Is this normal?

ams · Mar 6, 2006

Hi all, I recently got a black maine coon mix named Bentley, he's 2-3 years old I believe, and behaving rather oddly. I'm not sure if this kind of thing is normal when a cat first enters a new home since this is my first one, so please bear with me.

His eyes kind of leak a clear fluid, like he's crying or something (not sure if cats can cry) even when he seems perfectly content. He sneezes a lot, and sometimes makes a noise that sounds kind of like a cough. The woman at the shelter said he just had a bit of a cold and it would pass, but it's been a few days now and it seems like it's getting worse, earlier he sneezed blood (not like a lot, it was just like a little dot of red, but still very worrying). Also, he seems kind of depressed, he sleeps all the time and when he's awake he usually just sits in one spot and looks around the room. He doesn't like to play, hasn't responded to cat nip, doesn't scratch anything (including his nice big scratching post) and generally just seems lethargic. Is this just his personality or is he run down by this cold or whatever it is? Should I take him to a vet or is this going to pass on it's own? My mom wants to bring him back and get another cat because he's not really doing anything, but I'm hoping he's just trying to save his energy or something because he's sick. Any advice is appreciated, thanks.

jennyr · Mar 6, 2006

I think he needs to see a vet at once - he is probably sick as cats pick up all kinds of things in shelters and such places and he will probably need some antibiotic to clear up whatever infection he has. What you describe is not normal.

zissou'smom · Mar 6, 2006

The kitty is very ill.
Please take it to a vet and get him patched up. There's all sorts of bugs that can be picked up in the shelter that can either be made way better or cured by the vet.
Pleeeeaaaasssse don't take the cat back to the shelter, especially for no better reason than that its sick and trying to feel better.
You haven't even met the poor guy when he is feeling well. Maybe he is the sweetest, loveyest, happiest, funnest cat in the world and you will never know because you didn't give him a chance. I know when I'm sick I'm grumpy too, and I wouldn't want someone to take me back just for that!

Cats are not sweaters. You can't just "take it back" like its the wrong color.

ams · Mar 6, 2006

Hmm, alright, we'll get him to a vet soon. There's some other stuff I forgot about in my haste, again not sure if this kinda thing is normal or what.

We're feeding him the same stuff he had at the shelter, for dry food nutrience supreme, and for wet nutro, however he hasn't been eating too much. I suspect it's because I have been feeding him a lot of those whiskas temptation cat treats, however it's the only thing that perks him up

He also has a strange little bump on his stomach, it's like a tiny white pimple looking thing with a red outline, anyone know what it is?

And he's scared very easily, he'll run under a bed at least a few times a day when he hears something, however it's usually a sound he's heard at least a dozen times before, like someone walking up the stairs from the basement or someone opening the door to the house. It's getting really bothersome lying on the floor and slowly luring him out with treats so he can see it's safe

EDIT: I have been trying to explain that to my mom, that he's a living thing and we can't just exchange him because he's being like this.

zissou'smom · Mar 6, 2006

You just got your kitty, right?
I would advise not trying to "lure him out" of hiding. He's sick, for one, and needs a vet. For another, he just left the shelter and feels insecure and probably not very safe. He will come out of hiding on his own terms. Youre getting sick of trying to convince him not to hide, anyway, right? Try putting him in one little room with all his stuff and making him extra comfy so he feels safe and secure.

I hope your mom realizes that this beautiful living being needs patience, and the last thing it needs is to go back to the shelter. For one thing, the cat doesn't understand that youre its family yet. Noone knows what his life has been like until now, he probably has trust issues, but once he trusts you it will be SOOOO rewarding!

ams · Mar 6, 2006

Alright, my mom just got home, we're gonna take him to the vet. I'll update you guys sometime tonight.

EDIT: It's pretty cold out, I'm worried he'll get worse. Should we put like a blanket over his carrier or something? How can we keep him warm?

ams · Mar 6, 2006

Ah looks like I spoke too soon, the animal hospital nearby is all booked up. The earliest they can take him is tomorrow around this time. Is this something super serious, or will he be ok until tomorrow? Should we try and find another vet place nearby?

laureen227 · Mar 6, 2006

Originally Posted by ams

We're feeding him the same stuff he had at the shelter, for dry food nutrience supreme, and for wet nutro, however he hasn't been eating too much. I suspect it's because I have been feeding him a lot of those whiskas temptation cat treats, however it's the only thing that perks him up

his symptoms sound like a upper respiratory problem, which could mean he can't smell his food very well - like when you have a cold. you could try warming his wet food some & see if that helps. good luck at the vets!

ams · Mar 6, 2006

Hmm, an upper respiratory problem? Is that serious? I need to know if we should rush him to a vet that's farther away or if he will be ok until tomorrow when the close by vets can take him?

Also, he does eat his wet food, it's just he takes a few nibbles of the dry then loses interest in it.

laureen227 · Mar 6, 2006

Originally Posted by ams

Hmm, an upper respiratory problem? Is that serious? I need to know if we should rush him to a vet that's farther away or if he will be ok until tomorrow when the close by vets can take him?

Also, he does eat his wet food, it's just he takes a few nibbles of the dry then loses interest in it.

it is serious, but tomorrow will probably be ok unless he's not eating at all or having worsening symptoms. i just thought you had said he would only eat the treats, which are probably more fragrant than his regular food & he can smell them better.

ams · Mar 6, 2006

Alright, sorry if I was unclear. I think he should be ok until tomorrow, I'll update you guys once I've taken him to the vet.

ncarpi75 · Mar 6, 2006

Good luck at the vets!

ams · Mar 7, 2006

Well, the vet said he has a cold, and gave us some medicine that we have to give him twice a day. He seemed alright, however he just threw up, so I dunno if that is a reaction to the medicine or what. I guess we'll give the vet a call tomorrow and see what he says.

jen · Mar 7, 2006

It is important to just follow through with the medicine. You will see things start to clear up in a few days. When I worked in the shelter we had a bazillion and one cats with this same problem. Just don't skip out on the meds. If NOTHING is changing in a few days, call the vet back and tell him and see if he suggests something different. Keep the cat quiet, in a small room with all his things (laundry room, bathroom, bedroom) go in there to be with him but let him come up to you. Don't seek out his attention, talk to him, sit with him, read to him if you have to. Just let him come to you. Feed him warmed wet food, maybe put a touch of tuna fish into it since it smells so strongly. Like someone else mentioned, he can't smell it so he won't eat it.

Chances are, a bunch of the other cats at the shelter you got him from have the same thing. They probably even have a room full of cats isolated with upper resperitory problems. If he goes back, he will just mix back in with the circulation of passing the colds to and from all the other cats there. The important thing, probably the most important thing is that you got him out of the place. Basically the diseases and stress and everything is floating around the shelter. The stress lowers the cats immune systems and they just continually pass everything back and forth. When a cat is adopted, he just needs time and patience and just the fact that he is out of the rotation at the shelter, for him to get better.

fatkitties · Mar 7, 2006

I just wanted to repeat the fact that his food needs warmed! Start with like 10 seconds in the microwave if it's already room temp (freshly opened can or pouch) and 20-30 seconds if it's from the fridge, and stir it real good and stick your finger in it to test the temp. You don't want it HOT, but a little better than lukewarm too. You'll be able to tell when it's right because it will smell stronger to you, too. Cats won't eat what they can't smell, and the respiratory infection makes it hard to smell.
And I want to repeat to make sure he gets all of his meds, on time, too! He needs them!

Amber

muttigreemom · Mar 8, 2006

I hesitate to mention this, only because I don't want to cause trust issues, but if you can't get him to eat any other way, put a little wet food on his tongue.

In my/my mom's recent fight with Az's health he also wasn't eating because his nose was so stuffed he couldn't smell his food. But when my mom put a little taste of wet food on his tongue/nose, it was almost like he went "oh.. FOOD! I remember this stuff" and then ate half a can.

He's still learning to trust you, so I wouldn't go putting food in his mouth other than a last resort... but if you sit on the floor with him in your lap and give him a good scratch so that he feels comfortable there and then gently put a dab on his nose for him to lick off, that shouldn't be too scary for him.

muttigreemom · Mar 8, 2006

Oh and btw, congrats on the new addition

I also had a black maine coon mix... named Mayhem.

You'll be so happy you kept him once he's feeling better. Those maine coons have quite the personality on them! IMO, best cats ever

I'd have 100 of 'em if I had the space (and could afford those food/vet bills

)

trouts mom · Mar 8, 2006

I really hope your kitty is feeling better soon..having a sick cat is no fun as you are just worried all the time about them.

I'm glad you didn't take him back to the shelter..if you didn't help him, then maybe nobody would have..so thank you for that. You should have a cuddly, purring, sweet little buddy soon after he feels better.

ams · Mar 9, 2006

Well we called the vet yesterday and told him about Bentley throwing up the night before and not quite making it to the litter box earlier in the day (he went right beside it, probably as he was climbing in) and they changed his medication and wrote that he was allergic to it in his file. His old med was REALLY hard to give him anyway, it was in a little eye dropper and we had to administer it orally, but his jaw would always go nuts whenever we tried to give him some. So now we have tiny little pills that we put into salmon flavored pocket treat things which he LOVES.

He's feeling a lot better now, he's basically a bundle of energy, before he wouldn't leave my room ever but now he is exploring the whole house. I think he's starting to like me too since he follows me around a lot and likes sitting near me. Right now he's taking a little nap on his scratching post which is right beside me.

Oh, and I am happy to report his nose is doing a lot better, I see him sniffing everything now, and he ate a whole bowl of the dry food during the night, normally he'd just take a few bites then lose interest. Also when it's time to give him his meds and we get out the salmon pocket treat bag he smells it accross the room and is jumping all over us before we can even put the pill into one of them. We usually have to give him one or two to distract him so we have enough time to slip the pill into one of them.

laureen227 · Mar 9, 2006

Originally Posted by ams

Well we called the vet yesterday and told him about Bentley throwing up the night before and not quite making it to the litter box earlier in the day (he went right beside it, probably as he was climbing in) and they changed his medication and wrote that he was allergic to it in his file. His old med was REALLY hard to give him anyway, it was in a little eye dropper and we had to administer it orally, but his jaw would always go nuts whenever we tried to give him some. So now we have tiny little pills that we put into salmon flavored pocket treat things which he LOVES.

He's feeling a lot better now, he's basically a bundle of energy, before he wouldn't leave my room ever but now he is exploring the whole house. I think he's starting to like me too since he follows me around a lot and likes sitting near me. Right now he's taking a little nap on his scratching post which is right beside me.

Oh, and I am happy to report his nose is doing a lot better, I see him sniffing everything now, and he ate a whole bowl of the dry food during the night, normally he'd just take a few bites then lose interest. Also when it's time to give him his meds and we get out the salmon pocket treat bag he smells it accross the room and is jumping all over us before we can even put the pill into one of them. We usually have to give him one or two to distract him so we have enough time to slip the pill into one of them.

yay! that's great news!

Is this normal?

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