Cat Acting Strange After Quarantine?

kikiliko

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Hello. I am dealing with major drama, and anger today at the clinic my boyfriend and I had to leave our 9 month old male cat Kiki for 8 days, due to a forced quarantine by the state. The reason my cat was being forcefully quarantined  wasn't because he was a ferocious monster, but because he plays a little too rough, and because he gets a little too intimidated... We went to the hospital to get scratches checked out, and they legally had to make us fill out an animal control form to report our own cat who scratched us... ( I can't even imagine how many times cats must be quarantined due to reported scratches at the hospitals... q: ) We have been struggling, and weren't able to get our kitten we've had and raised since a newborn for 9 months his rabies shots, but we did keep him strictly inside so rabies wouldn't be a problem. Sad thing is we had a scheduled appointment for him to be neutered, and to get all his shots the Saturday after we dropped him off which really sucked, because we had to get a specialist for Kiki's.. undescended testicles...  But since we didn't have those shots they had to take him in.

Well the 8 days were up today, and I was extremely excited to go pick up my baby from the clinic whom I'm more than attached to and I can say the same for him because we are practically inseparable since I spend everyday, all day with him, literally 24/7. But what I found was lies, laziness, and complete neglect for my kitten and the rest of the pets there as well. 

First let me just throw this out there to get some opinions on this "wonderful" building my cat was supposed to be in. When I dropped him off they told me all about the quarantine/observation program, and that he would be in a nice spacious kennel, and it would be very private, and that all quarantined animals are in a completely different building by themselves, so that the healthy animals would stay healthy. They said that we wouldn't be able to see our kitten because its a vet only building. When we arrived today to pick up our cat the front desk sent us to the cat adoption center to go get him... That was confusing to me since I thought that he was supposed to be in a vet only building. When we got there, there was no one to greet us so we were waiting and I turned around and saw a small room filled with kennels, and looked down at the bottom row of kennels and saw my cat meowing like crazy and rubbing against the cage door frantically... I was shocked... This wasn't just a small room, it was practically a closet... literally the same size of an average storage closet. I read the plaque on the door and it read "Obser./Feline Quarantine". Not only was my cat in this small closet like room packed full of possibly severely sick cats, but the door was left wide open. A staff saw me peeking inside and immediately  closed the door, and tried to point us in the direction of the very public feline adoption kennel space 3 feet away from this closet full of "quarantined" animals. I then looked across the hallway from the quarantine "room" and saw that there was a glass office full of strictly feline HIV cats. Like no joke only a few feet away there was a room full of healthy adoptable cats along with families with kids checking them out to adopt them, when there are two rooms full of very sick quarantined cats a few feet away!! They sent us back to the main building quite angrily once we told them we were here to pick up our cat telling us "You still need to pay!" Which we knew of course but there's no need to be rude just because we caught you with the quarantine door wide open! So we paid 300 dollars for the quarantine, and they told us that they micro chipped him, gave him his rabies, and FVRCP vaccinations which was much needed.

Well hes been home with me for about roughly 6-7 hours, and he has been sneezing like crazy, and also has a runny nose, which is also extremely dry I might add. He is very hot, and doesn't really want to eat or drink anything. He has been laying down everywhere trembling, sneezing and I think.. coughing? This is not how my full of life, and playfulness kitten acted 8 days ago before I dropped him off... There was nothing wrong with him at all... He is acting super sick, and strangely cuddly in a clingy way. My cat wasn't mean before but he wasn't the super loving cuddly super sick teddy bear hes acting like today, he was a playful clingy goof ball that sometimes laid on you if he wanted to do so. He basically did what he wanted. I mean I understand he missed me, and was isolated and has never since a month after he was born been away from me, but hes acting like a sick dog. Its very depressing. I feel like hes in agony... Its made me cry already a lot today. I'm so confused because I didn't expect my animal whom was supposed to be in the most sterile environment in this huge animal lot with multiple buildings to come back deathly sick, and in pain and locked away in a closet for 8 full days, probably thinking I abandoned him there. I feel like the worst mommy ever...

My questions are simple... 

*What should I do about these lies, and the conditions witnessed today? (I paid for this service I was forced to do, under the impression that my cat would be safe, and I intend to get my point across to someone about the health risks these animals are being exposed to.)

*What do you think is wrong with my cat? With the symptoms I've given you, what do you think is wrong? Does a disease/sickness come to mind? Why is he acting sick? Is this common after quarantine/boarding? Or maybe the vaccines cause these side effects? Has anyone else's cat got sick after quarantine/boarding? 

*Finally. Have you ever experienced such a shitty experience with animal care from your clinics?

Thanks for reading, and taking the time to care, because my clinic sure didn't! :D

-Sarah
 

Columbine

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What a horrendous experience. I would report the facility to whatever governing body is responsible for it, with in depth details of all the points listed in your OP. I'm sorry I can't tell you exactly who to report them to - I'm in the wrong country. In reporting them, I would also take advice on getting the $300 at least partly refunded - you could well have a case in a small claims court, but it depends on whether you want to take it that far. You may decide that you'd rather put your energy into Kiki...and I wouldn't blame you.

It is always conceivable that Kiki has had a reaction to the vaccinations. To the best of my knowledge the standard vaccines don't generally cause problems but, like people, there will always be exceptions and Kiki could just be one of the minority. (As a side note, it really would be worth trying to pin down whether it is a vaccine reaction or not, as it may effect vaccine choices or implications for the future). It's also equally possible that Kiki has picked up an infection through being in close quarters with other (potentially) ill cats...even more likely if his vaccinations weren't up to date before entering the facility and given that stress can depress the immune system. I think a visit to a trusted vet might be in order to determine the cause of Kiki's illness.

The clingyness is most likely a reaction to stress, having missed you like crazy and not feeling well.

I have had a terrible experience with a clinic though. I had a bsh kitten who got hit by a car. The tops of both femurs were shattered beyond repair, and the injuries were treated. However, the clinic was used a lot by rescue groups for strays/ferals (no problem with that at all btw). This resulted in our happy, healthy kitten coming home with the worst flea infestation I've ever seen and HIV positive (though this wasn't discovered until later on). We were lucky - the HIV didn't progress to full blown aids in this case, but it could have done.

I really hope Kiki feels better soon, and that you're able to get some sort of response....at least an apology....from the facility in question. IMO they've acted very badly and the conditions you describe are totally unacceptable.
 
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kikiliko

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I'm in Texas.
 
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kikiliko

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Thank you for your response! It was supporting, and helpful! I'm going to try to get them to acknowledge what they did at least, I've been experiencing rude, and awful services lately so this might just be another one. :( I wouldn't go to court unless something really bad happened to Kiki, but I am going to ask for help on possible vet bills by refunding me some money like you suggested. 

I'm terribly sorry to hear about what your kitten went through. I would be raising hell. Fleas are just awful, I'm currently going though a infestation as well. I'm terribly scared that this is feline HIV too, since all the symptoms match up, or maybe its just kennel cough. 

I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks the conditions were outrages. Thank you for your support again! Hopefully they at least hear me out, and try to take responsibility as best they can. 

I'm taking him in Tuesday for a free check up, and hopefully they can diagnose the problem. 
 

Columbine

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Good luck with it all. I really hope your little one isn't FIV+ It's far more likely to be some kind of infection - remember that my boy actually had an operation and extensive incisions from it. He was far more vulnerable than your fit, healthy and feisty little lad.
 
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