Thin/Emaciated cat

Hi everyone,

Tonight a very thin cat/kitten came across my path in the road. She didn't run, hiss, or meow.  Was able to walk and let me scoop her up. At first I thought she was lost or perhaps a stray.  Her coat seemed normal, and her skin underneath moved but I didn't do a pinch test. As I held her on my way home it became apparent that she was too thin to be a feral cat and too friendly.  I thought something may have been broken at first until I realized that was just her skeleton I was feeling through her fur. 

At home I gave her some moist cat food, called the emergency vet who recommended the "kitten milk" despite me being unsure of her age, a warm place and fluids. She didn't take to the kitten milk but ate about 1/4 of the canned food.  As I observed her more I noticed her pupils were extremely dilated and cloudy.  They started to constrict after food and the cloudiness also started to clear up.  Her pupils were still pretty large though for being in a well lit garage for over an hour.  Other things I noticed were that her left side protruded more than her right and her front left paw was about twice the size of her front right paw. She was very friendly and after eating gladly sat in my lap and let me pet her. I even would get a burst of a purr here and there.  One time when I went to reposition her I picked her up by her left side and she didn't like that and groweled at me while  pulling away from me.  Then after a min or so she was fine.

I will be bringing her into my vet in the morning after my shift at work.  I am just worried sick about her and was wondering if anyone had any thoughts about what happened to her, what I can do at home after the vet visit to bring her back to par, and ANYTHING ELSE that can be shared, I would really appreciate.

Thanks in advance!

If it's a female, she's probably pregnant. That's most likely what's causing the protruding on her left side. She may miscarry since she's so thin, but definitely ask the vet to check for that.

Keep her on the canned food. She needs all the fluids she can get, and dry food would just dehydrate her more. The eye cloudiness may have been caused by dehydration, but have the vet check her eyes just in case. The swollen paw could be an injury or an allergic reaction to something (bee sting, etc.).

that everything goes well at the vet!

Welcome to TCS! And you are wonderful for saving her I would just get her to the vet first and see what the vet comes up with. I agree that canned food is a must - and I would make it kitten canned food. There are many wonderful grain-free kitten wet foods to choose from. You can even add a little water - a tiny amount to her meals. Hopefully she will gobble it all up. I am sure she will appreciate the love and care. Please let us know how things go at the vet. :cross:

Thank you both for replying!  As it turns out this cat HAS a home.  Her owners placed fliers.  I contacted them and we confirmed it was their cat I had and not another.  Her name is Ojibwae or Jibby for short.  She is 16 years old and in renal failure.  Fortunately my vet Wednesday morning gave me kidney function food which she has been eating since.  She didn't have all of the canned food from the night before, and her owner said that it shouldn't hurt her kidneys too much since it was less than a full can of moist food and especially since she had access to fresh water and rest during the day.

She visits her vet daily for subcutaneous fluids in her left paw to keep her hydrated.  This is why her left paw was so large.  Today, sure enough it is back to the size of her right paw. 

I am so relieved and sad at the same time.  I am relieved she has a home who cares for her and loves her.  I am sad for her and her family that she is struggling with renal failure.  I feel guilty now for scooping her up, she was 2 blocks away from home which her owner said rarely happens because she has so little strength. But at least she had a day with a cat lover who treated her tenderly than out in the city where there are cars, predators, and a plethera of dangers for her.

I am also so  much more impressed with my vet who took precautions and suggested the right kind of food despite not knowing her health history.  He suggested we wait to ensure she doesn't have rabies, feed her small amounts at a time of the kidney function moist food along with a lot of fresh water and keep her in a quiet, warm environment. Which we did. 

I found this site specifically for help with this kitty and it has done just that.  Now I am excited to explore the rest of the site and share with other members. 

THANK YOU!!!

Aww! Glad to hear she has a caring home. Yeah, those old CRF kitties don't look so great most of time, it would be natural to think she's a starving stray. Good for you for helping. She may not have been able to find her way home again--old kitties can get a bit senile, too.

I totally second what Willowy just said! WONDERFUL news about this kitty. And, yes, thank goodness you took her in, who knows what could have happened. Glad she has a loving home and that they were trying to find her. Good job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :heart3:

You were fantastic to be such a caring person!!!  I am so glad the kitty has a good home but know if you had not found her home she would have been well cared for by you..  My hat is off to you