Fixing Male Feral

We have been feeding feral & abandoned cats for a while now. I finally talked my husband into getting them fixed.

I caught one and took it to the vet (with a coupon for lesser cost). When I picked it up I noticed that it shook its head and fell down god we own a pool and all I could imagine was him falling into it and drowning. Also, it seems to have an issue with its right eye.

Two days passed and he still could not walk without falling down. So I took him back to the vet and asked what they did to him? They said they rinsed his ears out and fixed him and that he was not under anistesia very long to have caused him this problem.

They suggested some ear drops, antibiotics, eye drops and pain killers! ok we are cat lovers I called my husband and he said ok if we must we would have to put it into the budget.

Well nothing worked and now I can see he is totally deaf and blind in one eye. So much for trying to do a good deed. He stays in the yard now all the time (which is ok) but he now fights with any other abandoned or feral cat that comes into the yard. He is so violent he actually tries to kill the other cats. I feel so bad for them now he has really hurt them badly.

Anyone have any ideas what I should do to help this poor kitty? I can't imagine would it would be like to be deaf and blind in one eye.

Menou Lover

wow! i am so sorry for what you are going through and the kitty! how do you know he is blind and deaf in one side? did the vet examine him again?
and did the vet say why he was messing with his ears? was it something wrong with it from the beginning before you take him to vet? if i was you i will look into it and see what can be done and what he did to the poor cat ears.

Well when I snap my fingers behind his head he does not twitch his ears or turn to see the sound. Also, when he gets into a fight with another cat I can't stop him unless I get in front of him so he can see me.

The other cats it seems wait for him to go into the bed we made for him then they sneak into the yard and I feed them.

He can smell really well!!! when I put food down for him I have to get in front of his good eye and show him the food.

The doctor says he didn't do anything to the cat and that he was not the one who fixed him. He looked into the file and said they didn't do anything to the cat. I have not taken the cat back because it cost me over $100.00 the last time I took him plus the cost of neutering him.

The cute thing about the cat though is he is like a little puppy now. When anyone goes into the back yard, if he see's them he will follow like a little puppy does.

He loves attention, brushing (he has long hair) and lots of pets. It seems we have adopted him permanently.

hugs Menou Lover

That sounds just awful for you and this cat. The vet must have done something to damage his ears for this to have just started after the vet visit/neutering. I am upset to hear this. Since he has lost his hearing and blind in one eye now, this has caused him to be hyper-vigilant and much more protective of himself and aggressive to the other cats. Is there anyway you can bring him to another vet for a look over?? I am so sorry this has happenned to him but this is not your fault. You did the absolute right thing getting him neutered. You have saved more kittens from being born outside. The cat sounds like such a sweetheart and maybe you could find him a home somehow!! Mega

Poor kitty! I have heard that ear flushes can cause some real problems in some cats. Sometimes it gets better with time, but you never know which way it will go with this kitty. While it was probably a freak occurance, I'm not sure I would use that vet clinic again. Personally, it makes me nervous knowing they flushed his ears without running it by you first.

No I will never take another animal to that vet! I can't prove they did anything to him I am very sorry for him. I tried to do a good thing and made it worse for him.

The best we can do now is to give him a place to live in the back yard and love and take care of him.

This just make catching the other males harder because they are so afraid of coming into the yard now.

It will take me some time before I gain the courage to take another feral to a vet's office.

And no they didn't ask me if I wanted the cats ear flushed and they told me he was under very short time. But I don't believe them because, when I took him in to get checked by the vet he was terrified to touch the cat because when it moved he thought the cat would attack him. It was so sad to see this in a supposidly trained vet.

I liken him to one of the males we have inside that is very territorial and I am sure would attack other cats if given the chance to get out. As it is every morning I have to get up and scrub where my inside male marks all around our home.

But my husband and I believe that when you get a pet you love it and accept its faults no matter what. He has reasons for spraying and I won't turn him in or kill him for what he does to protect his territory.

We just keep trying different things to help him cope with his anxieties. Well another good thing came out of fixing the feral kitty. Our inside male does not charge him any more when he is outside on the patio. Cats must talk to each other and they know he is in pain or distress.

hugs Menou Lover

Originally Posted by Willowy

Poor kitty! I have heard that ear flushes can cause some real problems in some cats. Sometimes it gets better with time, but you never know which way it will go with this kitty. While it was probably a freak occurance, I'm not sure I would use that vet clinic again. Personally, it makes me nervous knowing they flushed his ears without running it by you first.

Click to expand...

Oddly, at least one person was recently dealing with something very similar in the health forum. I'll see if I can find the thread and what the outcome was.

Thank goodness none of our vets do this! I can't imagine why! The topical treatments for fleas also kill ear mites!

I'm so sorry, sweetie.

Now let me see if I can find that thread. Hopefully there will be something helpful.

I found the thread. There's no helpful information in it, but I PMd the OP for an update.

Do you know if the vet gave your male cat a Baytril injection? Was he already blind in one eye?

The doctor didn't say they gave him any injections other than to "put him under for a very short time" to neuter him.

I am thinking about calling the sister vet's office regarding what happened to Sylvester (that is what I named him - he is a tuxedo kitty) and see if they would like to check him out free of charge.

No the cat was not blind nor deaf when I took him in to get fixed. When I picked him up he kept shaking the right side of his head (ear) then would fall down. I used all the medications he was prescribed and still no improvement.

hugs Menou Lover

I asked about the Baytril, because I don't think and ear flush can cause the problem with the eyesight. I do know it can definitely cause the problems with his mobility and his hearing.

But Baytril injections can cause cats to go blind.

This is so sad, there should be easy to access positive / negative feedback list from all the vet offices, so that it would put some more pressure for quality service or something like that.

to you! This is just bothering me about this vet... Doesn't sound to me the vet has much experience with dealing with ferals. Very sad. Please don't let this stop you from TNR other ferals, you will find a vet or rescue in your area that has excellent experience with a TNR program.

Sylvester is lucky to have you and your husband taking care of him and doing the best you can to make his life safe outside in your yard now. Keep udating as we want to help and give you support

Our Chumley had a vet appointment this morning, so I asked about the ear flush, and before I finished she said, "and now the cat is suffering from vestibular disease."

Bottom-line? He should be treated with antibiotics to ensure there is not NOW an infection. But if it did not result in an infection, then this is something that SHOULD self-resolve, it's just a matter of time. He may wind up with a permanent head tilt, but he should get his balance back. It could be a few days, it could be a few weeks, it could be a few months.

But as Feralvr suspected, he's extremely aggressive now because he's scared out of his wits and doesn't understand what's wrong with him.

The ear flush is not something commonly done around here when cats are under anesthesia, but given discussion in the health forum, it appears to be a "service" provided by many vets as a common practice when a cat (or dog) is under anesthesia.

Just make sure that any time you take ANY animals in for any kind of surgery (including dentals) requiring anesthesia, that you ask them NOT to flush their ears.

Normally there isn't a problem....

How is Sylvester today? I did ask about his as well today at the shelter where I volunteer. The cat health director said that ear flushes are rarely done because it is so risky. Only a vet who is trained and has great experience and knowledge of the cat's ear should perform ear flushes. Many cats will have serious consequences afterwards and possibly damage the delicate ear drum. It is true as LDG's vet said that in time he could re-balance and recover. Will just have to wait and hope for the best. Extending out more vibes and love for Sylvester

Poor baby is still deaf my family didn't believe me when I told them the cat was now deaf. But, after everyone shouted and blasted on items they all shook their heads and now feel very sorry for him.

We now have to be so very careful other cats do not come in the back yard now because he will fight them to the death which is so sad. Since one of them has been coming here for three years.

If we see them in the back yard we put Sylvester on the enclosed porch until they have fed. If we don't he attacks them and it is so sad to see. I told my husband how would you feel if suddenly you went deaf and blind in one eye? Wouldn't it scare the out of you?

So he seems very secure in the yard when he sleeps it is so sound that unless he smells something or is touched by something he just sleeps away. I think it is good he feels that comfortable in the yard all cats should feel safe and loves.

I go outside a few times a day and brush him, I try to play with him with a toy that has a bell on it... OMG it brings all the inside cats to the patio! rofl when I play with him he grabs the toy and jerks on it and tries to run away with it and eat it. Just as if it was food or something. I will keep trying but he not very good at the games yet.

hugs Menou Lover

Well, Sylvester seems to be accepting his new disability just fine. We should all take a lesson from him, I guess. Still sorry for him though. And got a "kick" out of your family shouting at him to see if he was really deaf. Poor baby. Sounds like a perfect plan for feeding the other cats, putting Sylvester in the enclosed porch. That might just work It sounds like you are feeling better about the situation and dealing with it the best you can. Sylvester is in great care and I am still so at that vet. More for your boy

I'm glad he's doing as well as he is!

It does sound like you've worked out a good plan for now. I do hope his hearing comes back!

So is he steadier than he was?

I think it is so great what you are doing for Sylvester. I would be as worried about him as you are. Since it seems like he is quite comfortable with you and your family, is there any way to gradually bring him inside with you?

If not, is it possible for him to live in your enclosed porch? That way he is safe from any danger, has time to heal and the other cats that you feed can still come into your yard>

i think your plan for him is great and he feels secure around you, hope he gets back to normal. it is so sad that some vets are not as concern as others.
recently when i took the feral pregnant cat to be spayed, the vet knew it was a stray and she did not seem very sincere and concern if it was my cat.. they never followed up and call see if she is doing ok and when i called to ask few questions that i was concerned about, not once the doctor got on the phone and try to talk to me, it was all bunch of bologna came out of techs mouth!!! she is my personal vet too and i think i have decided not to go there anymore. it is more business of making more money than being concern about the animals!!

I know how you feel about the vet I have seen it all to many times in vet offices. If you don't have the money they don't care that you love your pet, they just want their money. Not all vets are this way but the good ones are few and far between. They take advantage of our love for animals. We had a female that had cancer, it was all through her body. But the vet gave us false hope and she had to be put to sleep during the operation. We could have spent a little while longer with her. But the vet got an extra $1,000.00 for the operation.

As to the question can Sylvester live on our porch the answer is no sadly. We have 5 indoor cats that love getting a little bit of fresh air is why we built the enclosure to begin with. At first we let them outside but that was so dangerous they never would stay in the back yard. After a few vet bills from accidents and my constant worrying, my family finally build the enclosure for the inside babies.

So when we let Sylvester onto the patio we have to shoo all our cats into the house and shut the doors. So it is not fair to the five we have in the house to shut them off from fresh air.

Also, we can't bring Sylvester into the house because I won't put the inside cats at risk that he might try to harm them.

Hugs Menou Lover