Urgent Help needed !

Hi, I'm new to this , but desparate for help, I have 2 11 month old toms(brothers) One of them has had diarreoh on and off for a couple of weeks now, have tried starving him( which is hard to do without starving the other!) What can i do? My husband hates the cats anyway and his answer is to 'get rid of them' I can't afford loads of vet bills. I think tonight was the last straw, when the cat 'messed' all over my daughter's bed!

you need a vet and you need to re-hydrate your cat. something you need vet advice for i'm afraid.

where in the uk are you? there are low cost places i could help you find

I'm in Thurrock, Essex

Why do you have two intact males in the house anyway? They should be neutered immediately and your cats need to go to the vet, not be starved in order to stop them from pooping! I'm sorry but what were you thinking? Starving a cat creates a nasty health issue called feline hepatic lipidosis among other things.

Personally, you should not have cats if you can't afford to care for them, and do not know how to provide proper care for them normally. Please get these cats to the vet, even if you have to surrender them over to the clinic in order for them to get help. Diarrhea can be a result of illness, parasites, bad food, or other health issues.

I have had to put both the cats out for the night, and it's cold out and now i'm gonna worry. But i can't risk another mess, we have had to throw my daughter's duvet in dustbin as it is.

if you put them out for the night the sick cat might die.

if you can put them in a bathroom where the mess would be easier to clean up.

in the morning ring your vet (or now if you have an emergency number) and ask for advice. advice is free. explain what is wrong and explain that you dont have much money.

do a google search for cats protection and contact them for help/advice

Excuse me! I came on here for some advice, not critisism! they are both neutered! But what that's got to do with it i don't know! I tried starving because that's what it said in the book i got from the vet when they had their injections. I just wanted some 'friendly' help until i can get him to the vet. I am worried about cost because i have been reading various web sites looking for info tonight and thye all seem to be talking about loads of tests and stuff....

Dragonfly,

For what its worth, I do understand why you thought starving was a good idea (I had a vet recommend it before with a kitten - to only give fluids, no food for 48 hours - definitely need fluids as cats will go downhilll quickly if they are dehydrated).

I can understand some of the frustration here. Personally, I cannot stand hearing of cats outdoors... can you keep the sick one in the bathroom? From being outside, he probably got ahold of something that doesn't agree with his belly. It's not his fault, he's just sick.

I've dealt with cats with diarrhea several times (in fact, still have my steam cleaner out in my formal living room from cleaning up a mess today, and I am a serious neat freak so no, I didn't like the mess at all! lol! ) My cat that had diarrhea this time is my own dang fault... I changed her food.

Vet probably won't do tests right away unless he looks and acts physically ill besides for the diarrhea. They usually start out with conservative measures.

it might be something as simple as parasites or a food intolerance with any luck. if you explain that cost is a problem most vets will sort something out such as a payment plan or only doing certain procedures.

most vets are animal lovers and will be more than willing to help you.

Can you do an internet search for a low cost clinic? Or you can call a shelter or Humane society and ask if they know of any low cost clinics.

It's a good thing your cats are neutered, since you didn't say, we all probably just assumed they weren't, sorry about that. Your cats really do need to see a vet if this diarrea is a reaccurring thing. Occationally my cats will have the runs if for example, they got into my glass of milk when I wasn't looking and it didn't agree with them. There are many reasons. But if they are both having it, they could be sick. Do they have all their shots? I would hope so if you are letting them outside. If letting them out is a regular thing, there are many many things they could have eaten including poisons. I would not recommend letting them outside any more ever.

Oh, and what kind of food do you feed them? Do you switch it often? You need feed a good quality of food and don't keep changing it because cats stomachs cannot handle sudden diet changes like that. I don't know what foods are available there and it is more expensive, but better to pay a little more for food then huge vet bills...

Good luck.

You should at least get a fecal to your vet. Your cats depend on you when they don't feel well. Putting them outside is not the right answer- one of them is sick and if it is contagious he could spread it to other cats. The diarrhea could be anything, illness, parasites, bad food, he really needs to see a vet to find out what is wrong-

I will of course be speaking to the vet in the morning, As i said before, i just came on for some 'friendly advice'. I had both my cats neutered and injected at the right time. I do care about them, else i wouldn't have bothered asking would i?

I haven't changed their diet, but yes they do go out. I personally don't believe in keeping cats in, they need to wander and hunt etc. that's natural.

Only one of them is sick, when i tried to starve him, i did still give him water of course!

As i said before, i have tried to follow what was advised in the book. Then panicked, when looking up on various sites, they said loads of tests would be needed.

I hope if i try to use this site again, you don't go jumping down my throat! It's enough to put new users off completely!

just for the record: people in the uk tend to feel very differently about indoor cats. indoor/outdoor is the norm here. very few people keep their cats strictly indoor unless told specifically by a breeder to do so. (there are exceptions to this rule i know)

Dragonfly: does Squeek hunt a lot? eating prey could give him worms and the upset tummy.

Eating weird things is one of the MANY risks with letting cats go outdoors. Not to mention getting hit by cars, attacked by other animals, and picking up deadly diseases (possibly ones that can be brought in to you). Vaccinations don't protect them 100% and you have to be sure you keep up with it every year and flea medicine every month (which can get costly for me anyway).

It's up to you whether or not you want to risk that, I am just telling you because I have mentioned this to other people and they didn't even think of all those factors. If you already know, then nevermind.

Anyways, I am going to guess your cat probably did eat something outside. But call the vet and see what he says. Keep us posted too I am curious if they are ok. I hope they are.

P.S. I know how differently the UK is with the whole indoor/outdoor thing. I am just making some points, please don't take it the wrong way.
As long as they are neutered and have shots, which they do, thats what's important. If you tried to keep them perminently indoors now they would probably freak out about trying to get back out. They could come around eventually if you ever consider it. I would however keep them in the bathroom for a few days until they get better. You don't want to infect other cats. If they are sick, their immune systems are down so they can pick up diseases easier.

Dragonfly - just a question - how long since they were dewormed? Two of my three have been suffering mild diarrhoea and a fecal showed a roundworm infection, even though I last dewormed less than three months ago. They could have picked it up from one of the local ferals or from something like a mouse that they ate. My vet got the answer from a sample I took in, I didn't need to take the cats. That was not expensive. Good luck - I hope you find the solution quickly.

If your on benefits ring the Blue Cross who have places all over the UK because they will see you free of charge, but i'm sure no vet would turn you away if you explained your situation, after all were supposed to be a nation of animal lovers?!.

How long are you starving them for?. When either of my two had a tummy upset the vet said to remove any food for 24 hours only and just to leave water, but they also had antibiotics for their problem as well.

I wouldn't put them out on an evening either because like you say it's bitterly cold at the moment and if one of them is sick?!

What is he eating at the moment? If anything?
You could perhaps try to give him some bland food like boiled chicken or boiled fish (although boiling fish is a bit smelly and can cause husband-type complaints). I do this when my little cat Daisy gets squittier than usual, and it helps to bung her up a bit, gives her insides a rest and a chance to recover from the runs. However, if yours is squitting on the furniture and in the house, it sounds as though he has a more serious problem, as most will try to get to a regular pooping place. Yours sounds as though he just doesn't have time to reach it before he has to go. Poor little thing! He must be so embarrassed. If he were mine I would definitely take him to a vet, even if you can't get to the Blue Cross or RSPCA clinic, maybe a regular vet would take payment in instalments (ours do this if necessary). The sooner you can do this, the easier whatever it is will be to treat, and the less it will cost you (hopefully), and of course, the happier your cat will be!
Good luck, let us know how you get on?

Sue