New User - Please help with advice for sick / injured stray

karenereimels

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Background 

About 2 weeks ago we started sighting a very skittish orange tiger cat in our area. We tried to feed and then humane trap, but he is too skittish to even come near.  

I then started just feeding, no trap and I can now sit on the deck steps while he eats.  I cough, sneeze or move - he's out of there. 

I have succesfully taken in strays before and currently have 2 cats who occasionally go outside.  ( I;ve been keeping them in since orange cat showed up ). 

Tigger is in very poor shape.  He's very very skinny and appears to be injured.  It looks like something happened with his neck and chin.  under his chin - it looks like the skin is scraped off and on one side of his neck and under his abdomen - same thing.

At first I though he maybe had an abscess burst - but I cant't tell.  

He is curious about us and if we are late feeding now he will creep around and peer in our slider.   I have a feeling he is an abandoned or lost pet. 

His condition is so poor, I am afraid he will die of neglect etc.  

I contacted animal control and they suggested the humane trap - but as I noted above, not working.  They did say he would not be euthanized out of hand and they would keep him quarantined if it turned out to be a bite wound. 

Advice Needed 

All I can do ( other than to pray for the poor thing to St .Frances of Assissi ) is to feed him and provide water.  

I've been giving a can of cat food daily, but tonight he seemed to have trouble eating it. 

Any suggestions ? I'm looking for feeding suggestions that migh put some weight on him as well as be easy to chew. 

I'd love any other suggestions - I really do not want to see it suffer or die a slow death. 
 

rif2

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If you can get antibiotics from your vet, many ferals will eat antibiotic 'layered' in wet food. Some antibiotics are less noticeable than others taste-wise, if tablet crush into powder and 'layer' in between small amount wet food. Don't want the powder or liquid to be first thing he smells / tastes, is why I'm saying to layer it in small amount food. Can put another small amount wet food without antibiotic on plate or wherever putting the food, hope he'll eat one of dollops, decide wet food tastes good. Some ferals suspicious of every new thing including plain wet cat food.

Sometimes, pretty often, just helping with infection, even if can't treat wound itself, does a lot of good.

If vet uncooperative, and if have any antibiotics yourself from old scrip, with great care could see if is one used for cats also, at what dosage per ten lb cat, but equating dosages to correct cat dose must be done carefully. Is best if vet will give you scrip or pills.
 

rif2

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If very weak / dehydrated / failing to eat, sometimes Gerber 1st stage meat baby food -- Gerber because it has cornstarch in it, so can mix up a bit more liquid into it-- with a tablespoon or two of pedialyte liquid mixed into one of itty jars, can make big difference. They can just lap it, don't really have to chew. I usually mix up one of the packets of pedialyte powder with the appropriate amount of water-- ? Eight ounces? rather than use premixed pedialyte, in water bottle, then keep in fridge.

...and of course make sure there's fresh water right near his food, probably already doing that, but if he's in poor shape it might be hard for him to go somewhere else, creek or canal or wherever, to get water, even if it's not very far to go.
 

di and bob

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I get over the counter antibiotics from my vet, I explain it's for a feral who can't be brought in who has a wound. Then I give a dropperful mixed into a small amount of tuna juice to hide the taste at feeding time. then give the rest of the tuna when he is done. I can get tuna at Walmart for 2.50 for a four pack, so it is very affordable for a while. He definitely sounds like he needs some nutrition, his jaw may be hurt. I would try some kitten replacement milk, it is a little pricey  but cats love it and it is used to build up sickly cats too, all the luck!
 
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karenereimels

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Thank you very much - the baby food worked really well.  We 've been feeding a small jar, topped with one of the paste cat treat pouches.  he could eat without it hurting his jaw and neck 

In fact he was so intent on his food he didn;t notice that he pushed his plate very near my feet ! 

We are going to start giving him 2 jars and hopefully we can get some antibiotics from the vet.  I'm going to look into making my own since it would be cheaper ( my husband pointed out that I never made our son;s baby food LOL ) 

Under his jaw and neck - no fur and it's all black - I don't know if it is a scab or really scraped and bruised.  Looks very painful and just awful.

I appreciate all the advice - thank you 

Karen
 

rif2

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It's hard to get stuff ground up as fine as the gerber, I used to try with an ancient vitamix when had a feral with wild strain of ?calicivirus? that gave him sores on tongue. Possibly if figured out how to use tiny itty itty bit cornstarch would help keep ground up food kind of suspended, wouldn't want to use too much cornstarch tho and constipate him or give him digestive problems. Also possible newer version of powerful blenders would do better than ancient square-bodied versions, at grinding things very fine.

Antibiotics: are two or three that are given as once daily doses, instead of multiple times a day. There's one... Can't remember which at moment... That is formulated as a "flavor tab" sometimes. Cats of course won't eat it by itself, but taste and smell not as objectionable when crushed in food as some, I'm guessing. But hopefully your vet will have some idea, once daily, and probably want a broad spectrum antibiotic, and one that isn't horrible tasting to cats. Though even if supposed to be multiple times daily and can only give single dose, may help.

Black skin or wound surface sounds pretty scary, is it also swollen or weepy or can you tell at all? Could it be chemical burns, or maybe from being scraped on the road? ...doesn't really matter, only so much you can do for a cat you can't touch or handle, antibiotics and food and water and maybe pedialyte.

Is there a shady / safe / decent temperature spot near where you feed him? If there's a table or bush he might hang out under near food and water source, if he gets worse ( hope he gets better!) ...if he gets really really really bad, you might be able to just pick him up with welding gloves and put him in carrier. Not something you would want to do unless he was very plainly pretty much unable to move anymore, couldnt even crawl. Because if he's not that bad, it'd just scare him off and then he wouldn't even have water and food. You really don't want to scare him off, and I've seen true ferals who couldn't stand up manage to drag themselves away faster than you'd believe they could move. On the other hand, if he gets that bad you might just want to make sure ants aren't bothering him and leave him safe under bush near water to, eep. Ants tho. Eep. Depressing depressing, eep.

But _very_ hopeful sounding that he's enthusiastic about food he can manage to get down, also thinking you may be right about being lost or dumped pet, sounds like he's coming closer to you. At the very least, you have made what days he has as full of mercy as you can. ...and with some luck, he will have years still, full of good days.
 
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karenereimels

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Quick update: 

He was sitting on the patio today looking for his dinner.  I;ve been leaving the paper plates out that he ate on to remind him that food comes in this spot. ( it;s only one day old plate ).  He scooted under the steps - but then kept coming out and peering around the slider to see where we were. 

He seems pretty energetic today.  We gave him 2 jars and he lapped it up. he was trying to chew - so I might mix it up a bit for him.  

At first I thought the wound was an abcess that burst.  One of my cats about 20 years ago had it happened and it looked like she had been in a battle.  I think the dark area is a scab.  I almost think he got caught somewhere or in some equiment and panicked and hurt himself trying to escape.  

He's not as skeletal as he was before, not a healthy weight - but looking a bit better.  

My husband and I sit outside with him when he eats.  My husband moved his leg and Cosmo ( that's my name for him - anyone remember Seinfield ) started to panic, took 2 steps then came back to his dish.  Little bits of progress. 

I'm conditioning him that if he comes and sits on the deck /patio -  I will feed him.  ( Even if it is just a bit of a treat on a plate. 

My other 2 kitties are suprememly jealous over the babyfood jars and want that food desperately. 
 

msaimee

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Most vets won't prescribe antibiotics for a cat they haven't seen within a year because it's illegal for them to do so. If this is the case for you, you can purchase Fishmox on the Internet legally. It's Amoxicillin capsules used for fish but can also be used for cats or humans. I can post the website where i have purchased them and PM you the dose info tomorrow when I get home from work. You can also search this site because I've posted this info before. When you catch this cat it will be important to keep him separate from your other cats and to get him to a vet for medical treatment and to have him tested for Feline AIDS and Leukemia ("SNAP" test). Good thoughts and prayers sent your way for this kitty.
 
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rif2

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Baby food: can also mix in just teaspoon or two of water or pedialyte to make it teeny bit more "soupy" . Don't want it really liquid, but just a little thinner, still kind of holding its shape when put on plate, but a bit easier to lap at.

Other food things I've tried (I'd try them as additional offerings on extra plate, want him to keep eating the jars of baby food since know he likes that and is getting it down successfully. But not a lot of calories in baby food, so may want to see if can add in other things)

you can try putting ground wet canned food (pate type) through a strainer with extremely fine mesh, to get out the bones and bigger pieces etc in the food, then see if he'll lap that up if mix with liquid to same texture as baby food. I haven't had great success with that, but you could put down a second plate with some strained cat food. ( I think even the strained stuff is bad texture to lap, itty bone pieces get through mesh of strainer)

Science diet makes a canned food called... I think it's 'AD', anorexia diet? That's designed to be syringe feedable, or anyway is used to syringe feed, so it's super fine grind. Cats generally hate it, and is too thick to lap, but can be diluted with water or tuna juice to make it thinner, could try for about same texture as baby food, and see if he'd be able to lap up. ...but the AD type may be kind of Science Diet you need to get from vet. Anyway, could see if he'd be interested in that as additional offering.

Making your own ground up stuff-- oddly enough, of the fish I tried that with years back, catfish gave the best results. Fillets, so no bones, I poached it in just water, removed any skin, put in vitamix ... added the very least amount of water that would work to get it started grinding, then ground and scraped down sides and ground and ground. And ground. The ground catfish will, by itself, sort of ...semi gell, when refrigerated. Other fish wouldn't, anyway, it was the best texture I got trying to make stuff that could be lapped up.

Never thought of this back then, but maybe you could use some dissolved gelatin in water used while grinding, to help give lap able texture?

Antibiotics: if can get picture of him on phone or camera, maybe through sliding doors so don't scare him off, can try convincing vet has now seen cat within year. Also, some vets more used to dealing with ferals and barn cats and people caring for animals they can't bring in yet, much more cooperative than other vets. If your vet is stubborn, if are any TNR groups in your area, can try calling them, see if they have recommendation for vet or treatment or other ideas re food he could eat, too. Hate to say it, but some rescue group persons / orgs can be as bad as vets about gotta do it my way or no way, so if one group or person says you gotta trap him when you can't yet, can try talking to another.

Fish amoxy-- think amoxy may be multiple times a day antibiotic, but if can't get antibiotic from vet is sure better than no antibiotic. If skin scraped off in equipment or on road or however, thinking antibiotic very important. Okay, really, any wound, pretty important, when can't treat it else wise. ...thinking I may order some myself, my vet is pretty good, I prefer to get antibiotics there, but.

Ditto on good thoughts and prayers for you and yours.
 

msaimee

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The correct dose of Amoxicillin for a 1 cat is 5-10mg per pound of cat once or twice a day for 7-10 days. For a 10 lb cat that is 50-10mg once or twice a day. Fishmox comes in 250mg capsules. I mix five day's worth of doses at a time and refrigerate.
I mix two 250mg capsules (500mg) into 10 ml of water in a small cup or pill container. You can purchase a ml syringe from vets office. You syringe 1 ml into cat's wet food twice a day for 7 days. Even if you only get one dose into the cat a day it will be effective, but you need to give it 7-10 days or the infection can come back. I mix it into tuna. If you're unable to get a ml syringe, let me know and I'll explain dose in another way.

Vets aren't being difficult or anti-feral when they won't prescribe antibiotics for a cat they haven't examined within the year. It's actually against the law and they could lose their license. Some vets get around this by prescribing for one of a person's cats that they have seen within the year so the antibiotic can be given to the feral. If there's any way you can trap the cat to get it to the vet, this is the ideal. The feral I had been treating for multiple infections, when I was finally able to catch him, was diagnosed with end stage Feline AIDS and had to be euthanized. He might have been infecting other cats for quite some time. This is why it's always best to get a sick cat to the vet for proper diagnosis and treatment. The Fishmox is a temporary solution only.
 
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karenereimels

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Thanks everyone. When we had our dog in for checkup we talked about cat with vet and he is very sympathetic

Cosmo is sleeping under bushes in sheltered courtyard type garden

I'm keeping my cats indoors to be on the safe side.

He acted like he wanted to chew so maybe I'll experiment with some ground up cat food

Love all the suggestions. Thanks
 
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