rescued cat

I rescued Tyson off the streets about 2 months ago. He has very hard bits on his nose like scabs, and also his two front paws are very dry, crusty, and hard... Is this from him being outside all the time

Will it go away by itself or should I do something

He has been to the vet and is being treated for an eye infection, as soon as he is comfortable with me picking him up he will go to the vet again.

I rescued a stray about 90 days ago so I guess we are in the same generalized situation.

Visible signs that Nano spent a lot of time on the street are slowly fading from her appearance. She has repaired minor problems herself and her fur is growing back or evening out. One of her paw pads is still noticibly "rough looking" but there are no infections. So in my amateur opinion, take your cat to the stray for infections and treatment of clear problems. But for all the lingering stuff...there is nothing for the vet to do and it simply takes some time.

I suspect Nano will always have a bit of a rough and tumble appearance.

take your cat to the stray for infections = take your cat to the VET for infections

(Sorry, can't edit my post!)

Buddy had lost hair on the tops of his ears, his pads were dry and cracked slightly, and he was fairly thin. After a month or two with proper food and care, he has bounced right back and seems to be in greath health with soft pads and even his ears have regrown thier fur. Give him some time to continue healing and some loving.

Thanks..... I am so glad to hear that his fur will grow back. He also lost a whisker on one side of his face that seems to be growing back. He has been to the vet already and checked out and has no diseases.....

When I first got him his fur was nasty!!!! He had white speks in it and it was rough and very dirty. I have been feeding him that Nutro food that is supposed to be good for his coat and his fur is like silk now

Thanks for the advice and support

Nano also had whisker problems for her chin and eyebrows. I had the same question and was told they regenerate with a healthy diet. I am also using Nutro brand so we really are on the same page here!

Nano had been abused by humans who had spray painted her and someone had tried to shave letters or initials on her. (Just trying to say Nano has had a very long road to recovery.) Most of Nano's fur and whiskers are growing back, her new fur is soft to the touch, and she is looking much more shiny and evened-out.

Here is an example of what I meant by repairing minor problems herself: She "scratched away" a claw that was split so it could regrow and now it is looking better. It is simply having enough energy to take care of grooming themselves.

Anyway, just trying to be reassuring that things will get better and good luck to Tyson. Vets are good for treating infections, but we as owners must help strays finish their physical recovery by giving them good food and a stabilized happy home.

That is such a sad story about Nano, but I am glad to hear she is doing better.

Tyson is becoming more playful. He has toys that he plays with and he seems to have fun. Except sometimes he likes to play with me. I will be sitting on the floor petting him and when I go to get up he starts swatting at me like I am his pery. He has never used his claws but I am afraid that sometime he will use his claws

Create some games where he gets to take his aggression out. I recently bought "Cat Dancer" for $2.50 at Petsmart and it is a good investment. Lots of swatting and hyperactive movement. After ten or fifteen minutes of that game, I feed Nano a treat and then she is relaxed enough to take a nap or lie down. During quiet time, I am gradually working on holding her paws and petting her stomach. At first she grudgingly accepts the touching and then she grows to like it.

Originally Posted by Negs

That is such a sad story about Nano, but I am glad to hear she is doing better.

Tyson is becoming more playful. He has toys that he plays with and he seems to have fun. Except sometimes he likes to play with me. I will be sitting on the floor petting him and when I go to get up he starts swatting at me like I am his pery. He has never used his claws but I am afraid that sometime he will use his claws

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I would suggest you get him used to you handling his paws and try to clip his claws on a regular basis.

From the time we got Bijou, I would hold his paws gently while stroking them to get him used to having us handle his paws. He didn't enjoy having his nails clipped initially, but he is now used to it. I always wait until he is in his relaxed-and-ready-to-snooze mode before I attempt to clip them though. After I clip I give him treats and tell him what a good boy he's been. Jennifer (our daughter) also started Mika out this way so now both our kitties get their nails trimmed about every 2 weeks.

I was horrified to find roundworms in Tyson's vomit......

But- I went to the vet on Saturday and he gave me the medicine and now hopefully the wroms will be gone soon!!!!

Ouch! Hope Tyson gets well soon.

A little over 7 months ago I was lucky enough to find my beautiful male Korat at a local shelter. He has never had any illness or problems except for his poor paws. They are cracked, dry and occasionally peeling. My other adult cat in the household has no such problem. He is not in pain or discomfort but I would like to help his feet get better. Does anyone have any similar experiences?

You can put bag balm on their pads and make sure you rub it in as good as possible.

Is Korat the name of your cat? Because that is a cool name. If you mean the breed, not to disappoint you but I highly doubt it is a Korat. It is probably just a Domestic short hair Gray/Blue. It's rare to find a purebred cat in a shelter, not only that, but a Korat is a rare breed anyway. Occationally a persian will show up but other then that...it is highly unlikely. There are many different breeds that have the same coloring and same eye color so it is really hard to determine with cats.

And welcome to the forums! If you have any questions or anything we are always here to help!

Tyson's pads were all cry and cracked. They have gotten better with time and being indoors!!!

I also feed him that Natural choice food and I think it has made such a difference. His coat is shiny and silky, his pads have gotten softer, and hes not shedding as much. I also used a little vaseline on his pads. A very small amount only once and that really helped.... He looks a lot better now, healthier, and happier. The advice I have for you is to give him as much love as possible....

"Is Korat the name of your cat? Because that is a cool name. If you mean the breed, not to disappoint you but I highly doubt it is a Korat. It is probably just a Domestic short hair Gray/Blue. It's rare to find a purebred cat in a shelter, not only that, but a Korat is a rare breed anyway. Occationally a persian will show up but other then that...it is highly unlikely. There are many different breeds that have the same coloring and same eye color so it is really hard to determine with cats."

I have done a ton of research and Buddy shares all of the characteristics I've found: He has a heart shaped head, faintly ringed tail at end, a small green ring of color in in eyes that is supposed to grow as he gets older (he is only 1 yr old and should change to dark green by the time he is 2), his coat is almost velvet-y with silver on the tips, he chirps rather then meowing, he is extremely intelligent, and he loves to play fetch.

While it may be unlikely to find such a rare cat in a shelter in most cities, I live in Miami and it is not hard to find exotic and rare animals.

Oh and where might I be able to find bag balm for his paws?

Here's the relevant thread about problematic paws:

http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47186

Nano's paws have improved with time but I will be getting some Bag Balm eventually.

Thanks, Tyson's paws have been getting better, but I think I'll try that...