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- Jun 9, 2011
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Hi all. This is going to be a bit of a long explanation.
I have two cats, an 8-year old male and a 5 year-old female. My boyfriend and his 4 month old kitten are staying with me for a couple of weeks. We both arrived at my house on Friday after roadtripping from our out-of-state college. The kitten spent a couple of days isolated in my bedroom with a gradual introduction to my cats. It went well, and as a result, he's been running around my house since Sunday, with brief timeouts to my room to give my cats a reprieve. He's also been sleeping in my room at night to give my cats kitten-free time.
On Monday, I brought home a new kitten from a shelter after having him checked out by the vet (not mine, but one shelter required) (initial FVRCP shots, deworming, check for FeLk/FIV) I isolated him to a big cage in my bedroom/saferoom, on top of a desk far out of reach of the 4-month old kitten named Rocky. Although Rocky stood on his hind legs for a look, he was never able to reach.
On Tuesday morning, I let Kyo have a run around my closet, and then he suddenly peed bloody in the corner. I immediately rushed him to my vet who gave him a thorough check. He told me Kyo was in good health, and the pee was probably a result of his young age/early separation. (Kyo had been drinking and eating ravenously, and was pooping, but hadn't peed at all). He gave him amoxcillin for a possible UTI just in case and Kyo is supposed to take it until Monday. He estimated the kitten to be 6-7 weeks old ( >_<' ) The other vet had estimated him to be 7-8, but I think the former figure is more accurate (the shelter had guesstimated him at 10 wks old).
On Wednesday afternoon, I made my closet a gated enclosure.
I would have isolated Kyo to the closet for quarantine, but there is no circulation in there and it would be sweltering hot with the door closed. I made a 1.5 - 2 foot buffer zone in an attempt to lower the possibility of contamination. I let him play in there for a couple of hours before removing him to cage for overnight. I returned him to the enclosure this morning, and he is currently sleeping in there. As I dreaded, his occasional sneeze, which could have been from dust, appears to be turning into a URI (he's sneezing more frequently and has had a sneezing fit. He still has an appetite but is eating less frequently).
This entire time, Rocky has been back and forthing between my room and the entire house, coming into contact with my cats (occasional swats), drinking out of their water bowl, and eating their food. He's been sleeping in my room at night. My two older cats have not been in my room or come anywhere near it since I returned home last week. My family and I have taken precautions to wash our hands after handling Kyo (the new kitten) from the beginning (as far as I know). Rocky has not come into physical contact with Kyo. The closest he's come was when Kyo cleared the first barricade, and came within half a foot of Rocky before I immediately whisked Rocky to another room.
I have no idea if Rocky has caught whatever Kyo is developing. Rocky has sneezed once or twice, but he's a sneezer (he sneezes every once in a while. It's been like that since my boyfriend got him months ago) So I can't tell if Rocky is going to get sick and then get my other cats sick. Both of my cats are up to date with their shots, and have the FVRCP boosters. Rocky has had his booster too.
I am a bit at a loss for what to do. There is only one safe room. I have decided to keep Rocky out of my bedroom, and leave him out in the rest of the house with my other cats, hoping he hasn't caught anything and to prevent him from catching anything if he hasn't already. If he shows any signs of developing a URI, I will return him to the safe room.
As for Kyo, I'm going to monitor him and call my vet early tomorrow morning and see what they say.
Any thoughts? Should I just stick both of them in the bedroom and quarantine both of them? What can I do for my older cats? Also, if Kyo (and possibly the others) does have a URI and his sneezing/breathing/presence is contaminating everything he's come into contact with, how in the world would I decontaminate sections of my room and all the stuff in it?
(Also, its really hard to wash up to avoid contamination. I don't think handwashing is a very good containment strategy because cats rub against you all over and it isn't just hand to fur contact. I feel like you'd have to take a shower and change clothes every time you switch between feline parties. (e.g. Kyo sneezed on my shirt and face, and he rubbed against my elbow, knee, foot, arm. Had to take a shower and change after that).
11:25 PM Central- I caught his eyes watering. Now I'm sure its a URI. Looks like its a third trip to the vet.
I have two cats, an 8-year old male and a 5 year-old female. My boyfriend and his 4 month old kitten are staying with me for a couple of weeks. We both arrived at my house on Friday after roadtripping from our out-of-state college. The kitten spent a couple of days isolated in my bedroom with a gradual introduction to my cats. It went well, and as a result, he's been running around my house since Sunday, with brief timeouts to my room to give my cats a reprieve. He's also been sleeping in my room at night to give my cats kitten-free time.
On Monday, I brought home a new kitten from a shelter after having him checked out by the vet (not mine, but one shelter required) (initial FVRCP shots, deworming, check for FeLk/FIV) I isolated him to a big cage in my bedroom/saferoom, on top of a desk far out of reach of the 4-month old kitten named Rocky. Although Rocky stood on his hind legs for a look, he was never able to reach.
On Tuesday morning, I let Kyo have a run around my closet, and then he suddenly peed bloody in the corner. I immediately rushed him to my vet who gave him a thorough check. He told me Kyo was in good health, and the pee was probably a result of his young age/early separation. (Kyo had been drinking and eating ravenously, and was pooping, but hadn't peed at all). He gave him amoxcillin for a possible UTI just in case and Kyo is supposed to take it until Monday. He estimated the kitten to be 6-7 weeks old ( >_<' ) The other vet had estimated him to be 7-8, but I think the former figure is more accurate (the shelter had guesstimated him at 10 wks old).
On Wednesday afternoon, I made my closet a gated enclosure.
I would have isolated Kyo to the closet for quarantine, but there is no circulation in there and it would be sweltering hot with the door closed. I made a 1.5 - 2 foot buffer zone in an attempt to lower the possibility of contamination. I let him play in there for a couple of hours before removing him to cage for overnight. I returned him to the enclosure this morning, and he is currently sleeping in there. As I dreaded, his occasional sneeze, which could have been from dust, appears to be turning into a URI (he's sneezing more frequently and has had a sneezing fit. He still has an appetite but is eating less frequently).
This entire time, Rocky has been back and forthing between my room and the entire house, coming into contact with my cats (occasional swats), drinking out of their water bowl, and eating their food. He's been sleeping in my room at night. My two older cats have not been in my room or come anywhere near it since I returned home last week. My family and I have taken precautions to wash our hands after handling Kyo (the new kitten) from the beginning (as far as I know). Rocky has not come into physical contact with Kyo. The closest he's come was when Kyo cleared the first barricade, and came within half a foot of Rocky before I immediately whisked Rocky to another room.
I have no idea if Rocky has caught whatever Kyo is developing. Rocky has sneezed once or twice, but he's a sneezer (he sneezes every once in a while. It's been like that since my boyfriend got him months ago) So I can't tell if Rocky is going to get sick and then get my other cats sick. Both of my cats are up to date with their shots, and have the FVRCP boosters. Rocky has had his booster too.
I am a bit at a loss for what to do. There is only one safe room. I have decided to keep Rocky out of my bedroom, and leave him out in the rest of the house with my other cats, hoping he hasn't caught anything and to prevent him from catching anything if he hasn't already. If he shows any signs of developing a URI, I will return him to the safe room.
As for Kyo, I'm going to monitor him and call my vet early tomorrow morning and see what they say.
Any thoughts? Should I just stick both of them in the bedroom and quarantine both of them? What can I do for my older cats? Also, if Kyo (and possibly the others) does have a URI and his sneezing/breathing/presence is contaminating everything he's come into contact with, how in the world would I decontaminate sections of my room and all the stuff in it?
(Also, its really hard to wash up to avoid contamination. I don't think handwashing is a very good containment strategy because cats rub against you all over and it isn't just hand to fur contact. I feel like you'd have to take a shower and change clothes every time you switch between feline parties. (e.g. Kyo sneezed on my shirt and face, and he rubbed against my elbow, knee, foot, arm. Had to take a shower and change after that).
11:25 PM Central- I caught his eyes watering. Now I'm sure its a URI. Looks like its a third trip to the vet.
