Buddy the stray/feral update

Buddy had a vet appointment today. (In a previous post I talked about her.)
This morning, during our normal greeting and feeding on the porch, I fed her a little then picked her up and put her in the bathroom.
She did not like it. I provided her crate which she got in for safety. She did come out to eat eventually.
When I came back home to pick her up, she was back in the crate. I closed the door and took her to the vet. She did very well.

She had her eye checked out. She was treated with a shot for worms, and I was given one by mouth worm treatment today and one for two weeks from today.

The thing in her eye turns out is a lesion from cat herpes. Which was what I was afraid of... i also spoke with the vet about buddy's occasional sneezing and I've heard her make a sound I guess is a cough (I am not sure I've heard a cat just cough), and how lately I've heard meow raspy like she's losing her voice. The vet said there was nothing going on with her nose and throat. I am concerned.
I've spoken to a couple of vets. One told me if the cat did have herpes there were ways to make it manageable and that if I brought buddy inside the chances of patches catching it were low.

However this vet today said feline herpes is airborne. I couldn't find that information anywhere. Did she just mean it's so easy to come in contact that it might as well be airborne? Also the vet wanted to try all treatments before going the antibiotic route.

Buddy is currently recovering from a stressful day. She had a flee bath, ear drops and eye ointment. She is safe in the bathroom with her self heating mat and her crate. She's already forgiven me and we've had several pet sessions and belly rubs.

My indoor cat is livid. Every time I come out of the bathroom she hisses. Took her a bit to stop pouting and come out and play. I got feliway for buddy in the bathroom, but I guess I should have gotten a second one for the living room for Patches. She never had to share her space in the five years she's owned me.

Since I already have an indoor cat, how do I keep her safe from getting kitty herp?

I live in a tiny one bedroom, there isn't much room. I am scared of keeping buddy shut up in a bathroom, it seems unfair. ( But she also has a scratch on her head from a mean Tom cat who's been coming around trying to make his way on the porch. Buddy is tough, once he got mean, trying to take over her porch she scared him off.)

I am torn between keeping Buddy inside and safe and keeping Patches safe from illness. Advise?

sorry I meant to attach this before submitting the post. This is Buddy
.

This is patches

I was getter worried because Buddy hadn't used the rest room. Buddy just peed in her crate, I've introduced her to the litter box several times but she wants to spend all her time in something covered. Maybe I should get a covered cat box.

I've been able to coax her out for a few minutes at a time. She curled up in my lap for a few minutes before going back in the crate.

Is it normal for a cat to not go #2 for over 24 hours? Is this a side effect of the tape worm medicine? I've never dealt with anything like this.

I actually have experience with herpes and actually it's highly contagious. When I brought Indy home Kabby caught it from her within three weeks. He had flu like symptoms for about a week then got better. Of course he is 8 years old and has all his shots so that makes a difference.

I wouldn't be horribly concerned if patch is an adult. Worst case scenario she has flu symptoms for a week or two. It's kittens that are at risk of complications from it.


Depending on how much your cat eats the quality of the food and whether or not it's canned you may not see bm for a day or two. My cats go every two to three days. So not really a need to be worried about the bathroom yet.

Thank you for the feedback and information.

Just to clarify, patches is and adult and all her shots are updated, so that means her exposure to this should just act like the flu and then be fine? It wouldn't end up doing the same thing and giving her eye lesions and a raspy meow, and whatever else it is showing up as in buddy? That would be a huge relief if it was the case.

Patches is 5.5 years old and has always been an only cat. She's having a hard time adjusting to just the smell right now.

It seems unfair to put buddy back outside (only if it is what she wants), it seems unfair to expose my indoor cat to an illness. I am just heartbroken, confused, and worried for what's best for both of them.

I can't say for sure all cats are different but according to my vet it's mostly young kittens and cats with an immune system weakness that are hit hard by herpes your cat is in her prime right now.

I definitely wouldn't let the two meet nose to nose yet. Here's an article about introducing two cats. Do not dump buddy back outside it is dangerous out there.

http://www.felinebehaviorsolutions.com/cat-introductions-101-patience/

Agreed. Everything in me doesn't want buddy back outside. It's cold, it's hot, is dangerous for a million reasons. This whole thing between her and I this year was because her situation got worse. (I've fed her when I've seen her, which was once or twice a year, for the past five years). Finally because thing were bad for her this winter, she finally trusted me to feed her regularly and we built a relationship from there.

About a week ago, they had a face to face meeting on accident. Patches okay there's no he likes to run out the front door and sit on the porch just to prove that she can. Well she doesn't usually do it and I eat and that evening but he was on the porch waiting for dinner as usual. Patches went to run out the door so buddy his and ran back inside, but who would never walk in the door before saw patches and was like "oh hey! another cat!" and then tried to walk in the apartment. I put patches In the bedroom and buddy went back outside ready and waiting for pre dinner pets.

Outside of that, every thing else has been them watching each another through the window before buddy came in to the bathroom. I have no plans on just shoving them together at all.

I am prepared for months of work. I've got a gate set up for when buddy is healthy and healed. They can eat with a blanket over the gate one on each side. Then later, based on patches adjustments because she's the only one upset by buddy, buddy isn't upset by seeing her at all, when patches hows signs of being comfortable with eating by the gate, I'll lift the blanket on the gate up a little so they can peak at each other. From there I'll remove the blanket completely. All of this being monitored of course, no unchaperoned contact of any kind. Once patches shows signs of being fine with full view, I'll do brief play times where they can both be in the same room. Separating at the first signs of aggression. Until they are comfortable with each other for extended periods of time, they won't be left alone with each other.

We are on day three and buddy still hasn't used the restroom save peeing that one time in the crate. I out up a blanket over the corner with the litter box to provide privacy and rubber band it to the door knobs. Hopefully that will help. She just drank water for the first time since Friday too. So hopefully she'll use the litter box soon. I've ordered one with a cover since I think she will prefer that.

Also I think patches was upset by the gate, not buddy in the bathroom. She seems indifferent to the smell of buddy on a sock. And she only hisses when the gate is up. If the gate is down she doesn't hiss at me when I come out of the bathroom. Part of patches routine is to be near the bathroom door to great you every time you come out. With the gate there she can't do that I assume it makes her feel shunned/ left out. She's been super loving all day (well loving by her standards).

So progress yay!

Picture of our tiny bathroom

You sound like you've done your research on introduction. As for the box are you sure she isn't peeing someplace else? Three days without peeing is pretty concerning a healthy cat should pee once a day. How's her appetite? Will she let you pet her? I'd she's blocked she will be in a lot of pain and probably won't eat much.

She eating her normal amount so far. She gets feed twice a day, 7am and 7pm, about a half ounce of dry food (with water in it because she wasn't drinking before today) and a half ounce of wet food for each meal (1/4 of a 2 ounce can). She is letting me pet her. She also rolls over and let's me rub her belly. She's shown no physical discomfort, she's only cried when she's scared so far. Other wise she is quiet. She isn't going to the bathroom any where. I've checked :/ everywhere.

This is quite a mystery to me then. I do know a blocked urethra is extremely important to have checked since it can be fatal. But since she's eating so well and you are even able to touch her tummy it doesn't sound like she's blocked. Blocked cats will often not let you touch their belly because of the pain. Also they go off their food and just seem miserable. I'm stumped here.

Hi, Kolie.  Something here, correct me if I'm wrong, screams out territorial violations "of all kinds" (if I may borrow a youngsters term).  Patches watched from the window, as it's their territory, their safe haven being intruded upon. Now Buddy is inside and more than likely feeling threatened knowing that they are in the midst of "all kinds of wrong" being another cat's territory.  Buddy is probably afraid to potty for that reason.  My formerly outdoor cat gets "livid" if another outdoor cat repeatedly brushes against my pants leg.  I get treated like a hubby returning home after frolicking in a brothel.  Food for thought.

KatKnapper said:

Hi, Kolie.  Something here, correct me if I'm wrong, screams out territorial violations "of all kinds" (if I may borrow a youngsters term).  Patches watched from the window, as it's their territory, their safe haven being intruded upon. Now Buddy is inside and more than likely feeling threatened knowing that they are in the midst of "all kinds of wrong" being another cat's territory.  Buddy is probably afraid to potty for that reason.  My formerly outdoor cat gets "livid" if another outdoor cat repeatedly brushes against my pants leg.  I get treated like a hubby returning home after frolicking in a brothel.  Food for thought.

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While this is true, with patience most cats even alphas will at least tolerate each other with time.

Hector (RIP) was born and grew up on the streets in the rougher crowd she was a tiny girl with the spirit of a tiger.

When I brought Kabby home she freaked the freak out hissing and snarling if he even turned his head in her direction but with time this stopped and the two became inseparable:


Kabby in front Hector behind.


The moral is never give up especially in the beginning.

It's been 24 hours since she peed. Still no bowel movements. We had a tummy rub before eye and ear medicine. Then I feed her and she ate.

If she doesn't at least have an accident by the time I get home from work tomorrow, we are going to the vet.

Buddy's tummy rubs

Buddy eating

IndyJones said:

I'm stumped here.

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Me too :/

I wonder if being out of her norm and so afraid that she's holding it in?   I took my cat from outdoors to inside while on vacation, so I was able to feed him nothing but wet can food.  It wasn't until he received an x-ray shortly after, that the Vet noticed something, and ask if he had been showing signs of constipation.  I had noticed he was going less, drinking less water and that his stool was more compact.  After returning to a work week he ate mostly kibble, then wet food morning and evening.  At one point I was ready to mix home prepared sweet potato with his wet food, but then I found out that the kibble was helping him stay regular.  With it he drank lots more water. 

I've never heard of pee shyness in cats before.

Cats that pee, also gotta poop.  What about poop shyness?  Remember she's not on her own turf, but that of a dominate rival.

At this point I don't care where she uses the bathroom as long as she uses it. I am worried. I don't know if it's a shyness issue, if it's a territory issue, or if it's a side effect of the tape worm and tapeworm medicine.

I can only guess she has her outdoor places under some bushes she is used to going to and this box in the corner means nothing to her.

The only reason I don't think it's a territory issue for buddy is because how when she saw patches in the door that one time she walked right in the house without an issue, which she had never done before. Before she was wary of coming inside. And buddy has been face marking everything in the bathroom as hers when we start our pet sessions. Patches never spent much time in the bathroom before. It may be she doesn't like using the rest room where she eats and sleeps. I had her bedding/crate on the other side of the bathroom but she wasn't coming out of the box since it was so close to the door. Unfortunately, where the box is behind the red curtain is the only place I can put the box.

Exciting update!

Buddy had a #1 and #2 accident about an hour after my last post. I don't ever care right now that she doesn't understand how to use the litter box, I am relieved she isn't blocked!!! I've never been so happy to see urine and poo.

Though I am not sure why she doesn't understand the litter box. That will be for tomorrow.