Big bump

[moonrisen]

Hi I'm 14 and I've been worrying about my cat a lot because there's this big bump at the side of his face. It's been growing and I've been begging my dad to go to the vet but he says no because the surgery might be too expensive. I don't know how I can help him, I don't know if it's painful but he has trouble eating and he drools a lot. All he does is sleep and all I can do is sit next to him and pet him but today it got bigger and my dad told me not to pet him because he's sick. Can i still take the cat to the vet and schedule an appointment if I'm 14??

 

[Sarthur2]

Oh my! I’m so sorry that your cat is not well. The bump sounds like it might need surgical removal, but it definitely needs looking at by a vet to determine what it is and the best way to treat it.

How old is your cat? Do you live in the U.S.? Does your family have a regular vet?

Do you have a friend or relative who might be able to help you out with a vet visit and the bill?

moonrisen

 

[iPappy]

Hi
I am so sorry your cat isn't feeling well. Does he go outside at all? Does he live with any other cats?
Does he eat dry food? If so, you could try soaking a little handful of dry food in warm water for 15 minutes or so. Then, you can drain the extra water and see if that makes it easier for him to chew.
I hope he feels better soon.

 

[fionasmom]

I am sorry that you are in this position with your cat. We are only guessing, because we can’t see your cat, but this could be an abscess, in which case it might open and drain on its own. That is not a guarantee if it is infected enough though. It may also be inside his mouth, or it may be dental, which will probably not get better on its own. It could be something entirely different as well.

It is not a question, more than likely,of whether or not a minor can go to a vet with a pet but they will immediately ask you who is responsible for the bill, and that will possibly end the discussion right there.

I agree that the cat needs medical attention if you can approach a friend or relative to help you out with this. Remember too that taking the cat to a vet does not mean that you have to agree to treatment or to every possible kind of treatment that they might recommend. All vets will give you an estimate and if that is not acceptable, you do not have to stay and allow the service.

 

[neely]

Welcome to TCS! I'm sorry to hear your cat is ill but thank you for taking his health issue seriously and wanting to help him. The above members have given you good advice. You may want to call first before taking him to the vet to see what their requirements are in order to treat or examine him. I agree it could be an abscess or some type of injury if he goes outdoors. Please keep us posted on his condition.

 

[moonrisen]

I am sorry that you are in this position with your cat. We are only guessing, because we can’t see your cat, but this could be an abscess, in which case it might open and drain on its own. That is not a guarantee if it is infected enough though. It may also be inside his mouth, or it may be dental, which will probably not get better on its own. It could be something entirely different as well.

It is not a question, more than likely,of whether or not a minor can go to a vet with a pet but they will immediately ask you who is responsible for the bill, and that will possibly end the discussion right there.

I agree that the cat needs medical attention if you can approach a friend or relative to help you out with this. Remember too that taking the cat to a vet does not mean that you have to agree to treatment or to every possible kind of treatment that they might recommend. All vets will give you an estimate and if that is not acceptable, you do not have to stay and allow the service.

I think it's an abscess too! He goes outside a lot and I usually watch him but sometimes I take my eye off of him for a bit. I've heard and seen him fight with other cats because I usually have to run to him and get the other cat to run away because I don't want him getting hurt. I approached my best friend and she said I should just call the vet and ask them if they know what it is or how I can help treat him at home. My brother wants to take him to the vet too but my parents just won't let us.

 

[moonrisen]

Hi
I am so sorry your cat isn't feeling well. Does he go outside at all? Does he live with any other cats?
Does he eat dry food? If so, you could try soaking a little handful of dry food in warm water for 15 minutes or so. Then, you can drain the extra water and see if that makes it easier for him to chew.
I hope he feels better soon.

He goes outside a lot and he's the only cat he have. I give him wet food most of the time and he eats it well but as of lately he has a hard time chewing. If he barely eats I try to maybe give him small treats or feed him kibble one at a time.

 

[moonrisen]

Oh my! I’m so sorry that your cat is not well. The bump sounds like it might need surgical removal, but it definitely needs looking at by a vet to determine what it is and the best way to treat it.

How old is your cat? Do you live in the U.S.? Does your family have a regular vet?

Do you have a friend or relative who might be able to help you out with a vet visit and the bill?

moonrisen

My cat is about 3 years old and I live in the U.S. My family doesn't have a regular vet and my family has refused to take my cat to the vet before. I have a brother who can help with the vet bill, It's just that we don't know if we can schedule an appointment and take my cat there because we're minors, but my brother has a job and I also have money in my wallet that can help pay the bill.

 

[moonrisen]

Welcome to TCS! I'm sorry to hear your cat is ill but thank you for taking his health issue seriously and wanting to help him. The above members have given you good advice. You may want to call first before taking him to the vet to see what their requirements are in order to treat or examine him. I agree it could be an abscess or some type of injury if he goes outdoors. Please keep us posted on his condition.

I would but I'm a bit scared that they might turn me away because I'm too young

 

[neely]

My family doesn't have a regular vet and my family has refused to take my cat to the vet before. I have a brother who can help with the vet bill, It's just that we don't know if we can schedule an appointment and take my cat there because we're minors, but my brother has a job and I also have money in my wallet that can help pay the bill.

It sounds as though your cat definitely needs medical treatment especially if it's an abscess since that's not something you can treat yourself. I'm glad your brother cares about the cat too and wants to take him to the vet with you. I would suggest calling to make an appointment or since you've never taken him to a vet before and may have to wait try going to a veterinary emergency clinic if there's one near you. In the meantime, please do not leave your cat outdoors since his being sick only puts him at more risk.

Here's a TCS Article about what to do if you can't afford a vet - since you're in the US scroll down to the bottom where it lists organizations to help with funds by state: No Money For Vet Care? How To Find Help And Save Your Cat's Life - TheCatSite

 

[iPappy]

moonrisen I hope you can have your cat seen. Thank you for caring for him! Despite the problems you're facing, you are doing a great job!

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi, I don' t know if this might work for you, but are you in an area that has veterinarians who would come to where the cat is/home visit? Type home visit vet, or mobile vet into your search engine. I'm sending you all my best wishes

 

[Sarthur2]

Call for an appointment and ask how much it costs for an office visit. If you and your brother can pay for it, it should be okay. The vet may suggest blood work and x-rays, and that would cost much more, but they can give you a written estimate to take home. You would just pay for the consultation and possibly some medicine if there is infection at this initial visit.

You could also try a fundraising website.

Do let us know what you decide and how your cat is doing. I’m so sorry this is happening.

moonrisen

 

[silent meowlook]

Hi. How is your cat doing?

You have to be careful and maybe try to reason with your dad about your cat instead of going against his wishes. Nobody here knows what your living situation is. So, first and foremost you must take your own well-being into consideration with everything that you do, Will you get into trouble with your dad if you take the cat to the vet even though he said no? I wouldn't want you to get into trouble at home. Is it the money that he is objecting to? Or does he not think cats should go to vets? Is it just you and your dad and brother at home? Don't answer if you don't feel comfortable doing so. I just am concerned about you as well as your cat and want to make sure you don't get into trouble.

How would you and your brother get your cat to the vet? Does your brother drive? Would you take an uber?

There are organizations around that will help with the financial part of taking care of your cat. If the money part was taken care of do you think your dad would still be against it? Would he be upset at not being able to pay for it himself? You don't have to answer that. I am just trying to make sure you think about everyone's feelings in what you do.

From what you have described, it sounds like this is something that your cat will need help in getting over. I don't think there is anything you can do on your own. He needs to see a vet. So, the good news is that you are fourteen. That means you are a kid and people will automatically like you and think you are nice to care for your kitty so much. They will also feel sorry for you because you love your cat and he is hurt. That is something you can use to try to get him help. Personally, I wouldn't call first to find out prices. I would just go with the cat. If they want to do surgery, ask if there is an organization they know of to help with the bills. If not, often there are the bare minimum treatments that can be done that aren't the best, but still may work. Maybe not as fast but better than doing nothing. They may be able to offer that.

So, if you are sure you won't get in trouble taking the cat to the vet, make an appointment and let them know he won't eat and is just sleeping allot. Get him in and go from there.

Where I worked was a cat only veterinarian. We sometimes had cases come in where people didn't have money and the cat needed help. Sometimes I paid for it, sometimes the vet did. We always made sure the cat got help though.

I hope some of this helps and I home everything is going okay for you and your kitty right now. Please let us all know what happens.

 

[moonrisen]

Hi, I don' t know if this might work for you, but are you in an area that has veterinarians who would come to where the cat is/home visit? Type home visit vet, or mobile vet into your search engine. I'm sending you all my best wishes

I don’t think there is any vets that can visit my home, and if there were I’d have to only be home with my brother because I would get in trouble if my dad saw there was a vet visiting. Thank you for your wishes!

 

[moonrisen]

Call for an appointment and ask how much it costs for an office visit. If you and your brother can pay for it, it should be okay. The vet may suggest blood work and x-rays, and that would cost much more, but they can give you a written estimate to take home. You would just pay for the consultation and possibly some medicine if there is infection at this initial visit.

You could also try a fundraising website.

Do let us know what you decide and how your cat is doing. I’m so sorry this is happening.

moonrisen

My cat is doing better than before and he’s certainly eating a lot more. I’m sure that me and my brother have the funds to help our cat, it’s just that my dad doesn’t want to spend money. Even if we were to say that we’d pay for it with our money instead of my parent’s, he would still refuse.

 

[moonrisen]

Hi. How is your cat doing?

You have to be careful and maybe try to reason with your dad about your cat instead of going against his wishes. Nobody here knows what your living situation is. So, first and foremost you must take your own well-being into consideration with everything that you do, Will you get into trouble with your dad if you take the cat to the vet even though he said no? I wouldn't want you to get into trouble at home. Is it the money that he is objecting to? Or does he not think cats should go to vets? Is it just you and your dad and brother at home? Don't answer if you don't feel comfortable doing so. I just am concerned about you as well as your cat and want to make sure you don't get into trouble.

How would you and your brother get your cat to the vet? Does your brother drive? Would you take an uber?

There are organizations around that will help with the financial part of taking care of your cat. If the money part was taken care of do you think your dad would still be against it? Would he be upset at not being able to pay for it himself? You don't have to answer that. I am just trying to make sure you think about everyone's feelings in what you do.

From what you have described, it sounds like this is something that your cat will need help in getting over. I don't think there is anything you can do on your own. He needs to see a vet. So, the good news is that you are fourteen. That means you are a kid and people will automatically like you and think you are nice to care for your kitty so much. They will also feel sorry for you because you love your cat and he is hurt. That is something you can use to try to get him help. Personally, I wouldn't call first to find out prices. I would just go with the cat. If they want to do surgery, ask if there is an organization they know of to help with the bills. If not, often there are the bare minimum treatments that can be done that aren't the best, but still may work. Maybe not as fast but better than doing nothing. They may be able to offer that.

So, if you are sure you won't get in trouble taking the cat to the vet, make an appointment and let them know he won't eat and is just sleeping allot. Get him in and go from there.

Where I worked was a cat only veterinarian. We sometimes had cases come in where people didn't have money and the cat needed help. Sometimes I paid for it, sometimes the vet did. We always made sure the cat got help though.

I hope some of this helps and I home everything is going okay for you and your kitty right now. Please let us all know what happens.

Hi! My cat is doing better than before and he’s eating well. My parents would get mad if I took my cat to the vet even if he said no because he doesn’t want us spending our money because he thinks surgery or treatment would be too expensive. My brother cannot drive and we can’t get an Uber. We have gone to the vet before to check if there was anything wrong with him, but we had to beg our dad a lot and say it wouldn’t be a lot. I forgot to mention that it was in fact an abscess and recently it ruptured. The wound is a bit small so all I’ve been trying to do is clean it and prevent it from getting worse. I worry that it might be painful for my cat.

 

[moonrisen]

Update: The abscess ruptured on it’s own and my dad still didn’t let me take my cat to the vet. He said it’d recover on it’s own but I’m still worried. Where it ruptured, there’s a piece of loose skin and an open wound. I’ve been trying to clean it carefully as to not harm my cat. But he’s eating better and I’m giving him lot’s of food and he’s sleeping normally.

 

[silent meowlook]

Hi. I am not a veterinarian and have not seen your cat. I can only tell you what I would do if it was my cat and I was in the same situation of not being able to get the cat to a veterinarian.

i would do a warm compress with just warm water and either a wash cloth or paper towels. gently apply it to the area where the puss is coming out. Hold it there until it cools or until he decides to leave. I would try to do this twice a day. That would be the only cleaning of the area that I would do. I would not use any kind of cleaner or peroxide or anything but warm water. I also would not mess with the area much because it is painful. I would however make sure to do that compress with warm water twice daily. It is important because you don't want the area to close up to fast and seal the puss inside. So it is best to continue draining.

There is no doubt it is painful. There aren't any over the counter pain medications that you can give to cats. It is all toxic. I have seen many good intentioned owners accidently kill their cats by giving them a pain medication that wasn't prescribed for them. Cats don't have certain liver enzymes that people do, so the medications that are safe for people can kill a cat. Even a small amount. Medications for dogs can do the same thing, So, sadly there is nothing that you can do to control his discomfort. It should actually feel better since it has burst.

It is very important that he stays inside (if it is safe for him being kept in) because he needs to heal and he won't have his senses about him and the discomfort can be distracting to him and he could easily get hurt outside. His sense of balance will be somewhat affected because of the location of the wound.

Make sure he continues to eat.

Unfortunately it will be more risky for him without antibiotics. Antibiotics are really needed for him. But I understand the situation, I think. One thing, if you can bring it up, and it is fine if you can't, once the abscess has ruptured, there really usually isn't a surgery to be done and it is often just antibiotics at that point. So, probably not expensive at all. But don't bring it up at home if you don't think it will get any results.

He may get better without antibiotics. There just isn't any way of knowing.

It is obvious that you love your cat very much. I am sorry you are in this situation where you feel helpless. But you are doing good with him by making sure he eats and it is good that it opened up.

Please keep us posted as to how he is doing.

 

[maggie101]

Tough situation! The cost for your cat seeing a vet costs more day by day. Do not let him outside til he is healed