Feral cat sick with froggy voice and cough

feral charly

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Jan 23, 2017
Messages
3
Purraise
1
Charley is 4 yrs old and has been living in my house for 1 & 1/2 years. I had been feeding him outside prior to this. I still cannot pick him up. He will let me pet him just cannot touch his head. He rubs my legs alot when I am standing. Yesterday I noticed he had a froggy voice and a cough. He would not eat & drank very little water & he slept all day. Before he moved in, I had noticed that during winter he would get this froggy voice which was why I started working on getting him in the house. Since he has been in the house, this has not occurred until now. I cannot pick him up to get him in a carrier to get him to a vet, if I can find a vet that will take him. What can I do for him? Can you give a cat Pedialyte or chicken broth to get some fluids in him? Or is there something else to encourage fluids & food? I appreciate any help!
 

shadowsrescue

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Apr 27, 2011
Messages
7,022
Purraise
5,083
Location
Ohio
It sounds as though he may have a kitty cold that reoccurs either from allergies, stress or even just a virus.  To encourage fluids you can use straight chicken broth, but I have found the tuna water from a can of tuna works best.  When cats are congested they cannot smell.  They usually will not eat/drink what they cannot smell.  Tuna juice has a very strong odor.  You can also try salmon juice.  If he will lap the tuna water, you can put a few flecks of the tuna into the water too.  

Also get very strongly scented cat food.  Fancy feast is usually an option.  You need it very stinky so they can smell it.  Tuna is good for a day or so, but they the cat will need cat food.

He may need vet care.  I know you cannot pick him up, but you can get a larger carrier.  I like the medium dog size.  Start feeding him near the opening with the door wide open.  Then start putting the food, into the carrier moving it back every day or so until he is eating inside it full time.  You could even start feeding him full time in the carrier.  

Has he ever been to the vet to be tested for feline illnesses or to receive vaccines?  Also is he neutered?  There are many vets that are used to handling feral/stray cats.  You just need to call around and ask.  When I take my feral boys, the vet has my permission to sedate if needed.  Usually, my vet just takes a long time and works slowly.  Just call around and ask.

If he has never been trapped, using a humane trap would be one way to get him safely and securely to a vet.  He could get vaccines, tests and neuter if needed all in one visit.  

Thank you for taking care of  Charley.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3

feral charly

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Jan 23, 2017
Messages
3
Purraise
1
Thank you so much Shadows rescue for all the advice. Actually he is neutered. I did a TNR here in my neighborhood 3 years ago. 21 cats, I thought they were all owned. Charley was out of the last litter born at my neighbor's house. I will call around for a vet and try the tuna. His regular food is Fancy Feast. Whatever this is, my other socialized cat does not have it. Thanks again for your help, I really appreciate!
 

shadowsrescue

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Apr 27, 2011
Messages
7,022
Purraise
5,083
Location
Ohio
Thank you so much Shadows rescue for all the advice. Actually he is neutered. I did a TNR here in my neighborhood 3 years ago. 21 cats, I thought they were all owned. Charley was out of the last litter born at my neighbor's house. I will call around for a vet and try the tuna. His regular food is Fancy Feast. Whatever this is, my other socialized cat does not have it. Thanks again for your help, I really appreciate!
Awesome that he is neutered!  More awesome that you did TNR on 21 cats!!!  

You might look into a product called Lysine.  It is used on cats that have recurrent upper respiratory issues.  You could ask your vet about it too.  I have a cat that has the upper respiratory herpes virus.  He was very sick as a kitten.  Each year he gets some form of it.  He may sneeze a lot, get a runny eye(s) and occasionally gets very congested.  It can happen with allergies, change in the weather or stress.  My other cats do not get it either.  I used to give Lysine daily.  I used a granular product that I mixed into his food.  I then stopped and started him an immune system booster.  This has done a good job.  I still used the lysine, but only when I start to see his eye get runny.  I am now using the treat formula.  It comes in paste, granular or treat.  

This is what I am using now.  
You might ask your vet about it.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5

feral charly

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Jan 23, 2017
Messages
3
Purraise
1
Thank you so much for the information, now I am wondering if this is what he has. Two of my neighbors that take care of the last 7 cats we have and none of them are sick! We socialized and rehomed the other 14 cats from the TNR. These folks are amazing! Charley finally ate some pink salmon and the juice tonight at two different times. I am very encouraged. I wish I could buy salmon and tuna juice, he just loves the Fancy feast broths, he is a gravy kitty! I called vets today and was able to find one that would treat ferals. Then I had a thought tonight, I am going to call the humane society tomorrow. They did the TNR and I also heard they do low cost treatments. I will call to find out if that is true! Next will be the trauma for him of trying to get him in the carrier and the trauma of other people working on him! I always feel so bad for them! Thanks again for all of your help, I so much appreciate it! I was feeling so helpless, I didn't know what to do! Give me a dog and I got it handled, but a cat is a different story for me! I am learning tho! Candy
 

shadowsrescue

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Apr 27, 2011
Messages
7,022
Purraise
5,083
Location
Ohio
I know carrier trauma well.  I have found that using a large carrier works so much easier.  There is nothing harder than trying to stuff a wiggly flaying cat into a small carrier.  I even tried the top loader with little success.  My cats are all on the long side so a regular cat carrier is uncomfortable for them.  I have two carriers right now that are way big, but so much easier to stuff the cat inside.  The door is nice and wide and tall.  One of my carriers is mesh.  It works well as the door rolls up and then zips closed.  When I brought one of my feral cats inside, I used this to feed him in and then get to the vet.  I still use it with him today as it is so much easier for me.

The Humane Society is a great idea.  I hope they can get you in quickly and that you can manage the carrier.  I also found that closing them into a room that is cat proofed with the carrier helps.  I use towels and pillows to block under all furniture.  I then just leave the carrier in the room.  When it's time to get the cat, they have no where to run or hide.  

Let us know how it all turns out.
 
Top