Injured feral advice

[catsknowme]

Wonderful news!! You did a great job of getting help for that kitty. Did the vet recommend any supplements to help with healing?

 

[fionasmom]

You have really been a miracle worker for this cat and I am so glad that you found some help and that she is starting to eat and settle down. Please keep us posted.

 

[LeiLatte]

Thank you! No the vet did not recommend anything… He was concerned about the eye infection and told me to “make a connection” so we can give eye drops, but I don’t know if that will be possible lol.

 

[fionasmom]

Your vet is not wrong, but you can only do what is possible with a resistant cat. You have done more than most would have done to try to help this cat.

 

[dahlia]

Thank you for helping this cat. You saved a life!

 

[LeiLatte]

My husband and I decided to keep this cat because we are unsure about her leg and her being outside… She is not friendly so I am worried about how difficult taming her might be. She still growls and hisses every time she sees me.

I definitely don’t want to bring her inside unless she gets the felv/fiv test since we have 6 healthy cats. Will the vet have to sedate her again to get a sample? She will be kept downstairs in a separate room away from the other cats. She still has signs of a URI so I’m hoping one day I can give her eye drops or any other medicine.

We are going on vacation at the end of the month so my family member will be coming over daily to take care of all the pets. They are going to think we are absolutely crazy having this wild cat to take care of.

 

[fionasmom]

You are making a very kind decision for this cat. Whether or not the vet will have to sedate her to get the sample is probably up to him and his techs. I have seen very unfriendly cats managed by techs, including the ferals that I have brought in to my vet's office in a trap. Keep her separate from the other cats, especially with the URI, until you have all the test results.

You have not had her for a month yet, so this is still very early in taming her and I would not give up. It has definitely taken longer than a month for cats I have brought in to decide that I could be trusted.

 

[LeiLatte]

I checked her invoice again and realized the vet DID do a felv/fiv test. I called and they said they didn’t record the result in the chart, but according to the technician it was negative. I’m hoping this is reliable? Since we are asking almost a month ago from her memory. They only give the felv vaccine if the result is negative right?

They also gave her the fvrcp vaccine so she needs a booster. I think it’s odd they gave those vaccines but not a current rabies vaccine after a dog bite.

So I guess I can rest assured knowing it’s negative for felv/fiv? But she still needs those 2 vaccines plus Revolution for fleas. I’m hoping they can give it without sedation…wrap with a towel or something.

 

[Kflowers]

All she needs is a place to hide whenever she wants. Your other cats will visit her when they are ready, or she them. We had a feral who worked out things with the other cats, but never let us touch her. It was hard to catch her in the house when she had to go to the vet, but doable. She seemed satisfied. And that's the point give her a satisfcatory life from her point of view, rather than worrying about yours. Ours would sometimes sit in the room with us, mostly not. She spent a year living under a bed. Her choice.

However, she was inside where she was safe from dogs and cars and birds were safe from her.

 

[fionasmom]

Results from your vet should be accurate unless you have some reason to doubt it. I do understand your uneasiness though that they forgot to record it. Any record of the test elsewhere?

My cat vet won't give more than 2 vaccines at a time. It could be that yours is doing the same.

There is the potential for more false positives with the FeLv test than negatives, and if a cat does test positive there is no point in administering the vaccine.

 

[LeiLatte]

So unfortunately we were debating letting her go because she is aggressive and my husband goes back and forth getting mad at me for keeping her. It’s been raining here a lot so I was going to let her go after the rain this week. We set up a camera to see how she moves with her leg.

Turns out her leg does not look like it’s doing well since she avoids putting weight on it, lets it dangle, etc. She had 6 weeks crate rest which is much more than the last vet told us it would take to heal (2 weeks).

I am bringing her to my personal vet although they are pretty expensive, but I will feel more confident in the advice and recommendations they give. He will probably want to do xrays again, and suggest surgery or amputation? It’s just hard because any care she needs requires sedation since she’s so aggressive. There’s also only so much we can afford so a $2000 surgery just isn’t going to happen.

I feel bad because she’s fine otherwise, to be euthanized over her leg is quite sad. And we can’t just let her go outside since she would be too vulnerable out there.

 

[fionasmom]

If the leg is dangling, I suspect that he will recommend amputation. This is a difficult situation and you have tried your hardest with her. Please let us know what happens.

 

[LeiLatte]

Unfortunately kitty is gone now.

Her vet appointment was today. He examined her with sedation and took a couple xrays as well as ultrasound. He said her kidney was enlarged and her stomach wall was thickened. He thought she likely has cancer, lymphoma, or FIP. She also had the URI that wouldn’t go away, and dental problems. As far as her leg, he said the muscle completely atrophied and it most likely had nerve damage, which is why she wasn’t using it. With all of the other health issues going on, we opted to euthanize. I will get her ashes back.

She had a sad, short life and I felt so bad that I couldn’t do more from her. At least she won’t suffer a slow painful death. I finally got to pet her while she was sedated and being put to sleep, and her fur was so soft.

 

[iPappy]

Unfortunately kitty is gone now.

Her vet appointment was today. He examined her with sedation and took a couple xrays as well as ultrasound. He said her kidney was enlarged and her stomach wall was thickened. He thought she likely has cancer, lymphoma, or FIP. She also had the URI that wouldn’t go away, and dental problems. As far as her leg, he said the muscle completely atrophied and it most likely had nerve damage, which is why she wasn’t using it. With all of the other health issues going on, we opted to euthanize. I will get her ashes back.

She had a sad, short life and I felt so bad that I couldn’t do more from her. At least she won’t suffer a slow painful death. I finally got to pet her while she was sedated and being put to sleep, and her fur was so soft.

I am so sorry!! You did so much to try to help her. I wonder if she was unable to fight off the stubborn URI because of the cancer or FIP she had straining her immunity. And how do you treat a cat for several illnesses and nurse them through amputation if you can't comfortably (physically) handle them?
As hard as it was, I think you did the right thing. Further treatment IMO would have been nothing but total trauma for you both. Rest in peace, little kitty.