Any low cost vet clinics in NY? And some more questions about bringing a sick stray to the vet, his

I made a question about this already, but I suppose I put the wrong title, the cost of his treatment varies, so you couldn't really answer it. So, I will add more details and hopefully get some advice on what to do.
This is a really loooooong post, just putting that out there.
So this stray I have, with a collar and tags mind you, though the tags lead to a disconnected number ( I should get a better look though..),is,no doubt, sick..
1. ) As all strays should be, he is skinny and lanky, and dirty.
2. ) His eye at first was completely swollen and red, then got discharge ( yellow and red ) as it became milky white, then reverted back to the being red and swollen, I think he still has discharge.
3. ) He probably has parasites, though I do not see any flea dirt, but I am betting he has both external and internal.
4 . ) He is limping a bit, could be that his paws have splinters, could be that he has arthritis, could be an abcess , idrk.
A good sign however, is that he eats and drinks ( as of late, I haven't witnessed him drinking, but have before seen him sipping for 2 minutes straight ) fine, though he leaves leftovers frequently, but comes to eat them later, but sometimes he doesn't. Yesterday he didn't eat my canned chicken I gave him, but Mom says he liked tuna, so.. Personal preference maybe?
My mom really has taken a liking to Buster and worries about him constantly, she said if she had enough money she would definitely keep him, she thinks his treatment plus shots and a possible neuter costs about 1000-2000$ , though I think that is a little over the top. So I am looking for a clinic in NY that has cheap prices and treats strays, and offers a euthanization and maybe a cremation service, since my mom thinks he has a cancer of some sort.. She is a nurse.. But I'm keeping my hopes up..
So, when I find a vet, how do you suppose we bring him? We already have a trap, that has been sitting through the rain, snow and sun. I don't know if we should have disinfected it or something before putting it out ( that attempt ended us up with a feral who we didn't know of ), but it's been there, closed, and probably getting rusty for months. Do we not give him food? For how long? Some people said one day, others said three. And after we trap him, do we just put him in the trunk and drive to the vet? Will the vet take him out? So many questions....
Lastly, my mom thinks he is old and incontinent , sometimes he has peed in my cardboard shelters, at least I think it was him, and peed and pooed under the deck, but does that make him incontinent? Can he be litter trained? How easily?
We also have a dog, small one, and two kittens, but through proper introductions they should be ok..



That seemed really rushed and jumbled, so .. Recap!
Questions-
1.) Looking for a vet that treats strays at a low cost in NY, preferably not in the city, the long trip will agitate him, maybe even kill him? I live in Staten Island.
2.) With all those conditions, how high are his chances? From 1 to 10..
3.) How do you trap a stray? Does the trap have to be disinfected?
4. ) Can a stray be litter trained? How easy is it?
5.) Buster seems okay with my dog, who barks at him, but sometimes quietly watches him for hours, and I don't think kittens are that hard to introduce to a grown cat, but can you give me a few tips?
6. ) Does he need to be washed?



I really want to help him by this summer! Hopefully Mom will hear out the youngest in the family...

How wild is he? Does he really need to be trapped, or can you handle him at all? If you do use the trap, yes, wash and bleach it first. . .not only for the disinfection, but because some cats won't go in if it smells like another cat. Then bait it with whatever he likes best. It's helpful if he's a bit hungry, but some cats will go in just to get a treat.

Are you looking to make a pet of him, or just TNR? Some vets will give discounts for people who take in strays, but the low-cost clinics are mostly for TNRing ferals and they don't do a lot of other stuff. Almost all have euthanization services. Just grab the phone book and start calling vets, rescue groups, and shelters. Ask about local services and describe his condition. I can usually "civilize" a stray (spay/neuter, shots, testing, deparasitizing, sometimes antibiotics, etc.) for less than $300, using a regular vet. But I don't know what the prices are like in your area.

He must have been someone's pet if he wears a collar. Look harder for his owners. . .Google their name to see if you can find them. . .they may be frantic over him and would love to have him back. He probably knows how to use a litterbox, but he may have been put outside for bad potty manners, so it's hard to say what the chances of him using a litterbox are. What makes her think he's incontinent? Of course he's going to go under the deck--where else can an outside cat go?

He doesn't sound especially ill, probably an infection and parasites. But it mostly depends on whether he tests positive for Feline Leukemia. If he has that, there's not a lot you can do . But if he tests negative, his chances sound pretty good, from what you've said.

When transporting, don't put him in the trunk, it's not a good place for a live animal--and in some places it's illegal, hate for you to get in trouble. Put a plastic tarp or shower curtain down in the backseat, cover with newspaper, and that should prevent any issues. The vet will deal with the trap or take him out of the carrier.

As for a bath, well, that depends how tame he is . He should clean himself up once he's healthy, well fed, and kept in a clean environment.

He isn't wild, but a bit skittish, yesterday I tried touching him, and he flinched, but that's probably because I haven't petted him since mom banned me, because she thinks I'll get bitten, but I digress.
Even if he does tolerate petting, I reaaaally doubt he will let me hold him.
..will spraying it with Lysol count as disinfecting it? Lol XD.....
And I am realllly happy that his chances are high, but isn't a symptom of leukemia not eating? So... Hopeful
And, I may need to propose another question... My mom is really snippy when it comes to the topic of Buster, and when I state something about him she usually cuts me off and walks off.... I know money is an issue, but she won't listen to me at all. All her coworkers are saying to leave him alone, and she believes them. Since she's giving all the money, I don't even know if I can get her to help him.
Sorry to sound selfish there.

The smell of Lysol will almost certainly keep him away from the trap, and Lysol is toxic to cats anyway. Bleach dissipates quickly so is much safer (once it's dry). Since he's tame, you could probably bring a carrier close to him, start petting him, then quickly stuff him in the carrier. But if the trap is easier for you, go ahead with using it instead.

Definitely try Googling his family. . .wouldn't it be great to reunite someone with their long-lost kitty? He should also be scanned for a microchip, no matter where you take him. Most people who put a collar and tags on their cats really care about them.

If you aren't the one paying for everything, if you're a dependent kid in your parents' home, then you are limited in what you can do. But call around to vets, get a few price quotes, if you can show her that it won't cost a couple grand maybe she'd be more willing to pay for his care. If she won't step up and take responsiblity for him, definitely find a way to get him to a shelter or rescue. They can scan him for a microchip, maybe find his owners, and if not, they can fix him up and find him a new home or, if he's too sick, put him to sleep. It's better than the poor guy suffering in your yard with no vet care. Feral cats deal very well with living in the wild, but lost housecats rarely do well at all .

Wow, thank you for responding so quickly..
I'm not sure if I can go around secretly calling vets and asking for prices, and even more they'd actually listen to a 12 year old... But if I'm desperate..
Long ago we tried googling up his family, and we came to the conclusion they were from Florida ( if you know a Deerfield near NY please tell ) and they either lost him during the move, or they ditched him with his address that no longer belongs to them. But that was only from a glimpse of his tags, I don't even know if I got the right phone number or address, since I can't touch him and he won't stay still, but that will probably be sorted out at the vet.
Even if I told her it is cheap, she thinks i'm lying and won't listen or acknowledge any recommendation I give, plus, I think she'll kill me for randomly calling vets and asking for prices, maybe I'm looking for a situation where she'll be in a good mood and sympathetic, maybe pay day.
At one point we were going to bring him to the pound, but a vet said there is no way they would not kill him, so, never a shelter. No kill ones won't take him either.
We are really running out of options, I'm seriously thinking for getting a job or going on strike or something to earn money.

Also, her coworkers are constantly dissuading her to do something for Buster, they told him to just feed him until he dies off..

Even if the shelter kills him, it's more humane than letting him "die off" in your yard. Some shelters will send someone to pick him up. He REALLY needs to be scanned for a microchip, at least. Otherwise you might be keeping somebody's properly identified cat without permission. . .they could probably get after you (well, the adults in the home) for that. Maybe that idea will get her to do something.

But if your mother is unreasonable and doesn't listen to you, I'm sorry to hear that . It's rough being 12 even when your parents are reasonable and listen. If you can get a job and she'd allow to to use your money for him, that would be great!

That's what I told her, but she won't listen, I told her its better to euthanize him than let him suffer, then she goes silent..

If possible, can you tell me your experience with strays if you had one at all?

For now, i'm trying to persuade her to do something for him AT ALL. Maybe she'll get convinced if I tell her it will only take 300$, but I don't know where you live, so, ...my mind just went blank.

-insert frustrated cursingkljnrgkjdfjgnkjfgnhnfghkmndmfjngkjdngkjdnfgkjgnfkjnhgaaaaaaaaahbhjbhhbdfhbhdebgdhfbgknjlngklmjhkmd.sghj,df;slgkfi-

I guess I don't know what you're wanting when it comes to "experience with strays", you'll need to ask for specifics. I take in strays; it's what I do. A cat shows up, I take him/her to the vet for fixing up, and then I find a home for the kitty or keep him/her. So nearly all of my cats were strays, and honestly I don't see any difference between adopting a cat or kitten from a person or shelter and taking in a stray. it's all the same to me.

Oh, and I live in a teeny tiny town in an extremely sparsely populated farm state with a low cost of living. So prices here are bound to be lower than in New York. But I really think it wouldn't cost a thousand or more dollars. Otherwise nobody could ever afford to take in a stray.

That is a good point there.... I guess I'm asking how things go from start to finish, like the aftermath of things, because I am totally and utterly confused. Did you disinfect your backseat or where ever you kept your stray in your car ( germophobic, sorry )? Did you keep them at first in your bathroom or just let them roam? Right now I am writing a note to mom with a list of cheap clinics in my area, I don't know if it will work though.
The weird thing is though, that some vets we called up won't take him. One didn't want to spread anything to other clients, another thought he was too old for anesthetic during surgery and he will never wake up. Can you just walk in with a carrier containing a stray cat or get an appointment? And even if you don't live where I do, what do you think would be the least and the most cost of his treatment? An estimation is fine.


I am really grateful you're giving me advice. Thank you.

I don't know what you (or whoever) told the vet. . .I've never had a vet refuse to treat a stray. If vets won't treat a sick animal, who will? I wouldn't support a vet who wouldn't treat a sick animal! Some vets don't want to treat strays because they might think you want them to treat the cat for free, or want a discount. If it's made clear that they aren't expected to provide free service, maybe they'll be more willing. Contact rescues in the area amd ask who they use. I just call my vet and make an appointment like I would for any of my pets.

He's probably already neutered. I can't imagine someone caring enough to put a collar and tags on their cats but not caring enough to have him fixed. It's usually very easy to tell if a male is neutered. . .look under his tail, directly under the anal opening. Are there testicles? They're hard to miss, LOL. If not, he must be fixed. Also, are his head and neck big and muscular? Unneutered males look like football players. . .all that testosterone. Neutered males look "normal". But even if he's not already neutered, of course you'd get him healthier before you had it done. . .I don't know why a vet would get all worked up over that.

This is what I have done when a stray shows up: First thing, I have him or her tested for Feline Leukemia and FIV (it's a combo test). If the cat tests positive for FeLV, it's probably best to have him/her put to sleep, unless you're prepared to give special care and keep the FeLV+ kitty separate from your other cats. And especially if the cat is already sick, as FeLV+ cats have a very hard time recovering from illnesses. I have never had it happen, but if a cat did test positive, I would run another test because sometimes those things malfunction and show a false positive. If both tests popped positive, I would believe it, but if there were mixed results, more testing would be needed. If the cat tested positive for FIV, I don't think they should be put down, as it's only transmitted by deep bites and FIV+ cats can live fairly normal lives.

But if the cat tests negative, you can go on with other care, like antibiotics and de-wormers and flea meds. I don't give shots if the cat gets antibiotics, because my vet says that antibiotics interfere with the vaccines' efficacy. So if the cat needs treatment, we wait until that treatment is over before giving shots. I don't give the FeLV vaccine, just FVCRP and rabies. Then at that appointment, I make the appointment to have him/her spayed or neutered in a couple weeks (to let the shots take effect). I keep the strays in my spare bathroom until everything is done (unless very friendly, then they can be with the other kitties once they test clean). Then an FVCRP booster is given when they go in for the surgery, if the vet thinks they need one (he usually doesn't).

For me the cost is: spay-$95, neuter-$75, FeLV/FIV test-$40, FVCRP/rabies vaccines-$35 ($20 for FVCRP booster if needed), dewormers-less than $10, flea meds-I already have at home but if I bought it at the vets maybe $20?, cost of any treatment-depends on what's wrong. So for the routine stuff, it's about $220 for a female, $200 for a male. And I've never had one that needed very expensive treatment. Remember that if the vet pushes for a certain treatment (or euthanasia), you CAN refuse it, ask for something else, just leave without treatment, etc. They can't make you do anything.

I know that things are more expensive in NY, but I can't imagine it's more than double? So $400, maybe? And that's for a full-price vet; if you find one willing to give a discount it should be less.

Oh--no, I don't disinfect the car after transport. I put the shower curtain and newspaper down so that my car won't smell like cat pee :tongue2:. I suppose that if the cat had something terribly contagious like panleukopenia (also called feline distemper), I would, but since the cat has been around your house for so long anyway, I don't see what's so different about having him in the car.

Oh, and there IS a Deerfield, New York, since you said something about that before: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deerfield,_New_York

He looks pretty skinny, not at all muscualar , but my mom said he has testicles, I've seen his bum, but they look.. deflated ( unless theyre supposed to look like that.... You can tell my gender, right? ) And yellowish.. . ( I could post a picture of him, so you could see if he looks muscular or not, but idk how to post on an iPad )
Oh, and I don't really have a spare bathroom.. There's the master bathroom and the downstairs one, both of which get used everyday, we could put him in the basement bathroom, but that place is damp and stinks to high heaven, not to mention like, 5 feet wide and long.
400$..:nod:

If you can get a picture of his back end, that would be most helpful :lol3:. The testicles are usually pretty prominent on a skinny cat, so if they look "deflated" probably he's neutered. Hopefully anyway! That would eliminate a big expense.

The prices I gave were for just the routine stuff, for an illness it depends what's wrong. If it's just an eye infection, he should only need a round of antibiotics and some eye ointment. Remember than some vets are just ridiculouly overpriced, so call around to a lot of different vets.

But what about his limp? It is sorta subtle, but he is.
By the way, would a stinky hospital and some bad reviews deter you from going to an otherwise positively reviewed ( the majority anyway ) hospital with "prices to die for? " , I'm in that situation .. This hospital looks promising.
I would post a picture but I don't know how to do it on an iPad T.T

Sorry, I know how to post pics from an Android phone but I don't know how iPads work!

I suppose any vet may have some bad reviews. I guess you'd have to decide whether the bad reviews are bad enough to not go there.

His limp could be anything. He may have pulled a muscle, or have been hit by a car a long time ago, or got a thorn in his toes. . .who knows? Just have the vet take a look/feel.

Well, we do have a wooden deck, so I suppose.. And we have got splinters there on multiple occasions, in fact, I think he started to limp when he hung out at our backyard more, IT ALL MAKES SENSE.
I convinced my mom a lot when I showed her the sentence of you saying his chances are high, then she saw what I said, and got offended ( I didn't mean it! ).. So at this point I don't know where she stands.
It's about one here, so, good night.

It's morning, and Buster hasn't come for breakfast, and is nowhere to be found, not even under the deck, where he usually is, oh god..