Issues with found cat

[Nickelwater]

We found a cat/kitten in the middle of the road earlier today. I plan on trying to get an appointment tomorrow morning with my vet, but am hoping from some advice on whether not I should do anything immediately since there are some oddities with cat. I am more of a dog person, so I am really clueless.

It is very cold here (Minnesota) and I dont know how long she was out. She has been inside for several hours and warmed up, but it is almost like she has some kind of neurological disorder. The best way I can describe it is that she is like a turtle. She hasnt done anything unless provoked - If I stand her up, she takes a few steps in 'slow motion' before tipping over. If I put food in front of her, she is very eager to eat it but kind of just opens her mouth and lunges slowly forward, clamping on the first thing she feels in her mouth. If have used a dropped to give her some water and also held her head down closer to a bowl of water and she laps it up, but has not drank anything on her own. I have her in a large kennel right now and she basically just sits in one spot, eyes open staring straight ahead. Sometimes she hisses if I approach, and sometimes she meows a dozen times over the course of a few minutes but otherwise she just sits there. I dont think she has even slept, as she will just be sitting with her head up not laying down but also not moving at all.

I dont know if her reactions are symptoms of cold exposure or if she was abandoned because of a neurological disorder. As I said, I plan on trying to get a vet appointment tomorrow but her behavior is so bizarre it feels like I should be doing something. Any advice is appreciated.

 

[fionasmom]

First of all, you did something....you took a poor suffering cat out of the middle of a freezing road. Taking her to the vet is the best move and you are very kind to do that as well.

Being in Los Angeles, I am not completely familiar with the symptoms of exposure. If we factor that out, the symptoms sound neurological to me and I have had experience with that with dogs and cats. The tipping over and the inability to drink without help and to grab at whatever is in front of her all sound neurological. Do you think that she is blind?

Can you offer her food with a popsicle stick or other flat implement? You might be able to get something in her mouth that way since she appears to want to eat? Even a spoon might work if nothing else is handy. Do you have some wet cat food? If not and if going out is not going to work because of various conditions such as bad weather, try tuna, canned chicken.

Again....you are most kind to have helped this poor animal and to be willing to consult a vet. Try to keep her warm and comfortable until then. If you can, please post the outcome.

 

[Nickelwater]

Thanks for the response. She has eaten twice now, two small handfulls of my dogs' food (they are miniature dachshunds so they have small kibble). The way she goes about it is just goes about it is unnatural. I put it in a pile and if she misses, she just clamps onto the blanket for a few moments before going in for another dive. It almost does seem like she may be suffering from some sort of blindness because of her lack of reactions, but she still does make noise if I walk in front of the kennel which makes be feel as though she at least has some sight but she also could be reacting to other senses.

 

[fionasmom]

It might be diminished sight, but as you say it could also be that she is sensitive to sounds or smells. Her body language is not that of a frightened rescue or feral....something else is going on. You are doing everything that you can and I know that she understands on some level that she is safe and warm and not in the middle of a road.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Make sure she is kept warm, and if you have an oral syringe try feeding her that way - little bits at a time. Even some 'juice' from canned tuna or chicken in water is an option. If you can get to a store for some canned food, as fionasmom suggested - look for something like Sheba Perfect Portions pate or Nutro (also perfect portions and pate) - both are of really soft consistency and can be mixed with water to make a slurry (easier to administer with a syringe or dropper if yours is big enough). If not those, then settle for any kind of pate.

Have you ever taken the temperature on one of your dogs, and if so, did you do it with a pediatric rectal thermometer? If not, do you have a wand thermometer to use on her ears? Just to see if her temp is below 100f - a sign of hypothermia. Rice warmed in a sock and wrapped in a towel, not too hot, can help to raise her body temp.

EDIT: Severe lethargy and disorientation can be signs of hypothermia, but there are other conditions that can cause the same things.

 

[maggiedemi]

Bless you for helping her. Did she possibly get hit by a car while in the road?

 

[neely]

As the above members stated, thank you and bless your heart for rescuing this kitten. Obviously you were in the right place at the right time. Although not in Minnesota but living in the midwest I'm all too familiar with winter temps, snow and ice. The rule of thumb is anything below freezing is too cold and since this is a kitten and you don't know how long she has been in the road or what led her to this unhealthy situation I would suggest trying to take her to an emergency veterinary clinic or at the very least calling them to ask what steps you should follow. And, yes, please keep us updated on her progress. Sending special thoughts and healing vibes.

 

[Nickelwater]

Temp was 98 in her ear a couple hours ago so I had her wrapped in a blanket near a space heater. It is now 99.2, so she was definitely a bit chilly. I am not sure if there are any long term side effects to that. She has not improved with the movement but did finally drink quite a bit of water and now seems like she is finally laying down and sleeping a bit. Who knows, maybe she just needs to warm up and rest.

There are no visible injuries so luckily it doesn't seem like she was hit by a car or anything. I would think that if she were hit hard enough to cause these symptoms there would have to be some sort of external injury. The strangest thing is that she isn't dirty or matted and really not any signs of her having been on her own for a while so it is hard to believe that someone isn't missing her.

 

[FeebysOwner]

That temp, if accurate, is FOR sure hypothermia. Continue to feed her as you can, keep her warm, check her temp to see it continues to elevate, and see if anything changes about her demeanor/mobility. I have no idea if hypothermia can cause long term issues, I suppose that depends on how much damage it can do her organs/system. I hope to hear from you that you see improvement over the hours.

EDIT: Did you consider neely 's suggestion about reaching out to an ER clinic for additional guidance?

 

[Nickelwater]

I have an update for everyone. Unfortunately the poor girl passed in the early hours of the morning. She had worsened as the night progressed. We did not bring her to the ER but from the vet I spoke with there wasn't much to be done other than bring her in to be euthanized or make her as comfortable as possible. By the time we discovered her she had been malnourished and exposed for too long and her symptoms were most likely the result of multi-organ failure and her body shutting down on her. At least there is some solace in that she passed comfortable and warm with a little food in her tummy, and with some snuggles, pets (she would purr loudly when we scratched the back of her neck), and a bit of love. Thanks to everyone for their help.

 

[Hlee]

You are awesome for helping this kitty.

 

[neely]

I'm sorry she couldn't be saved but thankful you found her and helped her get comfortably to the Bridge. RIP sweet angel.

 

[stephanietx]

I'm so very sorry she passed, but she knew love, comfort, and kindness from you. Thank you for helping her.

 

[Antonio65]

You did an amazing thing! You gave the poor kitty a good chance to survive.
You describe these weird reactions/conditions, which might be the result of a prolonged hypothermia.
A word of notice, do not force feeding or give the cat food or water unless the body temperature is in the normal range. The cat might also be dehydrated, and this might explain the neurological disorder, due to electrolyte imbalance.
I believe the first thing to do is to check the cat's hydration, and restore it if necessary, even with sub-Q's. Once the hydration is restored and the body temperature is alright, you could feed the cat with small doses of fluid food with a syringe without needle.
Hopefully your vet will receive you soon.
Please, keep us posted.

 

[fionasmom]

Thank you so much for what you did. The kitten knew that she was safe and warm and passed in peace.

 

[betsygee]

So sorry to read this news. Thank you for trying to take care of her. We'll close the thread now out of respect for your loss.