New kits and kats on the block

whatever

"Lucky"
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 8, 2013
Messages
131
Purraise
33
Location
MA
Hi!  I'm "whatever" and the mom of Mia my 10 yo feral type kitty and Princess my 10 wk old death row rescued baby.  Very happy to have found this site and hope to hang out here for many moons! 
 

mservant

The Mouse servant
Veteran
Joined
Jul 8, 2013
Messages
18,064
Purraise
3,451
Location
The Mouse Pad, UK
Hello and welcome. 
  Loving your name.
  I'm very happy you have found this site too and look forward to hearing more about Mia and Princess.  So glad that you have given a home to your two kitties, and especially that you are tending to Princess and bringing her back to health.

If you would like to tell everyone more about their stories there is a section called Cat Pages where you / they can tell us all about their individual lives, loves, how they found you, and what they get up to. And of course post photographs. We love photos of our feline families on TCS in case you hadn't noticed. There's even a competition running just now for people creating new cat pages, and a link to it at the top of the home page.

Looking forward to learning more about your cats and reading your posts.

M
 

betsygee

Just what part of meow don't you understand.
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
Mar 17, 2013
Messages
28,326
Purraise
17,461
Location
Central Coast CA, USA
Welcome!  Looking forward to hearing more about your rescued babies.  
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #4

whatever

"Lucky"
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 8, 2013
Messages
131
Purraise
33
Location
MA
Thanks Betsygee for the nice welcome.........
 

margecat

Mentor
Staff Member
Mentor
Joined
Oct 11, 2006
Messages
5,208
Purraise
2,555
Welcome aboard, and I, too, like your username!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #6

whatever

"Lucky"
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 8, 2013
Messages
131
Purraise
33
Location
MA
Thanks for the welcome!  My name, when I joined and tried several different names for me, it kept saying "already taken" so I finally said okay then, whatever!  :)
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #9

whatever

"Lucky"
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 8, 2013
Messages
131
Purraise
33
Location
MA
Thank you, DeeJay!   Mia is 10.5 years old.  Got her when she was 6 weeks.  A neighbor took in a feral pregnant cat and when the kittens came had to find a home so I took one.  She is so frightened, hides and attacks everyone that comes near really bad and if not careful, suddenly will turn on me too.   But really, when it thunders or anything scary happens she comes and hides behind my chair.

Well she is very, very sick right now.   Have had the little one two weeks now and Mia picked up the herpes virus real bad.   I was practically in tears today as she stayed under my bed without moving for like 12 hours.  She finally came out tonight and I got her to spend a few hours on my lap sleeping, saw her eat, drink and use the litter and gave her a dose of the Lysine too.   Oh I pray in a few days she starts heading in the other direction.   She even let me wash her face with a cool cloth.   A bit long here but thanks for the welcome.........
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #10

whatever

"Lucky"
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 8, 2013
Messages
131
Purraise
33
Location
MA
Oh laugh my butt off!  I just realized DeeJay is one of your babes!    Sorry...LOL!
 

mservant

The Mouse servant
Veteran
Joined
Jul 8, 2013
Messages
18,064
Purraise
3,451
Location
The Mouse Pad, UK
Sorry to hear Mia has been affected with the FHV too, I hope she gets on top of it quickly, that both of them do.  Mouse has it too but has been lucky not to have had a really bad episode since he was about a year old - he's been mostly affected in his mouth rather than eyes or respiritory so far.  Good to see you have already posted and got contact with members who have loads of experience managing herpes virus so fingers crossed for you and your kitties.  
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #12

whatever

"Lucky"
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 8, 2013
Messages
131
Purraise
33
Location
MA
Thank you so much for caring.  I have just never dealt with this virus thing before.  I pray she will be okay.  I take my pets right across the road to a prominent veterinary school.  The price is ridiculously cheap and is a place only low income and seniors can go.   Only down side is when there is school vacation/holidays, they are a tech school so they are closed too.  I was going to take her today if I could but they are closed now till after the first of 2014.  I am hoping Mia will pull out of this okay... :(
 

mservant

The Mouse servant
Veteran
Joined
Jul 8, 2013
Messages
18,064
Purraise
3,451
Location
The Mouse Pad, UK
Fingers crossed.  You are keeping a close eye on her and giving her the L Lysine so she is in a good place.  I posted the dose that Mouse is on the the L Lysine gel I get from my vet surgery as thought that might help: I put it on your other thread. StephanieTx is great at this sort of stuff and has a lot of experience with cats really sick with herpes so you will get good advice there, I have certainly learned loads from her.  Is it mostly upper respiritory problems that Mia and Princess are having?  

The other thing with the FHV is it often affects their sense of smell which is what attracts cats to food and it doesn't help in terms of getting them to eat.  Smelly food might help a bit, though apreciate you are having to assist Mia at the moment to keep her going and hopefully avoid any liver problems developing.  For the L Lysine this is important too as the L Lysine is a protein and puts more strain on the liver and kidneys when it is metabolised - you want to keep her nourished.  Mouse will sometimes eat bits of sardines in water, and another tip from someone was pilchards in tomato sauce of all things - just make sure there's no garlic or onion in the tomato sauce as they are toxic for cats.

Thinking of you all and hope we start to hear nice posts about both Mia and Princess getting well, and Princess settling in to her home very soon.  
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #14

whatever

"Lucky"
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 8, 2013
Messages
131
Purraise
33
Location
MA
Oh thanks so much, Mservant. Princess is doing pretty good now.  Just a messy nose and sneezing which was just days ago high temps, mouth breathing, lethargy too.   Now she is running around getting into mischief.   It's Mia's turn to be worst now.  She is eating minimally but is eating.  Tomorrow I have to make a new batch of food for my dog which includes fresh fish and Mia loves that tilapia while I'm cutting it up raw so she will maybe enjoy some of that.  I do feel so guilty Mia being sick but it was just so hard to separate them and I didn't realize how bad this could be from the little one.  :(

When I pick Mia up to coax her to drink water as she only will drink from the bathroom sink, I actually have to put alight jacket or long sleeved shirt on in case she decides to turn and bite my arm so that is how I do that. But she is so weak right now she can barely growl.    Hoping in a few hours this evening when things are settled she will come out so we can help her.
 

mservant

The Mouse servant
Veteran
Joined
Jul 8, 2013
Messages
18,064
Purraise
3,451
Location
The Mouse Pad, UK
If Mia doesn't hate the syringe too much because of feeding or any meds you might get her to drink from one.  Mouse likes running water and I regularly give him drinks by filling a syringe with water from a cup while he's watching, holding the syringe of water just in front of his face and dripping the water slowly from the end. Mouse will lick the drops from the end of the syringe quite happily, even when he's stressed like after a car journey.  It is always his choice to lick and catch them or not.  At home I will usually do this up on my kitchen work top as he gets other treats up there like his tooth paste, and he can watch me fill the cup and the syringe and it all holdsgets his interest.  Might be you could do it from the bathroom tap she drinks from with her watching and have her sitting somewhere more comfortable.  

If you can't get to a vet and she is very congested right now but not hot and feverish she might feel a bit better in a hot steamy bathroom for a bit to ease her breathing.  Assuming no emergency cover from what you said in your other thread.
 
Last edited:
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #16

whatever

"Lucky"
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 8, 2013
Messages
131
Purraise
33
Location
MA
Well Mservant, Mia does fairly well with a syringe because that is how I have been giving her Cosequin every other day for her arthritis so she knows what a syringe is.  She loves drinking from the bathroom sink always.   I always leaving it on a fast cold drip for her.   I have her syringe of lysine mixed and waiting for when she comes out a bit later.   What I was wondering is if it's okay to continue her Cosequin every other day for her arthritis while she is on the Lysine.   I think it is but not sure.   She has an appointment on 1/21 at the vet for a complete senior blood screen and a booster FVP shot which she has not had in many years.   See, I never take her to a vet unless she really needs to go because it is so stressful on her being feral type.    Hopefully in 3 weeks she will be doing  better in time for her vet appt.    Also, the new baby Princess is playful and an imp and this is stressful for Mia.   It is just hard right now and requires much work, time and patience on my part.
 

mservant

The Mouse servant
Veteran
Joined
Jul 8, 2013
Messages
18,064
Purraise
3,451
Location
The Mouse Pad, UK
For advice on any compatibility or interactions between medicines / supplements or diet additives like L Lysine and Cosequin it is always best to talk with your vet, although a pharmacist may also be able to advise (does not have the background health history for your cat though).  It is less likely to be a problem I suspect than many medications however it can still depend how the body processes them so you are very sensible to check. If your vet surgery is open I would expect to be able to phone them up for this type of advice rather than wait for an appointment.  

Totally get the minimizing vet visits as one of my previous cats was vet phobic and had to be critically ill before I took her along - my vets even got clearance from my pet insurers for her not have vaccinations or regular vet checks it was so bad and my vets treat strays and ferals.  It makes it doubly hard taking care of these cats when they are unwell as you have to make a judgment call every time on whether it is starting to become life threatening or not. If Mia does look or sound like she has a secondary infection I agree with stephanietx that she needs antibiotics as well as the L Lysine and really would need to see a vet sooner rather than later.  I hope you see her picking up quickly like Princess seems to have done. 
  She will need some energy to fend off Princess's attempts at play!  Can you keep them separate some of the time to give Mia the peace and quiet she needs just now?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #18

whatever

"Lucky"
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 8, 2013
Messages
131
Purraise
33
Location
MA
First off, thanks for keeping in touch with this dilemma.  Last night I stayed up with Mia until 2am.  Then was up at 5:30 so have been keeping a close watch.  I kept her out in the main living area and closed my bedroom door keeping Princess in my bedroom.   My dog and I share the head of the bed and of course Princess took the poor dog's spot over!   That is after tipping completely upside down a house plant!  I kept Princess with a little box, water and food in my bedroom all morning giving Mia a rest from her.  Once I let Mia into my bedroom, she goes under my bed and stays for like 12 hours at a time which I feel is not good and this is since Princess arrived here.  Poor Princess tried to sneak up beside Mia and fall asleep with Mia awhile ago as they are both out in the main area now.  Soon as Princess fell asleep, Mia easily moved away.   In awhile I think I may move Princess back into my bedroom with her supplies again.   They are both getting the Lysine twice daily, Mia 250 twice and Princess 125 twice.  I love them both but what a work out!  Princess already purrs like heck when she jumps up on me so knows I'm the mommy that feeds and loves her.....

My vet is closed till after the 1st of Jan. as it is a tech vet school.  I was going to take Mia this morning with the help of my daughter to a vet but then decided to wait as Mia is although looking nasty in her clear running eyes and nose and just very sick, but moving about somewhat and going for tiny bits of food and plenty of water.  She does have an appt scheduled in three weeks so we'll see.  But bottom line, I do like her out where I can see her and reach out to her rather than allowing her to go hide under the bed all day.   Wow, I never realized this viral thing could be so bad.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #19

whatever

"Lucky"
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 8, 2013
Messages
131
Purraise
33
Location
MA
I checked on line as to whether cats can be on Cosequin and take the Lysine with that but there is no info it seems on that subject............
 

mservant

The Mouse servant
Veteran
Joined
Jul 8, 2013
Messages
18,064
Purraise
3,451
Location
The Mouse Pad, UK
You could try asking a pharmacist as it is mostly about how they are metabolized I suspect, and they should know this, and quite possibly even better than your vet would.  If Mia's eyes were sticky and cloudy, yellow or green coloured discharge, or similarly with her nose it would be more worrying to me as that would indicate secondary infections.  Keep a close eye on her. From what you say I'm not sure if she would let you but it is also worth checking her mouth if you can to see if there is any bright redness to her gums or throat, or any signs of sore bits on her tongue.  Occasionally the virus can cause ulcers and sores in their mouth which is how it affected Mouse to start with.  It is more unusual but can be another reason for a cat not wanting to eat: Mouse had sores in his mouth, his gums were all sore and bleeding around his teeth, he had an infected lesion on his tongue, and his tonsils were very sore and infected by the time I knew anything about it.   Since he was 1 1/2 his mouth has been OK but he periodically gets runny eyes. Now the vets have diagnosed the FHV they don't give him antibiotics unless he has a secondary infection.

The biggest advantage in getting Mia to a vet quickly is if this is FHV and her first infection -  many vets will use anti-viral medications to treat FHV, as they do with human herpes variants.  They are expensive but effective particularly for early treatment and first episodes.  It is much stronger medication for the cat's system to cope with though and I did have some mixed feelings when Mouse was given them.  As an indicator of the cost, just over a year ago it cost me about £140 for 2 weeks anti-viral medication for  Mouse (versus £10 for a couple of months supply of L Lysine gel). 
 
Top