Cat with possible URI/Feline Herpes?

So there's a cat that's been coming around my door that I've been putting food out for.  He/she is SUPER affectionate and seems decently fed, coat in decent shape, etc, but lately she's got super goopy eyes and drools everywhere.  I live in an apartment complex and I have no idea if someone owns her and is ignoring the problem (like I said, she doesn't appear to be starving) or if she's being fed somewhere else.  I'm very worried about her, but I live on disability and have very little in the way of money, myself.  Is there anything at all I can do for this cat?

Thanks,
Amy

Um, second problem - the other super affectionate, possibly-owned cat that I feed regularly just showed up.  I literally have two cats fighting over me, and I'm not sure what to do about keeping them from making each other sick  : |

It would be really helpful if you knew for sure whether or not they are strays. This page on PetEducation has info on the two most common causes of URIs http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+2134&aid=210

She really should be taken in and cared for, my guess is she is a stray or a very neglected cat whose owner doesn't deserve her. You are right to worried about the other stray as URIs are very contagious. I guess it all depends on what you are able and willing to do. I have nursed three of my cats at home with no vet through URIs. The danger is if pneumonia develops, so I listened to their lungs several times a day by putting my ear to their stomachs. I gave my cats Lysine treats as they help the body to fight viruses. Many vets will prescribe antibiotics at the outset, but I really don't agree with this approach as antibiotics are for bacteria and not viruses. I also used the homeopathic remedy Pulsatilla to help them with their stuffiness by putting a few pellets in their food.

It is also possible that it's a bacterial eye infection. Are there any other symptoms you are aware of?

Are you aware of any low cost clinics in your area if the need arises? Try putting "low cost vet clinic" in Google and local options should come up. Be really careful if you own cats as you could transfer the virus from her to them.

Unfortunately, there's very little I *can* do right now.  I live on limited income and I don't have a pet deposit.  The last time I wound up taking in a stray, I had him for about 2-3 weeks before I could find him a home, and I was absolutely terrified the whole time that I'd get evicted for having a cat in my apartment.  I will try to find some Lysine treats or supplements to give them.  Is there a brand you recommend?

I don't think I'll have much luck with vets.  I haven't gotten a particularly good impression of the vets in my town.  Most of them won't do a thing if you don't have money or you can't qualify for Care Credit, and some of them will outright shame you if you don't have the money for things.  One of my friends brought her cat in after a neighbor deliberately ran him over with their car.  The vet told her they might be able to save him, but it'd cost about $9000.  She was a poor college student at the time, and they made her feel like garbage when she told them she simply didn't have anything even approaching that kind of money.  I'll look around, but I don't have high hopes

Kitty #1 - I call him Mystery - really is a mystery to me.  He seems in pretty good shape, I picked him up recently to make sure his fur wasn't making him look better fed than he really is, and he was actually surprisingly heavy.  Since he started hanging out with me, though, that's pretty much what he does.  He shows up at my place in the morning and hangs out in the bushes or near my front stoop all day.  I feed, water, and love on him whenever I can.  He usually vanishes around 7-8pm - I don't know if he goes home or if he just goes off to do kitty things.  Just tonight, though, he showed up  about half an hour ago, so who knows?

Kitty #2 has been coming around for several weeks.  I've spotted her munching on the dry food I leave out for strays, but she's always run away if she saw me.  Until just last night I could never get her to come near me, but I tried again, and for some reason, last night she decided to give me a chance.  Ever since then, she's pretty much hung out in the bushes or under cars in the parking lot in front of my apartment.  I keep putting dry food out and water for her.  I tried to wipe some of the goop out of her eyes this morning, but she really didn't like that.  I got what little I could and dabbed a little antibiotic ointment around the inner corners of her eyes.  She's not super crazy about Mystery, she's already swatted him a few times when he came too close.  Right now, I'm just doing what I can to keep them from fighting or contaminating each other.  It's really hard right now because I've been leaving water out (I live in Georgia, it's HOT out) so I'm kind of worried they've already drunk out of the same dish anyway  : |

The kind I got were VETRI LYSINE PLUS BITE-SIZED CHEWS, but several companies make them. I've seen them at my local pet shops (not the national chains, their prices are usually higher). You could check store websites or call to see if they have any. Sorry to hear about the vets in your area. There are organizations like Red Rover that give grants for vet care that you could check out or just search "veterinary care assistance programs" on Google and see what comes up. My only other thought is, if there are any organizations locally that do Trap-Neuter-Return, they may have more resources and be more willing to help. Hopefully she will be able to fight it off with the help of Lysine, also a high quality canned food might also help her immune system. Good luck and thanks for doing what you can

Hey, thank you so much for the help and the encouraging words : )  I'm about to go order some of those lysine chews.  They should be perfect since Kitty2 has turned out to be one of those rare animals that completely ignores canned food over dry.  She actually scared the bejeezus out of me the first time I gave her food (canned) because she acted like it wasn't even there, and I thought for sure she was too far gone for help if she wasn't even interested in food anymore.  The second I tried the dry food, though, she dug right in.  I've only tried her on a chicken flavor canned food, but she might respond to something smellier, like seafood.  Either way, I'm gonna keep my fingers crossed that she'll snap up the chews.

Your welcome! Hope she gets better soon!

Had kind of a disheartening evening - I got some terramycin for goopy eyed cat and unsuccessfully tried to get some of it into her eyes which made her VERY upset. She growled at me and went and hid under a car for a while afterward, and she's never done that since she starting hanging around me. Not sure what to do