Fatty Feral

[prorescue]

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• prorescue
• Mar 14, 2014

9-10 months ago I stepped outside to walk my dog. As I turned around from locking my door I saw a (fat!) cat that I had never seen before, which is a rarity because I feed all the complex strays 2x daily. This cat was rubbing all over my dogs legs and putting his scent on my dog by rubbing. From that day on that cat never left my front porch until he was brought inside. His name started out being Preggo, under the obvious assumption it was an "about to pop any day" female. WRONG. Male. Fat male. Fat fixed male with clipped ears, indicating he was part of the fix&release program....strange. 2 months ago he got very sick and was diagnosed with feline AIDs. The antibiotics worked for the infection he had and now he is living a happy life as an indoor kitty...oh & still obsessed with my dog to the point Dogface gets pissy.
My question is this:
My vet said he believed Pumba got "good at finding the food mounds" these feral programs put out daily, since there's no underlining health problem. I have a wonderful vet that tends to my other 7 animals regularly, but sadly I disagree with him on this. Pumba found my doorstep & my food mound & never left. He's literally the perfect indoor pet and has finally started being more playful. He wanders around in the middle of the night yowling at the top of his lungs (I'm here to tell ya- ear plugs = best investment EVER) then finally settles in silently on my bed.
Why is this cat SO LARGE?? I've never seen a feral so big, I swear! Doesn't it sound like he had a previous owner?
I'll never find out his backstory...but I would at least like to hear a general idea for the pounds he's packed on!! Especially for being only (roughly) 3-5yrs old!
Help !
Just to throw it out there...you guys should totally see the glares I get from patients at the vet...I'm sure they all think pumba is on a Twinkie only diet, with extra frosting.

 

[prorescue]

;(

 

[ondine]

Wow - he is definitely not feral.  Someone cared for that cat and overfed him.  He would not be so friendly with the dog or even comfortable inside if he hadn't been an inside cat at some point.  There is just too much going on outside that feral cats have to deal with to have allowed him to get that fat.

Something else occurred to me though.  His "fat" may be fluid in his belly.  Is he fat all over?  Does he have trouble breathing?  If it is just his belly bloated, if he's lethargic and has trouble breathing it may be FIP.  There is no test for it.  I sincerely hope it isn't.

But having FIV, his immune system is compromised, so he needs a good, healthy diet.  Scheduled feeding is a must, even thought it may not be easy or very popular with him.

He can survive FIV - I have a friend with a 17-year-old FIV positive kitty.  He's a gnarly old man but he's alive and kicking!

Thank you for taking in this poor guy.  He really needed you!

 

[msaimee]

It's hard to tell from the position he's in how heavy he is. Did your vet do a complete lab panel on him and exam? A vet should be able to tell what's going on. He could have an underactive thyroid. I have an outdoor feral who got very large the Fall in anticipation of the harsh winter, but when he's walking he elongates and there is no belly hanging down. I feed him very well, lol. Does your cat's belly hang down, or is he just large from gaining weight for the winter?

It sounds like he's a stray and not a feral, and that he's been inside someone else's home before. It's possible that someone put him out when learning he has AIDS. It's great that you've taken him in!