Lazy, Sick, or just Un-Cat-Like?

6 months ago I adopted/rescued a little barn kitty who had to have 14 of her teeth removed. We think she was feral before she became a barn cat. Now she's very content living in the lap of luxury with litterboxes, canned tuna, and crocheted blankets galore. 

However, she has very little muscle and fat. She's naturally a small cat (a little under 2 feet long rump excluding tail to nose tip, and under a foot tall), very slight and very boney. I've been working with my horses my entire life, and if she were a horse, I'd say what she needed is muscular conditioning. She eats well, she poops well, and she's very happy flopping down on couches, laptops, and pillows. 

Gracie has no desire or instinct to hunt and catch and play with toys OR scratch on anything. 

Is she lazy? Sick? or just wanting to be a lazy floppy kitty after 6 years of being feral?

She sounds like a very content kitty and is maybe still acclimatizing to being a 'house' cat and just wanting to soak up all the luxury though sounds like she could use some weight and muscle behind her. We shouldn't be able to feel their bones so easily she sounds like an adorable kitty though and thank you for taking in such a lucky lady

HI

I am attaching a link (2 actually) to a BCS (Body Condition Score) charts that can help you determine if her weight is healthy.  It sounds like she's fine and a very happy cat.  More important than weight are trends.  So if a cat is losing weight that indicates a problem, and many illnesses can be caught early by regularly weighing and recording your cat's weight.  Other than observing a cat's behavior, weight observation is a great diagnostic tool for the novice. 

This link has a sliding scale you can drag to find your cat's BCS

http://www.hillspet.com/weight-management/pet-weight-score.html

And a good chart

http://www.morgantownamc.com/site/view/83219_CatBCS.pml

Inexpensive scale:


Stephen

Tuna should not be fed to a cat maybe a spoonfull now and then for a treat..

It is quite common for a feral cat to not play.

In time they can be teased a bit since cats all seem to have that built-in curiosity as well as that 'hunt' instinct, and with ferals that is often the most play you might ever really see in her.

It may be another year or so but eventually she will be her best self, one that loses the fear and survival mode that ferals live by, day after day. Always on high alert.

I LOVE that you took her in.

As for the teeth, she likely has stomatitis, so be sure to examine her teeth and mouth regularly, watching for swelling/redness, irritation, sores/ulcers as well as her appetite going down, eating only enough to survive.

I have a feral that lives in my cat room permanently due to her skin and bone weight, I trapped her and had all her teeth removed, which meant I didn't feel comfortable putting her back outdoors, so she is safe here and fed well, fat and happy.

I can also pet her now

Unfortunately, the cat that this thread is about (Gracie) passed away very suddenly sometime Wednesday night. Wednesday at bed time she cuddled with me during homework, ate a full dinner, pooped in the litterbox and laid in my arms as I fell asleep. And then Thursday morning I found her dead on the couch

I'm taking solace in that fact that Gracie died knowing she was loved, safe, and happy. She had a warm apartment with two moms who loved her so incredibly much. She died a happy house cat instead of a feral barn cat fighting for survival. 

I am so very sorry for your loss.

Oooohhh....SO very sorry hun.....

Your very last statement speaks volumes, couldn't be truer.

Still, I'm sure the loss will be felt for some time in your heart and your home.

She was loved, wanted, had a sense of belonging, a name, food, warmth, everything a kitty could ever ask for.

Still awfully sad, I know.

Take care.

Am so sorry for your sudden loss, its so hard when these things happen. Thankyou for giving your kitty all the love it could've ever wanted, you're fab.

Big hugs to you.

I am so sorry. I'm glad she had peace and love up to the very end though.

I am so sorry to my thoughts are with you at least she knew she was happy safe and loved and that she wasn't going to have to fight to survive any harshness. Thank you for giving such a special kitty a good final home she truely deserved