I need some advice please....

Hi...

I am worried and don't know who to ask...

My kitty (approximately 5 years old) was missing for several days (5 or 6) and I assumed she had been eaten by coyotes since they are prevalent around my house.  Then on Monday she just showed back up on the porch.  She was brought into the house were she hunkered down and cried continuously for several minutes.  I checked her out thoroughly and found no marks, cuts or other issues.  When I palpated various parts of her body she didn't seem to mind and was in no acute distress...basically I couldn't find any signs of physical injury or distress.  She had obviously lost weight (she was a chunky little gal) and I could readily feel her hips and spine...which was new.  I kind of figured that maybe she had been treed by a coyote and was traumatized by the experience so I decided to watch her for a bit and see how things went.

The first two days she spent hiding in my closet snuggled up in a couple of large beach towels.  I would bring her out and she was content to sit on my lap and purr...but just didn't seem right.  My daughter just arrived home for the weekend and we both agree that something is off with her.  She isn't sleeping with her head upright like before but rather with her head to one side and resting on the floor (this is new).  I don't think she is eating or drinking.  She was pulling at the regular water dish so we put water into something lower in case she had trouble reaching.  When we did that she did drink some water.  Then I cooked up a little ground beef we were able to entice her to eat the tiniest bit.  again, this is so unlike her.  Other than those things I don't see any actual signs of illness...she just isn't acting right.  My daughter even asked "Are you sure this is Cleo???"

Money is a serious issue for me right now.  I can't afford expensive tests especially if this will pass.

Any advice you could give would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your time....

L

Your kitty needs a vet, and right away. Cats who lose weight suddenly, especially cats who are overweight to begin with, get fatty liver disease. (feline hepatic lipidosis)

This is reversible if the cat gets treatment in time. Please, get her to the vet immediately, your kitty is extremely ill.

All paws crossed for her.

your cat could be violenlty ill take to a vet ASAP

*sigh* I was afraid you would say that.  New info...what little we did get her to eat has come back up right away.

Thank you for your advice.  I will see if I can get in somewhere tomorrow.

Truly, I would not wait until tomorrow. I recommend you call your vet and find out who is on call, or go to the ER vet, whichever you have where you live, and get her seen right away. This really is an emergency. A cat cannot go more than 3 days without food before the organs begin to shut down.

I do hope she'll make it.

I emailed my vet everything I told you here and have received a reply...and he gave me some advice.  He said to spoon feed her tiny bits then stop and see if that would stay down any better...and if that didn't work then to use chicken broth.  I work graveyard and could not get time off work so my daughter took over nursing duties.  She gave Cleo only about a teaspoon of food but every hour and would sit her in front of fresh water.  That worked much better and she has kept everything down all night.  I just got home and Cleo seems better...she is competing for room on my lap with my laptop right now...and purring.  

I still think something is wrong but feel much better now that she is keeping some food down.

Thank you again for your support and encouragement...

I'm glad she is keeping food down now, thanks for the update The problem is, if she has liver damage, she needs medical treatment. Not just food, but she will need medicines. The only way to know, until other symptoms show up, is to get blood work. The sooner treatment is started, the better her chances.

I hope this is not the case for your Cleo, but...she went an awfully long time without food, and as you said, lost a lot of weight in a very short time.

Here is some info on this disease

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+2135&aid=217

http://www.cat-health-guide.org/feline-fatty-liver.html

http://www.vet.cornell.edu/FHC/healthinfo/HepaticLipidosis.cfm

I've got all paws crossed for her.

I am sorry this is a delayed response but I just couldn't come back before now.  Sadly you were right on the nose.  Cleo was in severe liver and kidney failure and had lost over 6 pounds in the past two weeks.  The vet said he would try extraordinary measures if I wanted but he didn't think they would work and recommended I put her to sleep.  I love my pets...but I hate this part of it...the "doing the best thing" part is a bitch.

This broke my daughter's heart.  We grieved when we thought we lost Cleo the first time then were SO relieved when she came back home.  To add insult to injury, her dog (at her dad's house) died just last month.  

I couldn't get back here because I just couldn't stop crying.  Thank you all for your advice and support.  

So, sorry for your loss.  

Oh no I'm so sorry for your loss of your beloved Cleo. And for the loss of your daughter's dog too. What a lot for a little girl to cope with. I'm so sorry.

I am so sorry for your loss. I will lock this thread now and maybe you will feel able to write a tribute to Cleo in the 'Crossing the Bridge' forum.