, he'd have to see a doctor for antibiotics and maybe they'd have to 'lance' the infection site so the poison could be drained out. This is not something you or I should do; it needs to be done by a doctor. Medical care should be a top priority for any family member, whether they are human or feline -- please do NOT let anyone deprive him of his life! Maybe you can work something out with your vet, if you explain your situation. Or maybe you can find a vet who will work with you. One website you may want to visit is http://www.bestfriends.org -- this is a wonderful sanctuary and they have lots of helpful information and links to help people just like you. Give it a try, okay? And DON'T GIVE UP! YOUR CAT IS WORTH IT! One more thing -- to keep him from getting into fights (which is why cats get abscesses in the first place) he needs to be neutered (as do all cats! This is #1 priority because millions of sweet, healthy cats lose their lives each year just because there are not enough good homes for them, and every cat who's allowed to have kittens just adds to this tragedy) and kept indoors only. Ask your vet about this, or read about it on Best Friends' website.

Oh heck I was sorry to read your post .... .........the vet is the only one who can help as it sounds like your kitty needs anti-biotics to clear the abscess. Is there any vets that maybe can offer you a payment plan or some Cat Rescue Homes / Charity that can help with payment........? I am not from USA so I dont know all the correct terms for these type of charity organisations, so maybe some of our American members could help ??

It seems a real shame when something like this can be sorted with a course of the correct medication for the correct period of time.

Good luck and please keep us posted

oh I think my post may be after some advice from US !!

If he is going outside then he sounds like hes getting into cat fights and getting bit thats causing the abscess. If its not bad yet then a antibioitc should clear it up with out surgery. But if you wait then it will need more expensive treatment. 7 is not old at all.

He really needs to go to the vet, seven is not that old (even for an inside-outside cat), if you don't want to put him down, you could talk to your mom about surrendering him to a local shelter where they can get him the medical attention he needs and find a new home for him.

Another thing worth thinking about is pet insurance - it can save you a lot of money if your cat gets sick (it won't work for your kitty now as it won't cover anything that has already happened - but for other or future pets)

and

www.carecredit.com this may help ....

Or the other ideas like surrendering if needed...

7 is not old in kitty years , it is about 35-45 human years

I sure hope you can get your kitty fixed up.

Shoot, if they put people down for an abcess or injuries, I'm sure I never would have made it to seven years. (Probably wouldn't have made it to 3!)

A friend of mine fostered a cat at our shelter that had reoccurring abscesses on his forehead and had surgery and a drain put in his head twice. X-rays were done to make sure nothing was lodged in there and nothing turned up, but we were given many possible causes at the time. The vet then was concerned about the cause possibly being an infection in the bone at this point and he was put on antibiotics for an extended period of time (as in months) to deal with this. It has been over 2 years now and the problem never returned and he has been off medication for quite some time.

If your family hasnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t done so yet I definitely would discuss this matter with your vet to see what they think might be causing these abscesses to reoccur so the actual problem can be addressed once and for all. I hope things work out for him.

Hi welcome

I'm sorry to hear about your kitty
Don't give up on him ,he's just a young kid and it can be treated...its just a matter of money I know
Could you get a paper round or maybe ask friends and neighbours to collect aluminum cans so you can cash them in.
I'm sure a vet would let you pay weekly/monthly.

My local vet offers discounts (upto a third off) for pets owned by children,I would call yours and ask

Or you could show your mum this

http://imom.org/fa/

They may be able to help with the cost.Your mum must read it carefully and follow everything step by step.

You could always ask a relative if they can help and you pay them back out of your pocketmoney.

I do hope you can get the help you need for your kitty,You love him very much and you shouldn't have to lose him because of money.

Good luck and don't give up and do keep us posted....Why don't you ask your mum to come here and read all the good advice.

PS Whats your kitties name?

Dear Tru:

THANKS FOR SAYING WHAT I FELT -- SO ELOQUENTLY.

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear this.

You've gotten some good advice, I just wanted to pass on my best wishes for everything to turn out ok.