New parent of a feral kitten, need help! Bloody stool, & gen info on care.

Alright, this may be long, but main issue is, the kitten has had diarrhea for the past 2 weeks, & since last 2 days, has had blood in her stool. She acts normal, very energetic & playful etc. She was feral that I found & there are no vets in the area at all, & no cat food etc at all.

So I am currently in Somalia doing NGO work; I was at the local market when I saw this huge cat grab this big rat, bigger than the ones we have in NYC, so I took a picture, it was cool. As I was walking down the narrow market road, I almost stepped on something, looked down, and it was this cute little kitten, walking so ever slowly in this bustling market, I walked about 30 feet buying some stuff, and I see a lot of other people barely missing the kitten. So I told my friend, I’m taking that kitty, he said no, but I took a plastic bag & brought her home. I have never had a pet, ever, & I was pretty naive. Came home, as I was petting her, she was so weak & lethargic, she had sooooooooooo much lice I think. So I bathed her in dish soap, & all the bugs went away. 

I fed her chicken, tuna, things we had at the home. Her stool from the beginning was runny & very very stinky. Theres no vet here, there aren’t even decent doctors for that matter. But I did some google searches and found that ivermectin would solve her parasite issues. I was able to get some from a goat herder, & sadly I have her more than I should’ve, 2ml, and she was totally out of it for 2 days, like she was in some drunken stupor & I felt/feel horrible about this. But thank god she’s been great ever since, super nice, playful & most importantly, she keeps herself super clean, which is paramount for me, bc I am a little bit of a germaphobe. 

Only food I have been giving her, is I boil some basmati rice & mix it with tuna, and she loves it, this is her everyday go to meal. I also give her goat meat filets raw which she loves & also chicken when Im able to find some. I know this may not be the ideal diet, but she’s feral, and there isn’t any cat food in the entire country. I compare her to 2 weeks ago when I first got her, I am certain that she was definitely going to die,ribs were touching etc. but thank god, since the food & medicine, her coat is super shiny, she’s very jovial and sleeps on me all day, follows me around, talks to me, makes me pet her as she eats or meows incessantly, & forces me to touch the food before she even attempts to eat it etc, I absolutely adore her, I can’t believe I never got a pet earlier! Furthermore, I wiped her ears with ivermectin to get rid of the ear mites, they went away, but now I see them creeping back ever so lightly.  Are there any diseases I should be concerned about getting from nala (kittys name)

So any advice in regards  to her diet which is realistic given my environment , her bloody stool & diarrhea, & any other pertinent info will be much appreciate. Plus, I found out that if all goes well, god willing she will live for 20yrs, & I def want to make sure that happens! & I have no idea how old she truly is, from all the googling I think she’s about 8 weeks now, but who knows, maybe you guys can tell me. Thanks in advance, look forward to learning from all of you!

The first pic is her mother when she caught the rat, & nala on the right first day that I got her. 2nd pic is after he 1st week, looking at these goats that come to my yard to eat trash I leave for them. & 3rd & 4th are recent, like yesterday, & last of her stool. & if anyone can tell by the teeth her age that’d be great!

Ok. The bloody diarrhea is likely due to parasites (hookworms, roundworms, etc...) or another type of parasite/protozoan like Giardia, Coccidia or Cryptosporidium. I'm more prone to think the latter due to blood and knowing the conditions of the area she was living. What types of antibiotics can you get your hands on? Metronidazole (Flagyl) is often used to treat some of these issues.

As far as diet, it sounds as if a "prey model" diet, either cooked or raw is going to be your best bet. Check out the nutrition section of this site.

This baby needs organ meat (heart, liver) to accompany the muscle meat she is eating. Also, goat meat (and chicken when you can get it) is going to be a much better protein source for her on a daily basis rather than tuna. Tuna once or twice a week is fine, but not ideal for every day/every meal.

There are more experienced raw feeders that will be chime in soon, I'm sure, that can give you better direction on nutrition.

I am not very good at issues like this but it occurred to me that she may have worms.  You may be able to get specific information if you post this in the health section.

I do know that if you can get organ meats or clam juice, they contain some nutrients that cats need, like taurine.  I'm told goats milk is good for her, too, although none of these will help if it is worms.  It really looks like she needs better nutrition and it doesn't seem like she's truly feral.  If she was, she wouldn't have adjusted to living inside as easily.

Thank you for helping her!  She's a cutie!

Alright, I will def look into getting her some fresh liver. The issue is now, she's been having accidents with stool, like I know she doest meant to, and gives me this sad face when she realizes it, but her diarrhea stool, leaks out a bit when she sit or walks, and then when she notices, she runs to the litterbox. Theres a lot of cleaning to with little drips everywhere, her energy level is normal, if anything she's more active. 

How much do I feed her? She constantly asks for food through out the day, & I leave it out, & she will go to it, but at a point stops eating it, unless i touch it, or if its been out for more than like 4 hours. I know the food doesn't go bad, but she just wont eat anything left out too long. she's drinking plenty of water so hopefully that'll help w the diarrhea,. 

& she is definitely feral, if anything, she's a true jungle cat, haaaaa, people out here don't domesticate cats & there are 0 dogs surpassingly, just wild donkeys & goats!

Raw goat milk is among the best you can give her. Mild for the stomach too...  Yoghurt, preferably from goats, too... But youghurt from cows is OK.

We usually dont recommend milk from cows, but unpasterized milk from cows of old type - which is probably what you have in Somalia, is probably OK.    Still, goat milk is better.

(See? there ARE advantages with  living in Somalia!)

It wont help against these parasites she surely has, but it will lessen up the irritations.

Goat milk and youghurt are also good calcium sources.

With that much meat you give her, you must alos give her some extra calcium.  If she is big enough, raw chicken wings are eatable.

Otherwise, you can use egg shells from boiled eggs, crushed into a fine powder.  And sprinkle some corns on her meat.

Peel of the internal skin being between the eggs inside and the shell, it will be easier to crush the shell.

Tx for caring!

Good luck!

Yes, they only have unpasteurized goat & camel milk, so I will def get that for her then. I truly appreciate all of your guys help.

I just noticed a lot of fur around, I thought she was shedding, upon further investigation, she's been biting off all of fur from the inside of her rear hind legs, & all by her rear end. Why would she be doing this? When I first had her she would gnaw at her front paw a lot, like bite it hard, she hasn't done that in a while, but this biting off hair just looks troubling.

She also has these bouts of extreme hypherness where she just starts running around everywhere as if she's hunting, climbing up things, biting things, like its an obstacle course, she does these several times a day, I chalked it up to being cute play things, but coupling with her hair biting, does she have some sort of mental issues? 

I really want to raise her forever, she's very polite, has a lot of manners, is smart & jovial. I have googled these issues but the responses are all over the place & come down to, "take her to a vet," so yeah, I hope this is all normal kitten stuff, but please let me know if I should be concerned about her health...

That running around is very common with kittens and young cats. I see it as they enjoying life.  Of couse, living as inside only, its also their way to get out excessive energy.   Some do it when they have a little constipation, at least the older ones.

Anyways, I see it as a big part of having fun of being owner of young cats, to see these merry galloppes.

"the cat race" and similiar...   So THIS part is entirely normal and shows only she is healthy, enjoying life and thriving at your place.

Biting her forelegs, is a way of cleaning in between her toes.  This is thus normal.

biting off the fur on the backlegs is less common, and not so good, no.  Exactly why is another question.  Yeah, in USA and Europe you would viist a vet with this, and let him bother and try to find a good explanation.

Common causes is stress, somehting they are allergic for,  problems with liver,  some  fungus on the skin... maybe even more reasons - the analysis may be long and tedious..

Lets hope its not that serious, as she in overall is apparently healthy - save this bloody diarrhea.

Im at this moment reading a book where the author is writing the "evangelium of unpasteurized milk" - he exaggerates somwhat at places, but he not only tells much of our problems in west are because of the pasteruized milk - for example, the widespread problems with allergies began when the milk become pasteurized as standard.

He also tells, unpasteurized milk is healthy, bacteria killing etc etc.  It doenst helps against water in the knees.  Why, he doesnt tell, but it helps not.   Almost everything else it does help.

Said with a slight exagerration.  But I suspect there is a corn of thruth in his theory.

Anyways, try with this raw goat milk, sooner the better.  Insides, but why not try outside too, if it is so marvellous good.

Raw honey is also useful on the outside, kills fungus and some bacteria.

Raw honey is of course useful on the inside at least for humans, but lots of sugar inside isnt that good for cats.  A little  is useful in emergencies, but not as daily diet.

The biting her fur can be attributed to her hyperness.  She could also have fleas, so make sure you check for them.  A good bath in regular Dawn dishwashing liquid (if you can get it) will kill the adult fleas.  Just rinse well.

She could also be over-grooming.  We have two cats who do that when they get nervous.  Just like people, cats develop stimulating behaviors when they are nervous, overwhelmed or facing a lot of change.  Could be all the new things she's been facing.  If that's it, she'll be OK once thing settle down.

If you can get the diotamaceous earth (food grade) that Stefan mentioned, you can put it in her food.  It has the consistancy of flour, so be careful not to inhale it.  It literally shreds the fleas inside her GI tract.  Also kills worms and other nasties.

thanks! I guess ill try raw too, the locals only drink raw milk, esp camel, ill boil some for myself and see. & yes she loves it here, since day 1 she's been good, first night I didn't have time to/think of making a litter box, & in the morn i had saw that she did her business inside a plastic bag!!!

i read that washing her w vinegar may help, I'm going to try that tomorrow. 

now I've only been feeding her raw goat meat today, how much should i feed her? like i give her some small pieces but she keeps asking & begging & crying for more. How much grams of raw meat should i give her a day, I've been googling all day but nobody has a listed amount. Keep in mind, ppl got angry at me when they found out i was buying tuna & meat for my cat they're seen as pests here, its like us domesticating a rat back home. 

i regret not posting here earlier & spending days reading up other blogs & yahoo answers, i truly appreciate it & so does nala!

alkemist said:

 
thanks! I guess ill try raw too, the locals only drink raw milk, esp camel, ill boil some for myself and see. & yes she loves it here, since day 1 she's been good, first night I didn't have time to/think of making a litter box, & in the morn i had saw that she did her business inside a plastic bag!!!

i read that washing her w vinegar may help, I'm going to try that tomorrow. 

now I've only been feeding her raw goat meat today, how much should i feed her? like i give her some small pieces but she keeps asking & begging & crying for more. How much grams of raw meat should i give her a day, I've been googling all day but nobody has a listed amount. Keep in mind, ppl got angry at me when they found out i was buying tuna & meat for my cat they're seen as pests here, its like us domesticating a rat back home. 

i regret not posting here earlier & spending days reading up other blogs & yahoo answers, i truly appreciate it & so does nala!

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Kittens do eats quite a lot, so there is really no limit.  They grow, and they play a lot, these running you describe.

Her diarrhea doesnt help out either.

But you must vary the food. The so called by-products, from chicken for example, are actually good food for cats, Chicen heart, kidneys, liver, raw chicken wings...

Also, you must have some calcium source to counter balance that much meat.

This goat or camel milk, youghurt, cheese, fine powdered shells of eggs...

Why, here in Europe are rats quite popular as home pets.  Of course, they are breed for this, its seldom wild rats straigh from the cloakes.

But you know surely tales of prisoners whom got friends with the rats in their prison...

Rats are also friendly and nice, if you learn them and they get tame and domesticized.

Not sure I'd use vinegar - it may burn her.

If she was raised outside, she was socialized somehow.  Glad she's found hr way to you.

Ondine said:

 
Not sure I'd use vinegar - it may burn her.

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If you do use vinegar, be sure to dilute it with a 3:1 ratio, using clean water.  Afterward, using some Neosporin or A&D ointment, or even a little lard, will be soothing. Also, please check out www.kitten-rescue.com for other great tips.  The goat milk is probably going to be very beneficial! Just be aware that sudden changes in diet can also cause diarrhea and kittens will bleed from the irritation - monitor her closely for dehydration using the "skin lift" technique on the back of her neck.

With that length of diarrhea, I would also give her a "Pedialyte"  (there are homemade formulas but supposedly the commercial preparations are more easily absorbed. Because it is difficult to get unflavored Pedialyte in my area, I have often used the homemade formula.  My vet recommends a few drops of Imodium (mint flavored)  twice daily but I have had the best success with a product called PetPectillin which is a blend of pectin and kaolin (here in the U.S, the product called Kaopectate  once used  that formula, but now it uses bismuth subsalycitate and is no longer safe for cats),  If you can consult a veterinarian through the internet, such as thru UC Davis or Tufts University, or a holistic veterinarian, you could ask them about using herbs ( I have used red raspberry leaf, marshmallow root and slippery elm on kittens BUT my family traditions include using herbs and please, please be aware that many herbs that are safe for people are too harsh for kitties' sensitive systems, especially their kidneys so proceed with extreme caution if you choose that route, which sometimes is the only option in a rural area - I know full well because our nearest WalMart  and/or a health food store is 120 miles away. something that city dwellers don't readily understand,)

May you receive many blessings for your good work in rescuing your kitty!!

alkemist said:

 
thanks! I guess ill try raw too, the locals only drink raw milk, esp camel, ill boil some for myself and see. & yes she loves it here, since day 1 she's been good, first night I didn't have time to/think of making a litter box, & in the morn i had saw that she did her business inside a plastic bag!!!

i read that washing her w vinegar may help, I'm going to try that tomorrow. 

now I've only been feeding her raw goat meat today, how much should i feed her? like i give her some small pieces but she keeps asking & begging & crying for more. How much grams of raw meat should i give her a day, I've been googling all day but nobody has a listed amount. Keep in mind, ppl got angry at me when they found out i was buying tuna & meat for my cat they're seen as pests here, its like us domesticating a rat back home. 

i regret not posting here earlier & spending days reading up other blogs & yahoo answers, i truly appreciate it & so does nala!

Click to expand...

ah, I forgot. Sorry!  In addition to this lotsa meat, you must give not only a calcium source, but also fat.  Quite a lot of fat, really.  Lack of fat may perhaps be part of the reason why she is so ravenous hungry, its not just kitten appetite.

So, dont cut off the fatter pieces of the meat, quite the opposite...  Melt down some butter and pour.   Most vegetable oils of good quality, especielly the coldpressed, are fine too.

Boiled eggs she may have whole. If raw, only the youlk "yellow".   Raw white isnt good for them.  

Whatever you do, dont give her raw pork!   In Somalia they hardly have much pork, as almost every one is a pious Moslem,  but if you happen to buy some cheap pork from a shop for chrisitians, be sure you cook it properly.  There is a nasty virus in pork abroads.  Its not dangerous for humans, but dangerous for cats.

catsknowme said:

 
If you do use vinegar, be sure to dilute it with a 3:1 ratio, using clean water.  Afterward, using some Neosporin or A&D ointment, or even a little lard, will be soothing. Also, please check out www.kitten-rescue.com for other great tips.  The goat milk is probably going to be very beneficial! Just be aware that sudden changes in diet can also cause diarrhea and kittens will bleed from the irritation - monitor her closely for dehydration using the "skin lift" technique on the back of her neck.

With that length of diarrhea, I would also give her a "Pedialyte"  (there are homemade formulas but supposedly the commercial preparations are more easily absorbed. Because it is difficult to get unflavored Pedialyte in my area, I have often used the homemade formula.  My vet recommends a few drops of Imodium (mint flavored)  twice daily but I have had the best success with a product called PetPectillin which is a blend of pectin and kaolin (here in the U.S, the product called Kaopectate  once used  that formula, but now it uses bismuth subsalycitate and is no longer safe for cats),  If you can consult a veterinarian through the internet, such as thru UC Davis or Tufts University, or a holistic veterinarian, you could ask them about using herbs ( I have used red raspberry leaf, marshmallow root and slippery elm on kittens BUT my family traditions include using herbs and please, please be aware that many herbs that are safe for people are too harsh for kitties' sensitive systems, especially their kidneys so proceed with extreme caution if you choose that route, which sometimes is the only option in a rural area - I know full well because our nearest WalMart  and/or a health food store is 120 miles away. something that city dwellers don't readily understand,)

May you receive many blessings for your good work in rescuing your kitty!!

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True, a pedialyte is in itself somewhat a stopper of diarrheas.   Home made basic pedialyte + basic caregiving  alone is the big stopper of the massive death rate in the ManKiller  Cholera.

A very basic but nicely working  receipt for you could be:

A good mineral water - Perrier, the like, containing different salts.  Let the gas get out.

Have in glucose sugar!   2 soup spoons in one litre.   If you dont have glucose sugar proper, you can use something which contains lotsa of glucose sugar.

White caro syrup is often used in USA.   Honey is also OK.   Hey, you do have probably access to raw honey.

It will be a nice and good  pedialyte!

Another receipt may be, water form a over boiled rice   And have salt in it.   This overboiled rice water contains much natural glucose sugar.

This solution is often used as a natural mild diarrhea stopper in Europe, a sort of  home remedy, but sometimes recommended also by doctors on home visit.

Say, you use water from minerale water, and boil this rice in it.  Should work nicely.

Again, these receipts wont heal her if she has a real parasite infection, but they will surely help some, and soothe some of the irritations.

@alkemist

Ps.  Im really impressed by this kitten, and by you.

She is essentially semiferal, although she prob had met some friendly humans already earlier.

And yet she doesnt need any real fostering, she is already more nice than many a home raised kittens...

Surely a natural talent!    I also gather, your way to be and your nature, cooperates nicely with her.  She understands she doenst need to be afraid of you, she can trust you and thus, dare to open herself.

Good luck!

StefanZ said:

@alkemist

Ps.  Im really impressed by this kitten, and by you.

She is essentially semiferal, although she prob had met some friendly humans already earlier.

And yet she doesnt need any real fostering, she is already more nice than many a home raised kittens...

Surely a natural talent!    I also gather, your way to be and your nature, cooperates nicely with her.  She understands she doenst need to be afraid of you, she can trust you and thus, dare to open herself.

Good luck!

Click to expand...

  The photos of Nala speak volumes of both her darling personality and that of her Guardian Angel

BTW: I really like the idea of mineral water/boiled rice - one of my grandmothers would make boiled rice water for children when we had diarrhea and I have used it for my kids but the closest that I have used for cats is at the end of their liquid fast, when I boil chicken and water together, with "real salt".

Ok, again, truly appreciate everyones help & advice! She really liked the honey, licked it off my finger, but it got stuck to her nose, so she stopped after haha. Additionally, I will try the mineral water & boiled rice solutions. I have a friend coming from dubai this weekend, I asked her to bring me meds for a feral cat, so hopefully they're not prohibitively expensive, bc if not, then she will def get them for me. & def no pork, I'm muslim too, so even though they don't have it here, I wouldn't get it anyways. She eats from the same cut of goat meat filets I eat, I have her the fatty ones, & I swear, her energy level, from when I fed her rice chicken & tuna, is exponentially  higher off this raw goat diet instantaneously. 

I have been giving her smaller meals, & finally she finishes everythingggggg, as opposed to before, when she would leave food. I gave her scramble eggs last week & she only ate a bit; but the boiled egg she adored, so I boiled a few & put them in fridge, it'll be her bkfast from now on, so thanks for that! 

Ive been seeing white rice looking things in her stool now, so from what I understand those are worms, she didn't have them before, so I guess she must have got them recently, I use sand from outside for her litter, & goats roam around, maybe it came from them. So any precautions that I should take for myself, bc I really can't afford to get sick out here again. Can I get these worms from her? she really cleans herself, & i eat in the same room her litter is in, & its like my living room, so I watch tv as she plays & lays next to me. So please any advice for precautions that i should take to more that mitigate me catching something from her, I have another empty room, I really don't want to put her there in purgatory. 

& thanks for the praise, i feel special now! & yes, she truly is astute, she learns my commands on the 1st try, she knows to differentiate from my laptop & phone charger cords etc & doesn't bite them, she cleans herself before she jumps on the bed, learns very quick, I'm so surprised she does, & had convos with me...

Also, I fed her some lizards i caught, small ones & she even ate some flies that she caught

I forgot, can someone give me a list of meds that are cheap, like i was able to buy a 100ml of ivermectin here for $7, any other meds that can be used that come in that large, cheap size; bc i def want to stock up for nala while I'm here; thanks again

alkemist said:

 
I forgot, can someone give me a list of meds that are cheap, like i was able to buy a 100ml of ivermectin here for $7, any other meds that can be used that come in that large, cheap size; bc i def want to stock up for nala while I'm here; thanks again

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Here Im just repeating your call for suitable medicines.   This includes some standard dewormers and deparasiters.  

Idea!  You can perhaps sell off some to other cat owners who do care about their cats.   I suppose many of them will be foreigners living there.  But as I understand it, muslims as whole are friendly to cats, at least, more friendly than for dogs.  So I do suppose there are also native Somalis who are friendly with their cats -and they too will probably want to deworm their cats.

You can make BigBizness if you so wish!      

Almost all kittens has round worms, they get it from moms with the milk, if they arent from properly dewormed moms.

Young kittens have seldom tape worms, as tape worms comes usually from prey they take, mices and such.  So mom may have it, but seldom the kitten. BUT.  Fleas are in-between host for tapeworms.  So if tehy had fleas, they may have tape worms.

Rice looking sounds like tape worms segments.  It MAY be round worms, but is probably tape worms...

So some of the typical prepareates, like the spot on Revolution, which takes all outer parasites AND round worms too, dont take tape worms.

The common preparates containing Pyrantel poaomate, much used against roundworms, again dont work against tapeworm.

There are some all round dewormers.  There are also some preparates working especielly against tapeworm.   For example, if you use Revolution, you can comibne it with such.

I will refresh my memory and will come back tomorrow, with some name suggestions.

Re your safety.  The cat worms dont get into humans, its different species human worms and  cat worms, although they look similiar.  Of course, dont be stupid. Hold the usual hygiene, wash your hands when appropriate, etc.  I suppose it is possible to get them into you if you try hard enough.   They wont survive long in you, but who wants to be the guinea pig?

Haaaa, yes no guinea pigging at all. yeah ppl are nice to all the animals, everyone leaves food out etc. & this is the only place the world that I've been to that has 0 dogs. none zilch! I will look fwd to seeing the name of the meds tmmrw, if i can get the active drug like ivermectin style, that'd be great! & as far as fleas, I don't see any on her at all, & i gave her a good wash yesterday & put a little baby oil on her to stop her from taking her hair out, it def made a diff, she hasn't been pulling out her fur as much, & i tap her when she tries.

& i really wont allow her to go outside, only within the confines of my yard, & even then i have to keep any eye out bc strays often come, & i read that cats tend to kill kittens. thanks again!