Depressed cat

dixiecowgirl23

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I found a stray kitten on the side of the road by my house about 6 months ago. He was about 4 months at the time, according to the vet. He hasn't been outside. Well he accidentally got out about a week ago. I caught him and brought him back into the house. A few days after that he got out again but i couldn't catch him. He stayed outside all night and stayed around the house. I still couldn't catch him and since he stayed around the house i let him be outside for most of the day. I finally caught him later that day and brought him inside. He has been very isolated and solitary since i brought him back inside. He hasn't ate or drank very much since then and he's just being mopey. Do you think he's depressed? Will he get over it? I know its safer inside but what if he's happy outside? Why would you do?
 

alyymarie014

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Since he's still young, it would probably be pretty easy getting him to use a harness and taking him for walks. I did that with my kitten, except he was a little too shy and wouldn't explore if there were any people around. But I think it would be a good thing to try. I'm of the opinion that the indoors are much safer, but it's still good for them to get some outside time as long as it's supervised.
 

Columbine

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Check him over very carefully. It's possible he's picked something up in his time outside. All kinds of things can cause loss of appetite and a depressed demeanour. Given that the change was noticeable as soon as you got him back after a night out, I'd be looking for physical causes before psychological ones. If in doubt, get a vet to check him over - loss of appetite for no apparent reason always warrents a check up in cats.
 
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stephenq

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I found a stray kitten on the side of the road by my house about 6 months ago. He was about 4 months at the time, according to the vet. He hasn't been outside. Well he accidentally got out about a week ago. I caught him and brought him back into the house. A few days after that he got out again but i couldn't catch him. He stayed outside all night and stayed around the house. I still couldn't catch him and since he stayed around the house i let him be outside for most of the day. I finally caught him later that day and brought him inside. He has been very isolated and solitary since i brought him back inside. He hasn't ate or drank very much since then and he's just being mopey. Do you think he's depressed? Will he get over it? I know its safer inside but what if he's happy outside? Why would you do?
He doesn't sound depressed, he sounds ill.  How long has the been this way?
 
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dixiecowgirl23

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He has been that way since Tuesday. I figured he was depressed because he lived most of his life outside and I've always kept him inside and when he finally got outside he really enjoyed it; and was depressed when I trapped him back inside.  However, I took him to the vet earlier today and she said that he most likely has Bobcat fever. I didn't know about the disease but it's a disease that they get from ticks. It has a very high death rate and I'm not sure if he will pull through....
 He just drank a little water/food mixture on his own for the first time so there is still hope. Please everyone pray for my little Salem. 
 
 
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dixiecowgirl23

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Thank you everyone for the advice! I really appreciate it. The vet said that he most likely has Bobcat fever. I don't know if he will pull through....Bobcat fever has a very high death rate. Please pray for my little Salem. 
 (He's a pure black cat.) God bless ya'll. 
 

mservant

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Massive vibes from me.  Really good you took him to see the vet, and that the vet has an idea of what's happening for him.  Stay strong and believe in him, it is amazing what the power of loving, positive thoughts can hold. 

When my cat was a kitten I too thought he was depressed and it turned out he was very sick with infections. He'd almost certainly been in pain for several weeks before I realized the real reason.  It is so hard to know when a cat isn't well at times.

 

stephenq

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Thank you everyone for the advice! I really appreciate it. The vet said that he most likely has Bobcat fever. I don't know if he will pull through....Bobcat fever has a very high death rate. Please pray for my little Salem. 
 (He's a pure black cat.) God bless ya'll. 
I'm very sorry to hear this.  I've never heard of this disease before but i found a link.  There is a blood test that can confirm it.

http://www.knowyourcat.info/health/bobcatfever.htm
 

pharber-murphy

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I've never heard of bobcat fever either, so I Googled it. And I found some good news on Wikipedia:

Cytauxzoon felis is a protozoal organism transmitted to domestic cats by tick bites, and whose natural reservoir host is the bobcat.[1][2][3][4]C. felis has been found in other wild felid species such as Florida bobcat, eastern bobcat, Texas cougar, and a white tiger in captivity.[5][6][7]C. felis infection is limited to the family felidae which means that C. felis poses no zoonotic (transmission to humans) risk or agricultural (tansmission to farm animals) risk. Until recently it was believed that after infection with C. felis, pet cats almost always died. As awareness of C. felis has increased it has been found that treatment is not always futile. More cats have been shown to survive the infection than was previously thought.[1][4][8][9] New treatments offer as much as 60% survival rate.

And some not so good news, too:
 

pharber-murphy

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Sorry, I must have hit the wrong combination of keys.  The Wikipedia site also recommends treatment: All infected cats require supportive care, including careful fluids, nutritional support, treatment for complications, and often blood transfusion.60% of sick cats treated with supportive care and the combination of the anti-malarial drug atovaquone and the antibiotic azithromycin survived infection.[12]

Here's the not-so-good news:

The most often used treatments for cytauxzoonosis are imidocarb dipropionate and a combination of atovaquone and azithromycin. Although imidocarb has been used for years, it is not particularly effective.[12] In a large study,[12] only 25% of cats treated with this drug and supportive care survived.

Quick referral to a veterinarian equipped to treat the disease may be beneficial. Cats that survive the infection should be kept indoors as they can be persistent carriers after surviving infection and might indirectly infect other cats after being themselves bitten by a vector tick.

So, if your little Salem survives, he'll have to adjust to life as an indoor-only cat...

Sending you best wishes for a complete recovery!

Best regards.
 
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dixiecowgirl23

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The vet said that she didn't have the test in-house to confirm. But being that it is May and he was outside for that time and ticks are bad this year that it was the best diagnosis that fit his symptoms. He had a 105 fever at the vet clinic, he had a little bit of jaundice, and he was very dehydrated. He voluntarily ate some food yesterday when I got home from the vets and a little again right before bed. I have been force feeding him recovery food from the vet mixed with water. I also took his temperature this morning and it was 106.9. I had a cold rag and ice pack on him all last night and have him on ice packs right now. I have given him antibiotics for the fever and infection. I will keep you all updated on his progress.  I will definitely be keeping him indoors, if he survives. Trust me I have learned my lesson. Thank you for all the good wishes and information. 
 

mservant

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Do not beat your self up.  Cats get out.   Ticks get carried on clothing and other animals and get brought in to homes.   You got your cat to the vet as soon as you could and your vet looks to have a good idea of cat health and what has caused his symptoms.   This is all positive.  More massive great piles of postitive vibes for your little cat.  May he stay strong and respond to all the medication, love and care that he is getting.  
 

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I'm so sorry that he's so ill. I really hope he's able to make a full recovery in time. As mservant mservant says, he could have picked up a tick inside too. Nothing (short of a plastic bubble) is 100% foolproof when it comes to picking up bugs. Focus on getting him well. :hugs: :vibes:
 

catladyvettech

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I wouldn't rule out bobcat fever but I would explore other options. Have you have him FIV/FLV tested since he got out? It may not explain his sudden symptoms but it's a good idea. With a fever that high at my hospital we usually hospitalize cats so we can give them strong IV antibiotics like baytril/clindamycin/cefazolin, etc plus IV fluids. In my opinion/experience a case like yours requires more than most home care can provide. I would suggest following up with your vet or getting a second opinion.
 

mservant

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How are things going?    I'll be out from now until late tonight but I'll still be thinking of you and sending those vibes even though I won't be on line.   Stray strong.   
 
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