found frozen kitty...help!

A friend of mine is a Mail carrier. She called me this morning about a male cat that was nearly frozen and so skinny. He was laying on the hood of her mail truck (for warmth). He was very lovable and kept trying to get inside the truck or up inside her coat She called me and of course I met her on her route with a carrier and food.
He is an orange tabby, but severly malnourished and very cold. He was dirty and seemed to have some kind of motor oil all over him. I brought him home and cleaned him up..he is just skin and bones.
He seems lovable and is loving the pampering.
I have him secludid in a large cage with several thick blankets and a pillow to lay on, sounds crazy but he is so boney, i think he needs something extra soft to lay on. He knows the litter box and has already used it several times. He is eating like a little pig but I am giving food to him slowly so he does not get sick. I also have a electric heater near him to warm his frail body up. For now I named him BUDDY.
Anything else anybody can think of??
My friend might keep him but, I think as for right now he should have quiet and just recuperate from the cold outdoors..(been below freezing). He seems so frail. I told her a vet visit is in order very soon. He looks healthy, clear eyes, ears, and no congestion.Except for being very skinny and cold he seems ok. He was someones cat..shame on them!! I am trying to be nice...want to say much worse.

Awww!! Bless you for taking him in and getting him warm!!

Can we see some pics??

I hope Buddy recovers well and your friend cares for him.

Here are some tips for keeping kittens warm http://www.kitten-rescue.com/cold_kitten.html Might help you there.

thankyou for your kind words..but i had to tell you that your siggy is beautiful! It brought tears to my eyes. My "KITTY GIRL" was put to sleep one year ago (2-14-07) She had FIP...
Ironically Buddy looks almost like her. Anyway i love your sig!! (catloverin ks)
Here are pics of BUDDY...his fur hides his skin and bones!!

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...cture124-1.jpg

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...cture123-3.jpg

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...cture122-2.jpg

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...cture127-1.jpg

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...cture126-1.jpg

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...cture125-1.jpg

this last pic I am holding his actual back bone...his fur is deceiving

poor little guy, good luck with him. If u need help with him let me know, I work at a place that would take him if he needs ER medical attention.

I hope he will be ok.

Poor sweetheart, thank you both for helping him. I can tell by his face too just how thin he is.

I hate the person who dumped - I don't even know them.



He looks so happy to be warm I hope he can stay with a nice loving warm family rather than go to a shelter.

I am so glad he is out of the cold and has food and blankets now

Bless you for taking him in and feeding him and keeping him warm.

I would get 2 of those big pieces of fleece (like from JoAnns) that people use to make those fleece throws. Fold them in half so you have 4 layers and then line the bottom of the carrier and also put the fleece about 1/3 of the way up the sides of the carrier. It will help his nest to be more cozy and warm.

You might also mix some kitten food in with his other food.

Wishing you the best of luck with Buddy.

i'm glad you took him in and gave him food and a warm place to stay..I don't know how people can be so mean....

Bless you for taking him in and helping him. He is adorable. I have such a soft spot for orange kitties. Please keep us posted on his progress.

he is so precious!! I know that you will have him back to healthy in no time!! for his quick recovery! and lets hope that maybe he wasn't abandoned-maybe he got lost.

Awwww, many vibes for his speedy recovery

Oh my... he so reminds me of my precious Marbles who passed just last August. Bless you for taking him in and caring for him. Praying he makes a full recovery.

Has he been to a vet? Motor oil can be a slow toxin (I lost a stray that was covered with motor oil on her back end a few years ago.) Even after bathing her in Dawn several times and taking her to the vet, it was to late, she had already ingested the oil when she groomed. If I had run a tox screen on her, she might still be with us today. The inside of his ears look unnaturally pink, so do the pads of his feet. I hope he will be okay he is a cutie. Orange kitties are wonderful.

Thanks for the kind words and all the Good vibes!.. Buddy is eating!!! Oh Boy is he eating! We are taking it slow though..he has crunchies all the time and wet 2 times a day, but just a little at a time.
I think his coloring has to do with being out in the cold..our weather some nights was only 6 degrees with windchills in the negatives. I can tell you by the way he looked the last thing he did was groom himself. (he got a warm bath with baby shampoo)
He is perky today and purring his little skinny butt off everytime I go near him. No throwing up or runny poops today...so all seems good. he is going to the vet as soon as my friend takes him in. We just wanted to give him a week or so to enjoy his new surrroundings and keep him secludid, away from other kittes, just in case. If he was acting ill he would be at the vet immediatly. I will update about his progress..Thanks!

I like to give my patients access to a heat source. I use a regular heating pad, the inexpensive ones you can get at any drug store. Wrap it in a thick towel and set it on low - never higher. Make sure the cat has room to get on and off the pad as he chooses to.

Remember to have him FIV/FeLV tested when you take him in. He's a really good-looking boy.

If a cat is really hypothermic a good trick is to put him in a plastic bag (with his head sticking out, of course) and submerge his body in warm water. The bag keeps him from getting soaked and the warm water surrounding his body helps to warm him up. Keep hold of him so his head doesn't go under. If he's cold enough to need this treatment he won't struggle. A vet I worked for years ago taught it to me, it's a safe way to treat a shocky kitty.