Feral Socialization - Need Some Fresh Imput and Advice

Yea for Dooder!!!  He has come so far and you are doing so much for him.  I be he will love it when you move him to the bedroom.  Keep us updated on his progress.  Male neuters are simple and recovery is very very quick. 

Here are a couple pictures of him today as promised. He's a very handsome guy without all those staples (and if you look past all the tear stains):



I'm a little worried about him today. He hasn't had much of an appetite for the past couple days although he has been drinking normally. Today he stopped eating and drinking entirely. I can tell that he is very nauseous (licking his lips a lot) and I'm sure he's having a hard time smelling things since he's pretty congested and sneezey.

This wouldn't be such a big deal if him eating wasn't the only way to get antibiotics in him. He hasn't had a full dose in days. I know the antibiotics themselves may be causing the nausea but he needs to be taking them for whatever is causing his congestion. Not sure if I should get a hold of the vet. Thoughts?

He is healing so nicely and looks so much better.  I would definitely call the vet.  If he is congested he may not be able to smell and cats need to smell to eat.  If he's not getting the antibiotic he won't get better.  The vet also may be able to get you some prescription canned food that cats really like. You want to inform them of this especially since he is to be neutered on Friday.

There is an antibiotic shot, Covenia, that lasts up to two weeks.  Talk to your vet about it, as there are side effects.  But that might be helpful to get him over the hump...

I use a pill gun to give meds to my indoor cats. You put the pill in the plastic plunger and shoot the pill straight down the cat's throat and the pill is swallowed before the cat realizes what's happened. You might also consider giving him fluids with a syringe.

Those both sound like good ideas Aimee. Hope you have been able to give the cats meds

He started eating again late Tuesday night. It just seems like he was having a bad bout of nausea which he got over.

As far as antibiotics go he's back to getting the zenequin on a regular schedule. The vet took him off of the clavamox to hopefully help with the nausea and keep him eating. He had been given a shot of antibiotic although I'm not sure if it was covenia or not. They said it was a week-long lasting one, so probably not. I have thought of using a pill gun, but all of his zenequin is made into pill pockets already and I reeeeeeally doubt he would stand for anything being put in his mouth at this point in time anyways.

I'm particularly unhappy with our vet at the moment. Dooder has finally let me pet the rest of his body and in doing so yesterday I found another abscess on his shoulder. It's not too big. Maybe the size of a cherry tomato. My issue is how on earth in the five vet visits he has had in the past month did no one notice this. He's been handled by two vets and two techs and either none of them noticed or none of them cared. I can almost understand because they've been focusing more on mending his face, but they gave him IV fluids literally an inch away from where this abscess is a couples weeks ago. I just can't believe they would not have felt it.

I did a saline soak on it this morning to remove all the gunk in his fur around it and hopefully get it to open up and drain. I managed to get the area around it nice and clean but didn't have any luck opening it up. It's definitely from a bite wound (so not something that happened recently) and the scab is more flush with the skin instead of on top so I wasn't able to pull it off for the life of me. Since I'm not very confident I'll be able to open it myself he's set up to go into the vet tomorrow to have it dealt with.

This has shed a lot of light on many of his random health problems. It explains the random fevers he gets, the persistent respitory problems, (probably) some of his nausea, and just why his healing process in other areas hasn't been as good as it should be (I know some of this is also caused by the FIV, but a long festering abscess doesn't help any at all). We've set the neuter back until Wednesday as a result.

On a very positive note, he is becoming such a nice loving kitty. He absolutely loves when my boyfriend and I come visit him and will meow for us when we aren't in there with him.  I've been doing saline soaks on what's left over of his facial wound and he loves that as well. He gets so excited when he's being pet, he'll roll around, show his belly and just exude happiness. He's started grabbing my hand to bring it back to him whenever I stop petting him. I must say it's not too comfortable since he uses his claws but it is cute. He's also started eating food that I give him from my hand, so it's been very easy to get his pill pockets into him in one go. He's even letting me get his eye drops in without a lot of fuss. All in all, I'm amazed how much progress he's made in getting used to humans in such a short period of time. Especially since it's been such slow going up until now. He's going to make a wonderful house cat : )))))

How awful the vet did not find the other abscess.  I truly hope it wasn't negligence and instead they were just focused on his face and did not think to examine all over.  You are correct that the FIV will make it more difficult to heal, but it also will not make him feel well at all.  Just keep an eye on it in case he needs to get back to the vet. 

What wonderful news that he likes to be pet and loved on.  I am so happy that he will become a house cat and have that forever love he deserves.

Hopefully the weekend goes smoothly and the neuter goes well too next week.

So glad to hear he is doing better.. And also so sorry to hear of all the problems too. Like you said you would think the vets would of caught the abscess. I would run my hand all over him lightly and feel for anything else on him. Some vets to me aren't worth the money you pay them. His pictures look so sad. He has gone threw so much. I still have a kitten in my bathroom and finally she  is letting me touch her, mostly when she isn't looking. But she is coming along. I just wish it was a little faster. That's why I'm so amazed yours is letting you touch him so much already. That's great. You never know what they are thinking, it could be thinking you helped it so much it is so grateful to you.

So glad Dooder is becoming a loving and happier cat, but yes a great shame the vet didn't catch the abscess, which likely would account for some of his other problems.  Amazing he likes the saline bathes, what a trooper.  He'll be a great companion for sure after all this, and you and your boyfriend are doing an amazing job.

If he becomes congested again, one thing my vet (who is great) recommended is ten minutes or so of steaming.  That would normally be easy in the bathroom by running a hot shower,  but that might be an issue with him living in there because of residual damp/cold condensation afterwards.  So you could try just a steamy kettle or shallow bowl held by him so he breathes the steam in without it steaming up the whole bathroom.  It really helped Ellie get over her URI and she liked the steam too, came and held her head out toward it!    As to the eye problem, which hopefully can be resolved too, my Mr. Patches has poor vision in one eye due to scarring from a bad infection and it doesn't seem to bother him at all, he's just a little cautious jumping sometimes.

Is there another vet in your area that you could take Dooder to - yours doesn't sound the best, although maybe they were just too focused on the major facial problems.  You might also ask for a complimentary claw clip, which my vet offers.  It would save you some claw marks and also reduce the impact of any scratching when the e-collar comes off.

Welp, it's been an interesting weekend to say the least.

I decided to take Dooder's collar off on Friday morning. The vet said last Monday that it would be okay to take it off whenever, so I figured it would be fine. Fast forward to that afternoon as I'm about to leave for class. After not touching his face the whole day, Dooder had decided to scratch it so much that he opened the wound back up and was bleeding everywhere. It, surprisingly, didn't seem to be hurting him at all as I was able to come in with gauze and stop the bleeding and see just how much and how deep he had ripped back open. He already had an appointment for that day, so I just took him in early on my way to class.

I definitely panicked a bit and felt really bad since it was my idea to take the collar off, so I was very relieved to hear that it's wasn't necessarily a bad thing that he had scratched his face back open. While the vet was looking him over he found that the wound was starting to abscess again. He cleaned it out, put in two sutures to close the wound back up, and made a hole for drainage. So, even though it was pretty gruesome, it's probably a good thing this happened, otherwise we wouldn't have realized it was infected again until it started showing signs of it which could have taken awhile. The vet said he most likely scratched at it because of the infection, so it's like he was trying to tell us something was up it seems. He also got a shot of Covenia, so we don't have to worry about the antibiotics from now on.

I showed what I had thought was the abscess on his shoulder to the vet and turns out it was actually just a bad reaction to one of the injections he's had. Most likely from the last time he was in, which would explain why no one had noticed it.

If it had turned out to be an abscess I likely would have made the decision to switch vets, but so far they're getting my trust back. I've been making a point to only go in when the male doctor is working. He is miles better than the female vet who saw Dooder the first couple of times he was in. He's very good at explaining everything he's done and he doesn't even try to dumb it down, which is super helpful. He also actually takes the time to listen to whatever info I might have and talks about ideas for treatment with me before actually going through with it. All and all, he kind of kept me from looking for a new vet after all the frustration with the other doctor there. Sad he's only there two days out of the week though : \

The neuter is still on for Wednesday though, so he'll be in his new room on Thursday. We've gotten everything cleaned up and cat proofed, so it's just a matter of him being ready to go in. We made a pretty elaborate house for him out of several connected boxes, so he'll have more than enough room to hide and chill out. Fingers crossed that he deals with the move well.

What an amazing road Dooder has been on along with you and your boyfriend.  You are doing amazing work with him.  I am happy to hear that he didn't have another wound that was missed and instead just a bump from the injection.  Hopefully this will be his last episode.  I am keeping my fingers crossed for the neuter on Wednesday.  He may freak out a bit with the new surroundings.  Make sure he has a familiar blanket or other bedding that you used in the bathroom so he will have something familiar to smell.  A feliway plug in might help too.  I also would make sure to visit him or make brief checks if he is huddled somewhere and scared.  Let him know you are there.  He certainly trusts you!!! 

Keep us updated after the neuter.  Will he stay the night Wednesday or come home?

ShadowsRescue said:

 
What an amazing road Dooder has been on along with you and your boyfriend.  You are doing amazing work with him.  I am happy to hear that he didn't have another wound that was missed and instead just a bump from the injection.  Hopefully this will be his last episode.  I am keeping my fingers crossed for the neuter on Wednesday.  He may freak out a bit with the new surroundings.  Make sure he has a familiar blanket or other bedding that you used in the bathroom so he will have something familiar to smell.  A feliway plug in might help too.  I also would make sure to visit him or make brief checks if he is huddled somewhere and scared.  Let him know you are there.  He certainly trusts you!!! 

Keep us updated after the neuter.  Will he stay the night Wednesday or come home?

Click to expand...

Oh crap! I had meant to get the feliway diffuser from my mom's while I was there this weekend and totally forgot. Hopefully he fares well without until I can get back down there to get it.

He'll be coming home after the neuter. It's being done at the humane society's clinic (waaaay cheaper), so he'll be dropped off at 7am and picked up around 4pm. We were planning on giving him the night to recoup in the bathroom then moving him the next day. The only thing I can think of that might make that not such a great idea is that my boyfriend and I will be gone from 1-8pm. I thought that would be good so he isn't being disturbed since we'll be out of the house but I'm starting to have second thoughts. I'll be home almost all day on Friday though...should we maybe wait until then?

Since you will be gone you might consider waiting until Friday when you can get in to see him or check on him more frequently.  Yet he might be fine and just want to explore.  You know him best!!  If you think it might stress him to move him the next day then move him right away.  Sorry for the confusion.  I can see pros and cons to both!!  He is doing so so well so just go with your gut.  If you feel more comfortable waiting until Friday to move him, then that's your answer.  If you think he will be just fine placing him there directly on Wed or sometime Thursday do it then.  He seems to be pretty adaptable!!

Hi catb8

I've been following your messages and I'm so happy to see how much progress your boy has made. He is a handsome chap and it sounds like he is happy to be in your loving hands.

Bless you for being such a caring cat liver.

How is Dooder?  Were you able to have him neutered and moved to the bedroom?  Hope all is well.  Sending good thoughts your way!!

ShadowsRescue said:

 
How is Dooder?  Were you able to have him neutered and moved to the bedroom?  Hope all is well.  Sending good thoughts your way!!

Click to expand...

He's doing just fine. Sorry for the lack of attention to the thread the past few days. School has been particularly time consuming this week. >.<

He was neutered on Wednesday and it went perfectly. Admittedly, the clinic did forget to clip his nails and tattoo his belly (even though they shaved a spot for the tattoo) but I think we'll all live. I kept him in the bathroom until this morning and off to his new room he went.

I left him in the room in a carrier for about twenty minutes while I switched over all his things and to give him a chance to scope out the room before being able to roam. He came right out of the carrier and went into his box house. I left him be for a few hours and found him under the desk when I came back in. He came out to greet me once I had sat down on the floor. The larger space is definitely encouraging him to walk around while people are around him, but he still stays pretty close to his hidey spots and will retreat if there's too much noise/sudden movement/ect. All in all, he seems happy so far. He really is very adaptable as you said.

I'm a little concerned about the lump on his shoulder. Instead of going down or at least staying the same, it has gotten larger and is now causing him what seems like a decent amount of pain. When I first found it he would let me touch it pretty much however with nothing more than an annoyed twitch on his part. Now I can't get near it without being batted away. The fur around it has also matted together again. I know it can take up to a few weeks for injection reactions like this to recede, but it seems strange that it has gotten larger and is painful. Am I just being paranoid? I'll likely call the vet early next week if there isn't any improvement. It's a shame he won't let me touch it because worst case scenario it's actually has turned into an abscess, which I could take care of at home (and save some money in vet bills) : \

Catb8 sounds to me like it might  be an abscess if the fur is matted or he is licking it.  This poor kitty has been threw so much and really needs a break. If you can take care of it at home, I would try to do my best to do that.  Is this the spot the vet said was a lump from a shot?  I would just keep checking this poor kitty over and over. Seems maybe if he was in a fight that some of those abscesses are from claws or teeth bites from another animal and are finally coming out. Just my thoughts. But he sounds like he is doing well  and becoming pretty friendly. And about that tattoo they give them when they spay or neuter them. I thought it was just a dot.  That was my understanding but I could be wrong. And they put that around where the incision is, which is where it is shaved. I have my feral kitten still in my bathroom and supposedly she has had this done, but I can't look at her to see this, she isn't that friendly yet. And as soon as I can get control of her she too is definitely having her nails clipped.  How was his face after he had scratched it? I know you said it was abscessed again? This poor thing is probably so tired of going to the vets. But he seems to be taking it well, since he is being so friendly. I do wish you the best with him and hope he gets well soon. 

I am so happy that Dooder did well with the neuter and is now in a larger room.  I bet you are happy to have the bathroom to yourself!! 

Just keep an eye on the injection spot and do call the vet next week if needed.

Keep us updated.

Hi everyone!

I know it's been awhile since I've posted. With how well he's doing and trying to prepare for finals there hasn't been much to post about. I figured I'd give a little update though : )

The past few weeks have been going great for Dooder. He's totally fine with being touched and pet and is even starting to get used to being picked up and carried around. We've been taking him out into the house and have started leaving his door open while we're at home. He doesn't come out on his own too much, but he's getting more and more used to it. He's still so calm with other cats. Bubby lashed out and attacked him yesterday and Dooder literally kept laying on the ground and acted like nothing happened. It's nice that he's so passive about the other cats' angry behavior, but I definitely feel bad that he keeps getting picked on.

Health wise, all is well. His face has healed entirely. You can't even see the scars now with the fur grown over. I just took his collar off today and he's loving it. He's making up for the almost two months of grooming that he's missed and not itching his face (so far). His eye is still tearing a lot, but hasn't gotten any worse. The vet and I both are pretty sure it's just something he's going to have to live with.

The only bad habit he's kept that I've noticed so far is a tendency to bite. He usually only does it when he's excited or if you scare him, but it happens frequently. He actually tried to grab me by the wrist and drag me into his box earlier. He bites hard enough to break skin through clothing : \ Also, now that his collar is off he's much more prone to doing this.Anyone have any tips on how to discourage this without alienating him at the same time? Making a loud noise or scolding him is what I would usually do with my cats, but this scares him and makes him even more likely to bite and claw. Dilemmas.

Here's some pictures. It first are from a day or so before he moved into his new room and the others are from today : )