I had a stray cat follow me home a month and a half ago. Leo a one year old gray tabby, followed my husband and I home. We thought he may be someone else's cat so we even crossed the street and he followed us across the street, and all the home and into our house. Leo was affectionate, a lap cat and very pleasant. I took Leo ti the vet and he got his first round of shots, test for FIV, and lukeimia, all negative. He had no microchip, no fleas, is unneutered, he only had an ear infection. I had walked him to the vet in a pet stroller and he loved it. He hated me putting in the ear drops but dealt with it he was ok. He was still happy eating, drinking only milk at first no water. He was using litter box wuthin 1-2 days, I showed him how ti use litter box. Then he stopped the milk was eating wet dry food and water from a tea cup haha. We have had him for a month and a half now. About a few weeks ago he started howling, yowling, and crying, then he urine marked twice, started spraying all around the house. The crying was so loud we keep him in bathroom at night. He was fine after that too. Then he bit and scratched me very hard. He bit my husband a couple days later, he was a bit iut of control. Even howling, crying, spraying alk day and night. I had set a day to get him neutered then had to cancel because couldnt afford it. I got Petsmart pet insurance but had to pay $50 for medicine, just didnt have the money. One day he sprayed 7 times in the house and I have a small efficency and just decided to let him outside. He returned the next day and was fine. I brought s spray called Kids-N- Pets to elliminate spray and urine markings and sprayed where he had urine marked and sprayed and then sprayed it all over the apartment. He didnt spray or urine mark again and hasn't done it again. Anytime he cried loud at night we tried to ignore but we were losing sleep and exhausted. So now at night if he cries to go out we let him out and he returns every morning crying at the door. So things are pretty good, but he now has fleas we got a flea collar doesn't seem to work completly yet he still has some flead. How long should it take for a flea collar to work, I got it on last Saturday. He was also wanting to go out during the day. Then we brought a harness and leash on Saturday our cat was in his pet stroller. We put the flea collar on, and harness leash. He got off leash / harness in parking lot and jumped on cars then hid under a car. I got Lei out and in the car. Then my husband put the harness and leash on him. We took Leo to a park and he loved it. Leo even got in different trees, he had a lot of fun. After having fun at the park leo didn't want to go outside during the day at all only at night. There are a couple if other stray or feral cats out there and they were even coming to our front and sliding glass door. I suspected one of these cats were in heat when he started spraying or it was just a territorial thing. So now things are almost pretty good no spraying, crying yowling. Only a few fleas only going out at night, no problem for us. The problem I am having now is Leo doesn't use the litter box at all. Is he going ouyside, and even though he is in the house all day is it normal for a cat not to use litter box all day and only use bathroom at night outside? I have to wait till I get money from school to get him neutered. How do I get Leo, to use litter box during the day. Is this abnormal behavior should I call the vet??
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Stray cat help!!!!
- Thread starter leo lady
- Start Date
first. ALL his bad behavior is becuase he is now a matured tom. Not all toms has it so badly, but he has. So, raise the money by lending or something as soon you can, and or find a cheap vet clinic, and get him neutered. After all, neutering of a male isnt that big operation, it shouldnt cost much.
It should be a little better in perhaps 2 weeks, perhaps already in the first week, as he isnt very territorial nor aggressive. totally it will take 4-8 weeks.
Observe though, he will be still fertile for at least one week after the surgery.
Second. Dont use the flea collar anymore, unless you are SURE its ok. Most flea collars arent good some are even harmful even poisonous for both cat and the nature. Although I know Bayer produces now a flea collar, which I suppose is OK. But this is THE exception.
You seems to have possibility to free advices from your vet? Ask then what OTC preparates are to get in your neigbourhood, which are cheap and safe.
Otherwise, for example Revolution drop on takes both fleas, mites and most worms.
And yes, some cats whom can go out, dont use litter at home, are making all theirs outside. But you can get unpleasant surprises... So do have that litter in home, even if he seldom uses it.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #3
Thank you, I was a bit worried Leo wasn't using the litter box when in all day. I guess he goes outside at night. I should be able to have the $50 for the neutering and medicine in a week or so, when get school money. Hopefully maybe the nuetering will make him not want to go outside at all anymore. The vet put the flea collar on and said it was safe. Good that the cat is using bathroom outside. I have the litter box just in case. I will call the vet tmrrw to ask her advice also and see if can just get necessary medicine so dont have to pay the $50 for meds
There are OK prescription free dewormers to buy OTC too. The problem some are ok, some not, and you must know. By a similiar reason, its difficult to give advices not knowing what brands are there you live.
Also, trying to avoid doubling up...
For example, if you can get Revolution (google on it, there may be other brand names too on this preparate) - you dont need any more de-fleaser. It takes round worms too. But you may need something which takes tape-worms.
Tape worms cats gets from prey - if he is any decent hunter for example.
They can also get tape worms from fleas, as fleas are in between hosts for tape worms...
So in practice, round worms are most common of the internal parasites. Revolution as menitoned, Also Pyrantel containing preparates are usually safe and mild - they take round worms.
Drontal and Milbomax are two good brands whom take both round worms and tape worms, but they dont take outside parasites.
Panacur takes many different parasites including all internal worms, but its rather hefty "horse medicine". Nothing for the weak nor small kittens!
As a rule of thumb, brands made by big factories also doing human medicines, or medicines for usage by veterinarians and veterinary hospitals, are good and safe. Also their quality control is first rate. They dont want any negative rumors nor bad reputation.
While the factories making OTC preparates directly to the end consumer, ie cat owner, are very uneven. The recipe may be bad. The quality control is almost always worse. Not only their own quality control is at best uneven, but also the QC of their subcontractors...
So avoid such products as much you can, even if you find their recipe is OK.
So a way is to go to where you can find the dewormers at your place, write down the brand names, go home and google on them. Or ask here at our forum.
Or if you find preparates and the combination you are sure of and need, buy them online. This way you arent depending on what your local pet shop carries.
- Here in Sweden we buy all medicines in our Apothece/Pharmacia, so we dont have the same problem. We may have difficulty to find the right preparate, but all the quality control is already done, and the preparates sold are OK for use on cats.
You can purchase Frontline Plus for cats on ebay for about 6 dollars a dose, which is cheaper than any vets or pet store. Drontal is the least expensive de-wormer at about 6 or 7 dollars. If he doesn't have symptoms of worms, you could hold off on that.
I can almost guarantee that the reason your cat is yowling, urine marking and wanting out is because there is a female cat in heat nearby. When you let him out, he is likely mating or trying to mate. Which means that in a few months, he may be bringing his kittens to you (yes, some Toms bring their kittens to their human caregiver--my Tom did- three of them live inside my home). Can your vet make a payment plan for you to get him neutered ASAP? Is there a Humane Society near you with a low or no cost spay/neuter clinic? Can someone lend you the money? Once you get him neutered he will settle down and will likely be a happy indoor cat.
I can almost guarantee that the reason your cat is yowling, urine marking and wanting out is because there is a female cat in heat nearby. When you let him out, he is likely mating or trying to mate. Which means that in a few months, he may be bringing his kittens to you (yes, some Toms bring their kittens to their human caregiver--my Tom did- three of them live inside my home). Can your vet make a payment plan for you to get him neutered ASAP? Is there a Humane Society near you with a low or no cost spay/neuter clinic? Can someone lend you the money? Once you get him neutered he will settle down and will likely be a happy indoor cat.
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