Meeka and Sookie Bear

Wednesday I took in two thirteen year old cats. I took them from someone who knew for a full month she was moving and waited until two days before the move date to do something with her cats. She couldn't afford to look after them, but the new puppy, that's another story...

Anyhow, Meeka is very angry. She hasn't stopped growling since she arrived, and beat up her brother, and one of my foster kittens. Sookie Bear (who we are calling Bear, because I can't take the whole name seriously) is doing better, but is still walking around like the ceiling is going to fall on his head. The are beginning to eat better and are using the litter box. I've put a lot of feelers out there to try and find them a permanent home but I know its going to be near impossible.

I'm just wondering if there is anything I can do to help calm them down. I have the Feliway plugged in. I was given very little for them, and the food is a new food they just started before they were given up, so even that's not familiar. I feel awful for them - all of a sudden their world got turned upside-down.  

I'd go through the whole introductory process with them.. keeping them is a smaller space and separated, etc. http://www.thecatsite.com/a/introducing-cats-to-cats

The Feliway is a good idea.  Do you have any idea what they were eating?  Sounds like it may not have been wonderful, but maybe just a little with the new stuff for continuity.

I know what you mean about feeling sorry for them. They are so lucky you came along.

Thank you for taking them in.

How anyone can just dump furbabies like that I'll never understand.  Makes me cry just thinking about it 

The last bag of food she bought them was Nutram Finicky Indoor Cat, but they got whatever was on sale for the most part. I know they've had Chicken Soup For The Cat Lover's Soul, which is not somewhere I'm willing to go...I don't know if they'd ever had canned food before but they've taken to it. The first thing Meeka ate was Best Feline Friend, and she's had Friskies and Natural Balance since. They also had some roasted chicken, which is our cats' favourite treat. They are both using the litter boxes and are drinking. Meeka has stopped growling for the most part, and Bear has found the toy box. They just both look so sad.

Give it time... They've had a big shock.  At that age it's hard to be somewhere totally new

Once again, I'm so glad you took them in, poor darlings.  You're a gem.

Meeka has backslid a bit to-day. When I got up she was under a pillow having a meltdown, but none of my cats were anywhere near her. I put her on the scratch post and she felt better and she did eat a bit for me there. The veterinarian gave me a Feliway wipe, which seemed to help. I wiped the post with it, and the wall behind the post. The Feliway is plugged in near that post. After about a half hour she seemed better and was relaxed when I left for work. I want to take them to the veterinarian but I'm not going to take them unless its urgent until they settle in a bit more.

It's great that the Feliway is helping... that, your excellent care, and time might just do the trick.

Bear has gone on a hunger strike over the past couple of days. To the vet we went this morning. He is not anemic, is urine is concentrated, and she cannot feel any obvious lumps or bumps, though his intestines are thickened. We're waiting on blood work to come back. She says the damage has been done over a long time. He is on fluids and we are syringe feeding a/d. So far, food is staying down this afternoon. If his liver is failing, I will put him down. I'm hoping its an infection, which is another possibility.

Have you got the results back?

I cannot believe someone would just abandon their cats after so long... What is wrong with people. It disgusts me. I wish you the best of luck with these two!

I sat down with the veterinarian and she went through the results. It looks as though he has had IBS for a very long time, unaddressed, and becoming progressively worse to the point that it has seriously aggravated his liver. He should have been at the veterinarian's office a year ago. He likely hasn't seen a veterinarian since he was neutered. So...He is on 300ml of fluids each day. He is on mertazopine (sp?), Pepcid, sulcrate (sp?), and metronidazole. He is still being syringe-fed a/d but he is eating small meals on his own as well. He was on clavamox but his face swelled up, so he's been off of it a few days now, his face is back to normal, and we're trying something else to-morrow. He looks brighter. His temperature is normal and he is allowed out of his crate for short periods during the day. His stool is formed but soft and no longer smells rancid. His sister has developed an upper respiratory infection (stress-induced, no doubt) and I'm not sure how many months? she's had that ear infection but that seems to be under control now with regular cleanings and disinfection. I'm still syringe-feeding her, though there is less discharge out of her nose to-day and hopefully her sense of smell will return shortly. She is fitting in well with the other cats and likes to look out the window.

As always, I am grateful to have such wonderful veterinarians. They made time in their busy schedules for us (one day the clinic was short-handed with just one veterinarian and one tech and they still found time to sit down and talk with us). They are kind, patient, intelligent wimmyn and they've given him the best chance.

Thank you for letting us know.  You're doing a wonderful thing for these two. 

I'm so glad you have vets that will go the extra yard for your kitties.

Your vet's sound wonderful!

Those poor babies.  It's awful that they were dumped; but they are getting such better care with you!  Keep us updated on how they are progressing please! 

Thanks for the moral support everyone, it really helps! Bear was washing himself to-day and he sharpened his claws on the turboscratcher. After that he was worn out and had a nap in the sun. Unfortunately, he pooped while he lay there and he didn't realise he had done it (neither had I until I scooped him up to feed him...) Meeka ate some chicken to-day. Its going to be a slow uphill crawl with these two.

Meeka went into heart failure on Monday night and had to be put down. The veterinarian at the emergency clinic said she'd probably had a bad heart for a long time and the stress of being dumped by her owner sent her over the edge. None of us saw that coming and it was awful. The staff at the emergency clinic said that even if they could pull her through it would be no kind of a life afterword.

Bear continues to improve. We're going to begin weaning him off the Imodium on the weekend. He eats everything, though I'm now trying to get him onto a more simple diet as I don't want to aggravate his bowels again. I tried him on Science Diet senior this morning but he wouldn't touch it, wanted Friskies. I'm going to get a handful of cans to-night and see if he goes for some of the plainer better quality diets. He does pick at the w/d dry food as well, which is very easy on the digestion.

Montgomery is not impressed, as Bear has taken over his favourite chair and won't let him in it. This is the first cat I've ever met whom Montgomery doesn't like.

I am so very sorry to hear this.  What a shock it must have been.

We usually close threads after a cat has passed, our of respect for her.  I know you have Bear and your foster kitties and I do hope you will continue your news in a new thread, and perhaps start a Crossing the Bridge thread for Meeka, if you feel it is appropriate.

You did everything you could for this girl.. Imagine how the last few weeks of her life would have been if she hadn't been with you!  A bit hug and thank you for looking after her as you did.