My 1st cat, adopted 1 week ago. please help us!

Hello all of you, I'm new member here and also I'v never had a cat before.

I adopted this cat from the humane society 8 days ago. 2 days after I got him I took him to the vet for complete exam. The doctor checked him over real good and found him to be in good health. I told the doctor that my cat was not drinking water and was not eating very much food. Doctor said I should keep an eye on him.

On Saturday (6 days after I got him) I noticed he seemed sick. He never was very active when I first got him, but now he just lays around and sleeps, and he has only eaten about 1 ounce of food all weekend. He purrs when I pet him, but he is not meowing much. I'm am worried he is going to get sick and die.

Would someone please help.

You need to call the vet.
Alot of cats that are adopted from the pound have uris.

Thanks for the reply,

What is uris?

I should say that I live alone with no other pets, and he is not hiding from me and he loves me to hold and pet him. He sleeps with me at night, so I don't know why he is not active or eating. If you could see him, he sits like he's in a daze. Like he's super depressed. I am so worried.

That is an Upper Respiratory Infection. It's very common in shelter kittens. In fact, virtually all cats get it sooner or later. It could be other serious diseases, but that is most common. You should have him to the vet first thing in the morning. At the very least, they can keep him hydrated, which is a very serious problem. He probably has a fever and feels a lot like we do when we have the flu or a bad cold.

You are right to be worried about him. I'm sure you love him and the loving he gives you. for a quick recovery.

Thank you so much for the reply,

Yes, I need to get him to the vet as soon as they open.
He is 7 years old and was only in the humane society a few weeks. and all the other cats seemed heathy. I need to get him a blood test.

My 1st cat and only 1 week I'v had him, and I couldn't stand to lose him.

Bless you for adopting an older cat. I volunteer at a shelter, and these older cats sometimes break our hearts. Great cats, often, and in "jail" for no reason they can understand.

Being an older cat should rule out some of the worse diseases kittens are subject to, but could indicate kidney or liver problems. Seven years on a cat is about middle-aged.

Please keep us informed. Also, call the shelter and let them know the cat is sick. They may be able to help you with expenses. They may only offer to take the cat back, which, if he is sick, might be nothing more than a death sentence for him, but that would depend on the shelter.

Also, should the worst happen and he is too ill to save, don't let that discourage you from adopting a cat. You have given him, at the very least, a week of love and stability that all cats need.

Oh I am so sorry!! Bless you for adopting your kitty, it sounds like he loves you. However it is so important for cats to get proper nutrition, I am glad you are taking him to the vet, blood work should indicate if there are any internal problems, however it could be as simple as you switched his food and sometimes that is hard for cats. Please keep us posted!! Good look and lots of to you and your cat.

Yes, one of the factors or reasons I adopted was to give a good cat a great home. This is my first cat and I was pretty worried if I was making a good desision for myself and the cat. But after going to the humane soc. and asking questions, it seemed like it would be a good thing for both of us. And it is all good, except he is sick now, and it hurts me a lot to see him feeling so bad.

I will take him to the vet and get him back up to 100%. And I'll keep you all posted on how he is doing. After he is happy again, I will be more happy and post some pictures of him.

Thanks all of you for caring so much, God bless.

What kind of food have you been giving him. Do you know what he was getting at the shelter?

Sometimes you have to make a change very slowly, mixing just a small amount of new food in with the old and gradually increasing the amount. Have you tried wet food?

You still need to take him to the vet even if you find something he will eat.

Originally Posted by GoldyCat

What kind of food have you been giving him. Do you know what he was getting at the shelter?

Sometimes you have to make a change very slowly, mixing just a small amount of new food in with the old and gradually increasing the amount. Have you tried wet food?

You still need to take him to the vet even if you find something he will eat.

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Assuming it isn't something physical causing it, try different kinds of food (canned) to see if you can find one he likes. When I first got Cindy, she wasn't eating either, and she definitely didn't like the Science Diet they were feeding her at the shelter. I was extremely worried, but I finally found a kind that she went nuts for. She's not a very big eater still, she's more of a grazer, so I have to feed her a little bit several times a day.

Good luck, I hope you find the right answer really soon. Your kitty sounds like a sweetie.

How did your kitty get on at the vets? We would like to know.

Well last sunday (9-21-2008) I started this topic. The next day (monday) I took Rusty to the vet. Rusty had lost 1 pound in 6 days and his eyes pupils were each a different size. The doctor did a blood test and found everything to be normal, so he did another kind of test and it too came back normal. So he gave Rusty a steroid shot to get him to want to eat, and also some antibiotics. That night him got better and even tried to eat but only ate a dime size amount. The next day he stopped eating totally. There has been times when he wants to eat and I give him food, he goes over to it like he is going to eat, but after 15 seconds of trying to get a bite on it he gives up or looses interest. So I have been hand feeding him for the whole week. It is so fustrating for me as to why he won't or can't eat. He is going to die if he does not start eating soon.

I noticed the front of his bottom lip is black and I was wondering if maybe it was sore and prevent him from eating. Or maybe he got a splinter or something in his mouth.
Do you think it is possible Rusty had a stroke?
I do know that it is not the wrong food because I'v tried everything and he acts like he likes it.

Can anyone think of a reason Rusty won't eat on his own?

I posted this topic in the wrong section, it should be in the Health & Nutrition section. how do I move it to there?

If it looks like his chin is dirty, maybe with black spots, it could be feline acne. This is pretty common, and while it can be uncomfortable, it shouldn't keep him from eating. Usually cleaning it regularly and switching to a glass, ceramic, or stainless steel bowl (not plastic) will solve the problem.

I wonder about tooth problems, although all sorts of things can cause a cat to go off his food. The problem is that they don't show they are sick until they are very sick.

My heart goes out to you, because you are obviously trying. Have you talked to the shelter? Do they have a vet who can help you out? I just hate that your first experience with a cat is being so negative.

Don't worry about moving the thread, because you can't. If the moderators want to, they will. I suspect they didn't want to move it where you couldn't find it, because we do so desperately want to help you.

Where are you located? Perhaps you are somewhere one of our people here can reach you and point you to a good vet or something.

It's not impossible he's had a stroke or something, although a little difference in pupil size is not unheard of. Is he drinking water? That's a real concern with cats.

How can I tell if he has a bad tooth ache? Wouldn't the vet be able to spot that?

Strange thing is that when I put a cat treat on the floor he tries to eat it but he can't pick it up with his mouth.

Also he definately is not full of life, more like half dead. I mean he acts like he can't hear or see properly and he is very unstable when he stands or walks.

No, he has NOT drank a drop of water since I got him.

Trust your instincts it sounds like he may have something neurological going on or else is becoming weakened. He could have an infected tooth or jaw pain or something else dental. Tomorrow is Monday - maybe you could call a local cat rescue and see if they would recommend another vet - each vet, like each doctor, seems to be better at different kinds of issues. Does your shelter have a mentor whom you could call as well?? At the very least, it would be encouraging for you to have an experienced cat-fosterer to be able to come by and visit you both and give you moral support
Your cat is so fortunate that he has you to fuss and care for him - can you imagine how awful it would have been for him to be in this condition while still at the shelter
Sending mega prayers and vibes that your kitty recovers very, very soon and can fully enjoy the wonderful home that he has been blessed with ........
We TCSers are all rooting for you and look forward to seeing those happy pics

OK, he needs to get back to the vet ASAP. He is almost certainly dehydrated. They can give him subcutaneous fluids to get his kidneys and liver working, if they haven't failed completely. You can check for dehydration to some extent. Pinch the skin over his shoulders and pull up on it gently. If it doesn't return to its normal position immediately, he is dehydrated.

Have you looked in his mouth? Are any of his gums red and sore-looking? Are his teeth very brown? If he hasn't been eating, he probably has terrible breath, too.

I really feel sympathy for you. We all know what it feels like to be helpless and struggling with a cat.

I live west of St. louis Missouri.

I know I'v only had this cat for 2 weeks. But I got very attached to him at the start. I'v been around friends with their cats, but there is something special about this cat and me. I just feel like we should be together. I don't want to lose him, but if I do, at least I tried to save him.

You've done a good thing, and even if you ultimately fail, there's no evidence anything would have been better for this cat if you had not brought him home. I would check first thing in the morning with the shelter, too. I would hope they could help you in some way, if only in knowing how to take care of him, or possibly they have a connection to a vet school or something.

Originally Posted by mrblanche

OK, he needs to get back to the vet ASAP. He is almost certainly dehydrated. They can give him subcutaneous fluids to get his kidneys and liver working, if they haven't failed completely. You can check for dehydration to some extent. Pinch the skin over his shoulders and pull up on it gently. If it doesn't return to its normal position immediately, he is dehydrated.

Have you looked in his mouth? Are any of his gums red and sore-looking? Are his teeth very brown? If he hasn't been eating, he probably has terrible breath, too.

I really feel sympathy for you. We all know what it feels like to be helpless and struggling with a cat.

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Exactly!! Being dehydrated will take their appetite away. It's kind of like us having the flu, we still get hungry, but we just can't stomach anything. If the steroid shot didn't increase his appetite in a day or two, something else is definitely going on. Maybe a sore throat, a cut or scrape in the roof of his mouth, or an infected tooth! Most vets only look briefly in their mouth when doing a general exam and could easily miss something! Poor kitty, and bless you for caring for him so deeply! I'm off to find you the link for homemade pedialyte......

ETA--
Homemade pedialyte

2 quarts water
1-teaspoon baking soda
1-teaspoon salt
7 Tablespoons sugar

If he can't lap it up, use a medicine dropper, or even a small spoon to get it into him. Many going out to you both!