Sick Kitty

moviestarbarbie

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Feb 12, 2006
Messages
1
Purraise
0
Hi all,
I'm new to this board, and I needed some advice. I was never a cat person until my husband found our two cats in a shed at 5 weeks of age. Now they are 10 months and I can't believe how attached I am to them.

This evening my female cat became very lethargic. I was immediately worried because she was the runt of the litter. I'm not sure exactly what's wrong with her so I decided to seek out some advice. She's been laying on the couch for the last few hours, only to get up once or twice. When she got up, I noticed her fur didn't seem to be laying correctly. She looked a little disheveled. She was walking a little strange, so I thought she may be constipated. She meowed at me a few times (which absolutely broke my heart because I didn't know what was wrong!) then wen't downstairs where her litter box is. I don't know if she did anything but she came back up, and went back to the couch. She hasn't eaten anything, which is very weird for her!
Should I try to give her any water? I am definitely taking her to the vet tomorrow, but I was wondering if there was anything I could do for her now? I just feel so terrible!
 

cloud_shade

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 19, 2004
Messages
2,807
Purraise
17
Location
Oregon
I would definitely make water available. I would also suggest that you call the emergency vet. If you describe your kitty's symptoms, they can tell you if you need to bring her in tonight or if it can wait until the morning.
 

kumbulu

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Aug 6, 2002
Messages
4,338
Purraise
3
Location
Perth, Western Australia
Would it be possible for you to take her to the vet or emergency vet clinic today? She sounds very unwell. It could be anything - an infection such as a UTI, a bite (animal or insect) poisoning (from plants for example). If she isn't eating or drinking, she may be dehydrated.

There are two ways to check for dehydration:

Pinch test - Gently pull the skin up on the back of the cat's neck and release. If the cat is well hydrated, the skin will snap back into position in a second. If the cat is dehydrated, there will be a 'tent' in the skin that takes longer to go back into place.

Gum test - With clean hands, lift the cats lip and gently press on the gum and release. The gum should turn white for a second and then return to a nice pink colour. If the gum stays pale or is greyish, the cat is dehydrated.

Cats can also become ill with something called Hepatic Lipidosis, caused by not eating, in as little as 2 days.
 
Top