Hi everyone. I just discovered this site, so forgive me if this topic (or something similar) has already been discussed.
A little background on my problem: About two months ago this cat showed up in my neighborhood and my mother and I decided to care for it since we are cat lovers. We didn't try to bring it inside the house because we already have a cat, who is very territorial. This stray cat, who I named Hissy (because it likes to hiss/cry until it gets food) keeps pooping a light to muddy brown or gray stool all over our porch and flowerbed, no matter what we feed it. We've given it canned (usually Fancy Feast or Great Choice or Friskies) and dry (Meow Mix or Science Diet). We gave her some deworming medicine my mother found at Petsmart, thinking that was the problem, but it didn't help at all. When we first found her, Hissy was very lethargic and ran away any time we opened the door. Now, she hops up on the windowsill outside of my kitchen, and while still pretty distant, has come to recognize my appearance and my car when I drive home.
We thought maybe something worse could be wrong with Hissy than just typical diarrhea. I've read a lot of stuff about taking a stool sample and giving it to the vet, or having the vet run a blood test. We tried calling the vet asking what could be wrong, but she insisted we bring the cat in for a check-up. We can't do that for a couple of reasons. First, we don't have the money to pay for another cat's vet bills. Second, we're afraid that if we capture her, take her to the vet, and let her go again, she'll run off and refuse to trust us. And third...
About three weeks ago Hissy showed up at our door with a kitten, and then two, and now there's five. We want to catch them, but they run off at the sight of us and we don't have traps. Even if we did, all the shelters/fosters like the Humane Society are full and won't take cats if they think they are feral, since they don't have a chance for adoption (another topic for another thread). We though maybe Hissy was having diarrhea so much because she was malnourished and stressed from her pregnancy. The kittens are close to being weaned, so we thought that would improve her health. We've been feeding all of them more food more frequently, but every time we feed Hissy, she just poops it back out later, in a mushy, runny stool that smells terrible. She acts like she is starving, no matter what we feed her or how many times. And, while her stool is becoming less gray and more light brown/tan, it's a lot more frequent than when she first started showing up.
Is it because of what we are feeding her? Or is it something more? I want to try to help her without taking her to the vet. I've heard medazoline helps with indigestion and other problems, but I don't think I can get it without a prescription, which my vet won't give me without bringing the cat to her. I don't think this cat is feral. She is easily scared and very protective of her babies. She even caught a rabbit for them one night and dropped it in my yard for them to eat when I stopped feeding them canned food. My theory is someone knew she was sickly and pregnant, and dropped her in my neighborhood because it is one of the nicer ones in town, believing someone would take care of her and her babies. I don't know what to do. I just hope that whatever she has doesn't transfer to her babies. So far they are all very healthy, even the runt of the litter. But she just won't get better, no matter what I do.
How can I make her well? (P.S. sorry for the novel, but I really need help.)
A little background on my problem: About two months ago this cat showed up in my neighborhood and my mother and I decided to care for it since we are cat lovers. We didn't try to bring it inside the house because we already have a cat, who is very territorial. This stray cat, who I named Hissy (because it likes to hiss/cry until it gets food) keeps pooping a light to muddy brown or gray stool all over our porch and flowerbed, no matter what we feed it. We've given it canned (usually Fancy Feast or Great Choice or Friskies) and dry (Meow Mix or Science Diet). We gave her some deworming medicine my mother found at Petsmart, thinking that was the problem, but it didn't help at all. When we first found her, Hissy was very lethargic and ran away any time we opened the door. Now, she hops up on the windowsill outside of my kitchen, and while still pretty distant, has come to recognize my appearance and my car when I drive home.
We thought maybe something worse could be wrong with Hissy than just typical diarrhea. I've read a lot of stuff about taking a stool sample and giving it to the vet, or having the vet run a blood test. We tried calling the vet asking what could be wrong, but she insisted we bring the cat in for a check-up. We can't do that for a couple of reasons. First, we don't have the money to pay for another cat's vet bills. Second, we're afraid that if we capture her, take her to the vet, and let her go again, she'll run off and refuse to trust us. And third...
About three weeks ago Hissy showed up at our door with a kitten, and then two, and now there's five. We want to catch them, but they run off at the sight of us and we don't have traps. Even if we did, all the shelters/fosters like the Humane Society are full and won't take cats if they think they are feral, since they don't have a chance for adoption (another topic for another thread). We though maybe Hissy was having diarrhea so much because she was malnourished and stressed from her pregnancy. The kittens are close to being weaned, so we thought that would improve her health. We've been feeding all of them more food more frequently, but every time we feed Hissy, she just poops it back out later, in a mushy, runny stool that smells terrible. She acts like she is starving, no matter what we feed her or how many times. And, while her stool is becoming less gray and more light brown/tan, it's a lot more frequent than when she first started showing up.
Is it because of what we are feeding her? Or is it something more? I want to try to help her without taking her to the vet. I've heard medazoline helps with indigestion and other problems, but I don't think I can get it without a prescription, which my vet won't give me without bringing the cat to her. I don't think this cat is feral. She is easily scared and very protective of her babies. She even caught a rabbit for them one night and dropped it in my yard for them to eat when I stopped feeding them canned food. My theory is someone knew she was sickly and pregnant, and dropped her in my neighborhood because it is one of the nicer ones in town, believing someone would take care of her and her babies. I don't know what to do. I just hope that whatever she has doesn't transfer to her babies. So far they are all very healthy, even the runt of the litter. But she just won't get better, no matter what I do.
How can I make her well? (P.S. sorry for the novel, but I really need help.)
