All 6 feral cats have stopped eating

[catwoman707]

 
Now that you mention Gingivostomatits   I had a feeling that is what Baby boy had because his mouth was so bad when the vet looked inside his mouth after he was pts. Tiger I had notice over a year ago when she yawned it looks like she has a broken brown bottom tooth that does not look good.

Is there any kind of supplement I can give them to help?  I do still think they have the Herpes virus also because we do go through periods where they are sneezing and or coughing with goopy eyes but that was when they were younger.

Would it be better if I start getting them and pts so they don't suffer from this anymore? The vet I take them too charges over $200.00 to have them pts. This is the worst outbreak one of them has had and none of them have looked very healthy for a long time now. It seems like I'm constantly giving antibiotics to them just to get through the worst parts.

Thanks for helping me put a name to what they might all have but now what do I do?

I just don't know what to do anymore but I do not want them to suffer.

The sneezing, coughing, goopy eyes is also with this virus, but you will see that initially when they are young/kittens, but that part of it is not as recurring as the ulcers, etc are in the adults.

Honestly hun, not much good advice I can offer on this, it's pretty grim basically, especially in ferals who are not handleable, and it is very miserable and painful for them.

First thing I'd do is stop the dry food and feed canned, so at least they are able to eat something rather than starving themselves.

Then I would get the worst cat, and have the diagnosis confirmed. 

The only real thing you can do is give them anti-inflammatories and immune system support, but again this is an issue since it will be close to impossible to give the right dose to each cat.

A VERY tough call for you, and I am so very sorry you have to go through this.

In the end, the best option, once confirmed might very well be to put them out of their pain and misery. I can't imagine having to do this. 

Oh also, $200.00??! That's outrageous!  

 

[msaimee]

That's too bad that your vet clinic is unwilling to help you with these cats. Maybe you should continue giving them antibiotics for another week in case there's a bacterial infection that's worsening their condition. If they've had these outbreaks before and have survived, and if they are still eating, then there may still be hope. If you could get just one of them to the vet for diagnoses, you could ask for medicine for all of them if you explain that the other cats have the same exact symptoms. My vet has done that for me--but perhaps yours won't, which would be a bummer.    

If they reach the point of needing to be euthanized, then call your local Humane Society. They typically charge between 20-40 dollars to euthanize someone's elderly or sick pet cat. If you explain that they are ferals and are ill, they will probably waive any fee. 

 

[mkat02]

Sorry you are going through this. I know it's very hard to have things like this happen that you are unable to fix. 

Please remember no matter what happens you make their lives better.

 

[kittychick]

This is screaming for a GoFundMe....I'm sure several people on this forum could help walk you through. It does sound like Gingivostamatosis....and a good vet in town might likely be interested in trying to treat that. It needs to be treated it it's going to reoccur. Go outside your area -if your in the Midwest call Univeristy of Columbus's Animal division-your case is so extreme they might see them -& a GoFundMe drive might be the way to pay for trap/travel & treatment. Often groups like Allie cat Sllies will make an effort to find a more local group to help you in the "on the ground " portion. This still isn't a death sentence. It'll take some digging, calls, & work on your end but I have total faith someone's /some group'so out there who's sensitive to your plight! I know it's hard when your emotional -but if you can stop the cycle now --/healthy cats forward!!! (& less money out of your pocket in long run). There ARE groups out there -some even willing to go cross country -just for situating ions like you subscribed! We did a gofundme for a kitten -olaf -seen dying encased in ice in a sidewalk, starved for days, literally stuck like a carcass to the sidewalk, in severe pain from frozen, frost bitten off third eyelid WITH eyelashes that turned under, painfully scraping his cornea every blink, so hypothermic there was no chance ......until GoFundMe. We raised over $12,000 for an $8,0000 operation. Olaf -after a lot of long icky, tense bloody seepy Foster love at our house, he is now perfectly heathy and In a very loving forever home!!!! But it definitely took digging ----having a plan & setting up the GoDundMe. there ARE people out there who will help. Don't give up! I'm (and olaf) are living proof!

 

[kittychick]

Allie cat allies, not Allie cat sillies. My bad.

 

[kittychick]

We have around here groups too that specialize i hard to treat -the key is being calmn(distressed obviously & sad, but calm----/if they're going to have to have multiple conversations with you over this case, they need to have rational ones. Know from experience --/-MUCH easier than said. Cry it all about BEFORE you call

 

[kittychick]

And sometimes you just have to know when to let things take their course......tiger has come to you for comfort. In the grand scheme of things, she feels safe. Wouldn't we all like to feel safe when we spend our final hours? Whichever way this goes.....thoughts are with you [emoji]10084[/emoji]️[emoji]128149[/emoji]

 

[raficat]

Have you tried to find a more compassionate vet?

Sometimes the tough decision has to be made. Do you feel their quality of life to be so poor as to be unkind to allow it to continue?

If it comes to it, check with your county animal services to see if they provide euthanasia at a reasonable price. I know our local service does.

I hope it won't come to that, but it does sound bad, especially if it's contagious. Thank you for trying anyway, thank you for caring so much! <3

 

[detmut]

"If you are looking for help at the local level and would like to connect with members of Alley Cat Allies’ Feral Friends Network"

Feral Friends Network Connect

https://www.alleycat.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=1452

 

[supermax1943]

Hi Snugglecat,

I am so sad to hear how difficult things are for you and your "kids".

I thought I would just add what I feed my colony and see if it might help.

Since my colony has about 50 cats in it, and I have cared for it for over 16 years, I made a decision long ago about food.

I knew that to continue their care I would have to be wise about the cost of food, etc.

I started feeding them Friskies canned and Friskies dry food with a supplement of Iams dry (when I can afford it).

I have not wavered from using the Friskies no matter what I have been told about it.

In all of these years not one of the cats has ever been sick, as in a cold, or virus or anything. Cancer, yes, but just a few. Only one had liver problems.

So, I swear by Friskies for my cats.

I have one who gets a skin allergy every year in the Spring, but he is the only one it happens to, and I figure he will just have to live with it. (I am allergic to cats, so I figure it won't kill him to have to deal with an allergy for a couple of months each year.)

I never switch their food because I believe it just causes stomach upset. The Feral cats can be finicky about eating, but I will not be swayed.

I always feed a variety of Friskies and make sure the evening food is different than the morning food in case somebody didn't like the flavor.

But, my motto with the Feral cats is: "It is my duty to feed you. It is not my duty to satisfy your finicky habits. Your job is to eat the food to stay healthy."

And, we all get along really well with that philosophy.

I do notice that there will be days every now and then when one feeding station will eat every smidgen of food, and the other station will look as if no one touched it.

I am used to that, and don't let it bother me.

One other thing, and if this message bothers you in any way, please just disregard it.

I really hold tight to the thought that God, or whomever is in charge of this universe, has given these feral cats to us to watch over.

I absolutely refuse to believe that He will abandon us with our need to feed them.

I trust that with all my heart. I too, have a fixed income and am facing a terrible future financially, but I just know it will work out okay.

Feed what you can afford to feed and what your cats will eat. All cat food now is supplemented with good vitamins and minerals. Stick with the major brands to be safe.

And, please PM me if you ever need to talk.

 

[missdeon]

Do you feed in plastic bowls? Sometimes animals will have an allergy to plastic and it will cause lower lip swelling. Switch to ceramic or metal bowls or plates and see if that helps.

 

[missdeon]

Also, if you can get some colloidal silver to add to wet food or watering bowls, this might help. Colloidal silver is a natural antibiotic, antifungal, anti everything, from what I have read.

Snugglecat, where do you live?

I struggle with worry, like you do. I guess it just takes a conscious mind set to not worry. All you can do is your best. I know that does not help much, but it can, if you let it. I am wondering if the stuff that Tiger licked off her feet might have something to do with her not eating. Maybe she has an obstruction in her gut. It is encouraging, however, that she did eat voluntarily. Don't worry about the quality of food, at this point. Feed them what they will eat.

I hope everything is better. Keep us updated.

 

[supermax1943]

I support what Catwoman 707 is saying. I know the mouth/teeth disease just as "Stomatitis". 

I took in two feral young cats a male and female and the female had Stomatiis. They were not born in my colony, but showed up in the little town near where I live.

Her teeth were really bad and the disease was spreading to her gums,  and she was terrified of being given medication.

She could smell medication if I put  it in her food and then wouldn't eat the food.

After much deliberation with my vet, we both felt she would need to be put down.

Once they get the Stomatitis it really never goes away.

My vet explained that some even get it back in their gums after all of their teeth have been pulled.

It is very painful for the cats, and does run in families.

It might be the best for this little group to stop their suffering, which has happened through no fault of your own or through anything you have fed or not fed. It just happens.

I know from what I have learned that you can put huge efforts into putting them on an aggressive course of antibiotics, but to do that would mean they would need to be inside so you could be sure they were getting the medication three times a day...all of them, and then when the medication stops it can come back. Without that happening, the symptoms will only subside for a bit, and then flair again, only to get worse each time. I

But, capturing them seems to be the immediate problem. Where are you located? And do you know how to work a Drop Trap?

Let me know where you are and perhaps someone could get a drop trap to you immediately.

In the meantime, it sounds to me as if you will need to give some thought as to what you can and cannot do for these kids.

Could you, or would you be able to take them all inside and keep them there?

If you can't do that, could you bring yourself to have them put down (those that have the mouth disease, if that is what it is?)

Try and answer those questions for yourself, without worrying about the money so you can figure out what step to take next.

My regular vet's partner charged me $230.00 to put down one of my feral cats last week!

I mentioned it to the SPCA staff when picking up two that had been there to be neutered, and the gal told me that any Humane Society would put a cat down for me for a very small charge, and might even wave the fee knowing I was on a limited income, and that the cats were feral. So, if you need to have a cat put down, that is the way to go. Do you have a Humane Society near you, or SPCA?

 

[snugglecat]

All my cats are still having issues with swollen chins and some still have sores in there mouth. A couple of them are chewing and making sores on there back end.

I noticed today Mama cat now has a swollen chin. I have 4 cats that are related with swollen chins and sores in the mouth. Mama cat and her 3 daughters are the ones with swollen chins.

I put them all back on Merrick dry food and Friskies canned and stopped the Iams when Tiger got real sick. I feel so bad because they were doing so well and then we had the dog incident and then I put them on dry food that I knew they had problems with before but I just wanted to get them eating.

Tiger is doing much better, she is eating and running around again. She comes to the door at feeding time and steps just inside the door crying for her food.

I have Tiger, Snickers and Maddie on antibiotics right now. Snickers and Maddie just started antibiotics yesterday but Tiger has been on it for 5 days so far. I buy the Fishbiotic, it is amoxicillin. Not sure if it's helping with whatever is going on but I had to try something.

I have been in a very dark place since all this started and I feel so bad that I can't help them. I don't think I was cut out to take care of feral cats. When I first started feeding them I tried not to get attached but I failed at that. I have never forgiven myself for not doing more for Sassy who was a sister to the ones I'm caring for now. She was only 8 months old and I didn't have the money to have tests done. She had 5 small ulcers in her mouth and had lost a lot of weight from not eating. She was my baby as she loved to be cuddled and would sit on my lap whenever I went outside. I was able to pick her up but I could not save her. She was also my first experience putting an animal to sleep. I had a bad panic attack and almost fainted when they put her to sleep. I have since had to put another feral to sleep and my beloved dog and lets just say I didn't handle them any better.

Thanks for everyone's support.

 

[catwoman707]

While I really do believe they seem to have the one form of calicivirus I was explaining about, I was also thinking that the way this calici causes stomatitis, stomatitis is an autoimmune response, which is often times why cats react to food they are eating, an allergy to food is an autoimmune response too.

I'm sure they are all connected somehow.

I remember many years ago when I was first getting involved with rescuing, my mom would tell me I am not the type of person to be a rescuer, I get too emotional and upset.

Well unfortunately that doesn't stop us, whether we are the type to handle it or not.

What I also think I have learned is, all of us rescuers are too sensitive, that is why we have such compassion to help them, but it also means alot of heartache and rough roads.

We are always here for support, anytime you are finding yourself in that dark place, just scoot over because more of us will be right there beside you.

 

[kitty kisser]

Will keep you in my thoughts and prayers hope your situation gets better. Being hairless is better than starving you can only do so much the rest is up to a higher power.

 

[mkat02]

My husband told me this one day after I had lost a litter of 2 baby kittens . who were born way to early about10 minutes before the mom passed.

 only the softhearted can have their hearts broken and still have a heart. Only people who feel pain the strongest can take the pain from those who can't handle it alone. And those same people can turn around to do it over and over again with nothing in it for themselves but more heartbreaking.

This is not I sign you can't do it. This is a sign you are one of the very few who can.

So cry your eyes out. Feel the pain. Them come here and tell us every word and feeling so you can get it out. Know many people here understand and will help all we can. Letting it out helps.

Then take your time and come back do it over if and when you need to.

 You are a amazing person and a HERO. 

 

[snugglecat]

I had to take my cat Peaches to see the vet yesterday. She was having issues with a swollen lip but her's was caused by an allergic reaction to food.

I talked with the vet about my feral cats and what has been going on, she agrees they probably have Calicivirus and the stress from the dog incident bought out the flare up.

Right now they are all doing great and eating as if nothing happened. Tiger has grown to trust me more since all this happened. She even steps inside my door rubbing against my legs crying for her food.

The vet recommended I get a supplement to help boost their immune system but the one she suggested has soybean oil in it and I think they have issues with soy.

Does anyone know of a supplement I can purchase that would help with the immune system? I already give them L-lysine twice a day. I was looking into Missing Link but not sure what to get.

Yesterday I picked up some samples of Natural Balance Pea and Duck and put a few pieces in with their Merrick dry food and canned food. They sure did like that. Even Maddie who still has a little sore on her front lip gobbled it up.

I'm just so glad everyone is doing much better and eating. I also have been fixing up my front flowerbed and they think it's a playground. At least I haven't planed the flowers yet.......

 

[detmut]

i have to re-do this post since it was a bad cut and paste. here are the local feral rescue groups sorted by state from Alley Cat Rescue:

http://saveacat.org/images/acr_media/find_local_groups.htm

Washington

Northwest Spay and Neuter Center      2106 Tacoma Ave. S.  Tacoma WA 98402        253-627-7729

Friends of Campus Cats                        Po Box 75224              Seattle WA 98175         206-442-2051

C.A.T.S. Cat Altering to Save                Po Box 184                  Sequim WA 98382        360-516-0834

Feral Cat Assistance and Trapping                                            Seattle WA                    206-427-6454

 

[snugglecat]

 
While I really do believe they seem to have the one form of calicivirus I was explaining about, I was also thinking that the way this calici causes stomatitis, stomatitis is an autoimmune response, which is often times why cats react to food they are eating, an allergy to food is an autoimmune response too.

I'm sure they are all connected somehow.

I remember many years ago when I was first getting involved with rescuing, my mom would tell me I am not the type of person to be a rescuer, I get too emotional and upset.

Well unfortunately that doesn't stop us, whether we are the type to handle it or not.

What I also think I have learned is, all of us rescuers are too sensitive, that is why we have such compassion to help them, but it also means alot of heartache and rough roads.

We are always here for support, anytime you are finding yourself in that dark place, just scoot over because more of us will be right there beside you.

The vet also thinks they could be suffering from calicivirus because of the mouth ulcers. She told me to find a supplement to give them to help build their immune system. The one she recommended has soybean oil in it and I think they have issues with anything that has soy.

I don't think the missing Link will work either because it has some yeast in it and I know they can't have anything with Brewers yeast or brewers rice in it. The one the vet recommended she gives to her feral cat that has feline aids. She has to be very careful with what she feeds him also.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what to try for my little group? I'm just so glad that right now they are all doing so much better.

Thanks again.