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Stray cat with ruptured eyes

post #1 of 34
3/17/10 at 5:42pm
Thread Starter 
It happened for about 3 years ago. I saw a stray cat with ruptured eyes, I don't know what happened to him, his both eyes were gone and all I can see was a pink flesh. My dad saw him walking and would bump on the wall. My dad decided to take him home. We put him at the garage because we were afraid of him, he was really aggressive, he even scratched my dad's right arm. We called an animal shelter but no one came to pick him up, then after a day he was gone....

Do you have any idea of what happened to his eyes? It looks that he was not blind for a long time, he seemed to be healthy..
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post #2 of 34
3/17/10 at 6:56pm
Hard to say for sure. But I would guess a virus (herpes, calici, rarely another) or someone did it intentionally.
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post #3 of 34
3/17/10 at 7:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by strange_wings View Post
Hard to say for sure. But I would guess a virus (herpes, calici, rarely another) or someone did it intentionally.
that or Chlamydia which seems to be on the rise, it can also result from cat fights if their eye is injured and not treated, the infection fills the eye and then the eye ruptures in both cases
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post #4 of 34
3/18/10 at 5:30pm
Thread Starter 
I don't think he got it from cat fights because there is no blood stains and no dirt in it. I think someone did it intentionally, I really feel so sorry for that cat
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post #5 of 34
3/18/10 at 6:14pm
I will add these as links so click at your own risk, they are quite graphic these are just some of the cats we got in with ruptured eyes, all from a local Chlamydia outbreak, some tiny kittens that were like that within days of birth

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3326/...f7b2c3fa58.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2445/...2247a5465f.jpg

a separate litter
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2461/...d217413866.jpg

this one is very graphic
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2458/...b0b91eb8c0.jpg

This one, her eye had already been removed, but you can see the clouding in the 2nd eye
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2464/...137f36f56e.jpg

and her brother
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3549/...fe0eb6561d.jpg
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post #6 of 34
3/18/10 at 6:18pm
My parents adopted a kitten (Cocoa - or "Kitty" or "Mop", whichever name you prefer to call her) that was born with Chalmydia. We took her to the vet and he thought that it may be possible to save one of her eyes. She was treated with drops or ointment in both eyes for a few weeks, and fortunately one of her eyes did heal. The other eye just looks like muscle. That's the only way I know to describe it. It's pink membrane and the eye drains frequently. My mom has to clean Kitty's face as needed. She is an old, old cat now...probably around 21. I always thought that eye might dry up or close, but it never did.

I don't like to think that someone put the eyes out of the cat you described. I know sick things like that happen, but I'd rather think that the cat was just the unfortunate victim of disease. A horrible fate either way.
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post #7 of 34
3/18/10 at 11:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by nurseangel View Post
I don't like to think that someone put the eyes out of the cat you described. I know sick things like that happen, but I'd rather think that the cat was just the unfortunate victim of disease. A horrible fate either way.
A not so nice reading while reading breakfast... So to speak.

But frankly. Villains and evil deeds do occur (Gods wrath on them!). And most dumped and strays do dies a pityful, horryfying slow prolonged death. Save the lucky ones who are taken by a predator - it takes only minutes or perhaps even shorter.

And the death of most of these isnt no cosy and easy... So it is.


Some DO manage OK. It is the survivors. The tough, wise, healthy ones, with some luck.
The survivors do manage OK, especielly if they are neutered and got some help.

This is one of the reasons it is not only a shame, but also a sin, to kill off the managing survivors. Which happens and which is the real moral problem.
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post #8 of 34
3/19/10 at 9:44am
Honestly, out of all of the cats with eye problems brought into the shelter here, the only ones that were inflicted on a cat appeared to be from cat fights and not a person, generally if someone is so cruel they ruptured the eyes, I would imagine that they would do more to the cat and it wouldn't be alive
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post #9 of 34
3/19/10 at 10:41am
That is sooo sad. It was almost painful to read he was gone - unless Animal control DID get him. But you and your dad are amazing to have taken him in - especially with him being aggressive.

I seriously hate reading stories like that - but love knowing there are people out there who want so much to help them.

Is there EVER going to be mandatory spay/neuter laws for pets???

I know it would take a very long time to end new ferals being born... (aside from TNR of course) but it has to start somewhere and isnt this the best option????
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post #10 of 34
3/19/10 at 10:59am
Its the law not to murder, steal etc and people still do it, even mandatory spay/neuter will be ignored - especially since so many people say they cant afford speuters (and not everywhere offers low cost)
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post #11 of 34
3/19/10 at 3:31pm
I always forget about chlamydia. It's not really something that's common in my area. Surprisingly FeLV and FIV aren't that common, either. The few cats I hear about being euthanized for positive ELISA tests are usually kittens and no mention to or attempt at retesting is ever done..

Quote:
Originally Posted by m935 View Post
Is there EVER going to be mandatory spay/neuter laws for pets???
I'm actually kind of against that. The ways of trying to enforce it are questionable at best and can make it difficult for some that can't spay for a medical reason. This isn't to say that I don't think that all pets shouldn't be, just that I don't think another law telling us what we must do is needed. (like 3 pet limit in cities..)
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post #12 of 34
3/19/10 at 3:52pm
I suppose... i just get SO frustrated about this kind of stuff as Im sure most on this board do. Just part of the sh#%%y side of life I guess.
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post #13 of 34
3/19/10 at 3:54pm
As far as I know, Los Angeles California is the only city that has a mandatory spay/neuter law for dogs and cats, they must be done by four months old.

I believe show animals, breeders, and documentation stating the the surgery would be detrimental to the animal's health are the exceptions.

I think I even remember reading that people moving into the county have to immediately comply. So..I take this to mean all animals in LA have to be registered, some how.

I think mandatory spay/neuter is a good idea. Sure there will always be people who ignore these laws. But on the other hand, there are also those people who are respectful of "authority" and might not have bothered if it wasn't the law, but since it is.."might as well go along with it".

hmm....I think this is not the original topic of the thread.

Tolly's eyes were very bad when I rescued him, from chlamydia. He recovered with TLC but the herpes almost got his eyes, after all, as at the time I had a bumbling vet.

Thank goodness for Cornell University Companion Animal Hospital!
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post #14 of 34
3/19/10 at 10:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by otto View Post
I think I even remember reading that people moving into the county have to immediately comply. So..I take this to mean all animals in LA have to be registered, some how.
I wonder if you moved in with several animals, say 4 dogs and 2 cats or 6 cats, and had to register each of those if you'd be getting unscheduled visits to make sure you weren't a hoarder. Since general public view is that if you have more than two cats or two dogs something is seriously wrong with you.

I have one that's 7 months now that both the vet and I agree on waiting for her spay. She's just so small for her age - but she is growing. She's safe though, spooked of the door and no other intact animals around (aside from my geckos...)

It's good to hear that Tolly recovered, even after a vet's mess up.
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post #15 of 34
3/20/10 at 4:32am
Chlamydia is really on the rise here, several litters come into the shelter last year with some of the worst cases the vet had seen, some kittens did not survive and most lost at least an eye

As far as mandatory spay/neuter, I would imagine they have the same safeguards as mandatory rabies vaccines - all it takes is a letter from the vet. The city next to us has mandatory licensing of cats and have people who watch windows to make sure you have licensed indoor cats too - so it doesn't take spay/neuter laws for you to get hoarding visits - they are pretty strict about their pet limit too (I think its small, 2-3 animals)
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post #16 of 34
3/20/10 at 10:27am
Thread Starter 
Being blind is really frustrating, is there a treatment for that kind of illness?
If that cat lost his eyes through fighting then why both eyes? I didn't think that the shelter I called picked him up, they didn't call me back....I had a picture of it I want to show it to you but I couldn't find it
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post #17 of 34
3/20/10 at 10:56am
Some of those kittens I posted pictures of eventually lost their second eyes, even with treatment and basically living at the vet
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post #18 of 34
3/20/10 at 12:35pm
Those were certainly sad photos.

If you've read "Homer's Odyssey," the book about the blind cat, you have some idea of the effect of this stuff.
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post #19 of 34
3/20/10 at 2:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by icklemiss21 View Post
As far as mandatory spay/neuter, I would imagine they have the same safeguards as mandatory rabies vaccines - all it takes is a letter from the vet. The city next to us has mandatory licensing of cats and have people who watch windows to make sure you have licensed indoor cats too - so it doesn't take spay/neuter laws for you to get hoarding visits - they are pretty strict about their pet limit too (I think its small, 2-3 animals)
Watch windows as in come up and actually look in your windows? That's not legal, and the sort of thing that if you did it around here you would find a gun in your face - which I don't see as a bad thing so much. There are a lot of creepy people, at best, and dangerous people at worst.

Does your shelter eventually opt to euthanize those kittens or do they adopt them out as special needs? If the latter in some cases, and with chlamydia on the rise there, it wouldn't take long to run out of already limited homes.
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post #20 of 34
3/21/10 at 5:42am
We euthanised a few of them, one the vet could not save the infection spreading past the eyes, she was very young (under 5 weeks) so he didn't want to do surgery and two who lost both eyes. The ones who responded to medication were all put up for adoption (and most adopted with a littermate) some had partial sight in one eye and lost the other, some responded really well to meds and had a good eye and a cloudy eye (obviously the ones that did not rupture).

The shelter is actually really lucky with finding homes for special needs cats, and with these guys, the local TV station ran a story about them so we had a lot of interest in them
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post #21 of 34
3/21/10 at 11:30am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by icklemiss21 View Post
We euthanised a few of them, one the vet could not save the infection spreading past the eyes, she was very young (under 5 weeks) so he didn't want to do surgery and two who lost both eyes. The ones who responded to medication were all put up for adoption (and most adopted with a littermate) some had partial sight in one eye and lost the other, some responded really well to meds and had a good eye and a cloudy eye (obviously the ones that did not rupture).

The shelter is actually really lucky with finding homes for special needs cats, and with these guys, the local TV station ran a story about them so we had a lot of interest in them
It was televised? Maybe the story is really touching
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post #22 of 34
3/21/10 at 2:08pm
Yeah, must have been a slow news day We appealed fo help with their vet bills, because they were so small and young, and in such bad shape, we spent a lot on their vet care, including opthamologist visits etc to give their adopters as much info as possible about the extent of their blindness. It did touch people though, we had little kids bringing in their pocket money and birthday money

The kittens were being dropped off outside in bad weather in the middle of the night in cold weather, we were hoping someone would recognise the person dropping off the kittens so we could arrange to help without leaving animals outside all night - and get the adults speutered to stop spreading the infection even more.

Then more litters was dropped off with mommas, so they got the idea but we have found other cats with chlamydia separate from where these ones were coming from too.
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post #23 of 34
3/21/10 at 3:47pm
Since I saw a cat like this this morning Im going to ask....

ive had 3 ferals in the last...3 months show up with leaky eyes (usually just one) OR with one eye almost shut. They have ALL improved - so its a temporary condition (so far)

Is this anything to worry about? Not sure if this is from fighting - but one cat had a bloody ear tip. Not to mention my new stray that had a whole in his side and another with 2 "bite" marks on his tail...

thanks!
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post #24 of 34
3/21/10 at 4:35pm
leaky eyes could be herpes, mild chlamydia or a simple URI or many other things, without a vet visit (I realise not always possible with ferals) its hard to say, it could also be swollen shut from fighting but usually there is some lasting damage from fighting
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post #25 of 34
3/21/10 at 4:51pm
im assuming these other issues ARENT usually tested along with aids and leukemia?

there are only 2 friendly ones- the rest wont let me get anywhere near them (after almost 2 years) and they are the ones with the eye issues.

thanks - sorry to change the subject btw.
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post #26 of 34
3/21/10 at 5:36pm
Generally, if they have any of the other diseases I mentioned, you can tell on intake so they are tested and treated for it before they go up for adoption, chlamydia doesn't clear up on its own completely, so their eyes usually gives it away and the stress of a vet visit and shelter will bring out herpes or chlamydia in a cat that chronically shed the virus.

Cats with chlamydia usually appear to have the same symptoms as most URIs but with more eye involvement and no fever, there are risks to the vaccine (moreso than most vaccines) so you have to weigh the options on including it. I certainly did with my cats when I was handling the ones in the photos I posted but probably won't this year.

But unless there are signs of the illness on intake, no it is not generally tested for by shelters (or vets when you bring them a newbie to check out)
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post #27 of 34
3/23/10 at 7:58pm
Thread Starter 
and how are those kittens today?
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post #28 of 34
3/24/10 at 10:58am
They are all doing well, the shelter paid to have their eyes completely removed and sutured to decrease the risk of any further infection there and most of them were adopted with a littermate. They are probably the spunkiest kittens I have seen, I don't think they knew how sick they were.
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post #29 of 34
3/25/10 at 5:14pm
Thread Starter 
Wow, nice to hear it from you
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post #30 of 34
3/25/10 at 5:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MysteryCat View Post
Wow, nice to hear it from you
Our shelter has actually been fairly lucky with placing special needs animals, in our city people seem to feel sorry for them and want them more. The next city over, they don't even bother trying to get rescues to take them.
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