Need To Get Her To The Vet

[susan d]

I posted this in the health section, and someone suggested I post it here. Any help would be appreciated. The only update is that she is back to mistrusting my approach again- after several months of gaining her trust
I took in a feral last year when she became pregnant. I had been feeding her outside,but when she got pregnant I brought her in,and she had 4 kittens on 5/15/17. I have since moved and brought she and the babies with me where they remain indoor cats b.c I live near a highway. I had them all fixed. She has remained skittish and it has taken forever for her just to trust me enough to not hide when I approach her. She was losing fur and it took me days to finally catch her to take her into the vet,and was left with a tear - not a scratch- from my lower lip to my chin! It's super traumatic for us both. The vet prescribed Prozac for 'over grooming',but I have been unable to get it into her-and I have tried several different things to mask the med-in both pill and liquid form. It's been a couple of mos.,and her hair loss is much worse as she licks and scratches at herself constantly (which,btw,I did not notice her doing when it began and I took her in) We were in a holding pattern with that as I try to figure a way to get it in her,but yesterday I noticed she gets into the box and squats for several minutes,and she does it quite often-leaving hardly any pee- if any at all. So,some kind of bladder infection and I need to get her back to the vet! I made an appointment and tried to get a tranquilizer in her to no avail,then went to grab her to put her into the carrier,and off she ran under the bed where I couldn't reach her. That was/is SUPER upsetting to me because it has taken her sooooooo long to trust me again after our last trip,and we were really just getting 'completely ' comfortable Honestly,if it were something less immediate than a bladder infection I would let her be. She's finally out from under the bed,but trying to grab her again has me sooo unnerved I made another appointment for the morning,but I'll have to just drop her off ,as I too have an appointment elsewhere. Does anyone have a suggestion as to how I might catch her to transport her? Is there a way to do it without 'grabbing' her? She's pretty lanky too,so getting a hold on her is difficult from that stand point also. I sooooo fear her going back to being so uncomfortable around me and feeling the need to hide I have already tried Feliway and it did not help. Or,is there anything I can get to treat her without taking her in? Thank you so much.

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[shadowsrescue]

Have you tried using a blanket to put over her and then putting her and the blanket into the carrier? I have 5 former feral cats living in my house right now and the cat carrier is a nightmare for us all. I have found that using a dog carrier that is much bigger than a cat carrier works so much better. It is so much easier to get the cat into.

I know how traumatic this is for her and for you. I wish there was more I could do to help you.

I just brought 3 ferals into my house right after Christmas. I had their vet appointment this past Tuesday. I used a mobile vet. A vet and a vet tech came to my house. It wasn't horribly expensive either. You might try doing a search on mobile vets in your area and see if you can get one to come out. Explain that she is feral and you need help.

 

[orange&white]

I would ask your vet if you can pick up antibiotics to see if it will help the infection. They may do that over the phone since she has a file there. Of course, if antibiotics do not help, you're back to square one trying to get her in the carrier. You also have to figure out how to pill her, so an antibiotic injection at the vet's office is probably the best idea. Call them and ask what they think, given that you're having difficulty catching her.

The following isn't going to help you today "right now", but I leave a carrier out with the door open all the time. The cats wander in for naps and find it non-threatening since it's "part of the furniture" to them. I also weigh them fairly frequently by shutting them in the carrier, putting it on the scale, then quickly opening the door. They are locked in less than one minute for weight checks. They've learned that being in the closed kennel is not permanent and it doesn't hurt them. Getting them into the carrier for a vet visit then becomes a non-event (unlike the actual vet visit). Sorry, that doesn't help you today, but it might help for future planning.

 

[orange&white]

You could try opening a can of tuna (or her favorite treat). Set the carrier out in the room and put a teaspoon of tuna in the back of the carrier every couple of hours and leave the room. Food can be a great motivator. If she'll walk in for the tuna when she's alone, then try a teaspoon, but stay in the room and see if she'll walk in. By tomorrow morning, you might be able to get her to walk in for tuna and shut the door. Worth a try?

 

[trudy1]

Is there anybody else she’s been around recently? My thought was you could get them to put her in the carrier and remove your association of carrier, vet, etc.

If not the “tuna” idea sounds good for the short term. Also look for mobile vet. Shots for anything you can...I am not a fan of trying to pill a cat! I know it’s done but I’ve never had much success.

Yes it does sound like a uti which girl cats can and do get. But also remember she is VERY sensitive to your state of mind, so if you’re thinking “oh no!” she feels it and reacts accordingly. I might suggest a little Prozac for mom as well.

But I have been in your situation many times, scratched, bitten clear through thumb nail, etc. I know your fear so I’m not poking fun. I’ve used a “calmer” a time or two when having to approach a cat on edge.

Not for this time but I would suggest you get the vet to show you how to scruff a cat. If you’ve ever watched a mom cat carry her babies they always grab them by the back of the neck. What happens, the babies go limp. You can learn to grab her the same way. But practice on other cats who are more relaxed till you feel confident.

The loss of fur certainly sounds like stress related over grooming. There are people on the site better suited to address this than I. Maybe even related to the urinary issue.

Please try to fit yourself into her place as she was probably attacked by males, fought to protect her babies, was hungry, then her surroundings were completely changed with you. I think you deserve an award for taking her in with those babies. But since she did come in with her babies without tearing you up there must be some trust there to build on. I believe if you can fix the pee issue and discover what her real stressors are things will improve greatly.

Hopefully you can find a mobile vet or someone she’s been around to take her in for you.

 

[ArchyCat]

If you have to grab her to put in the carrier, you might try a large bath towel. Easier to throw and wrap around kitty than a blanket might be.

I second the suggestion of having the vet show you how to scruff a cat.

 

[theyremine]

I share your angst. I, too, have ended up in the ER while trying to get my former feral Bella to the vet the first time. I know no magic secret, but I can tell you it has gotten better over time.

She also barbers. It happened the first time when I took one of my other cats to the vet and he never came home (cancer). Now, she does it whenever she's stressed. I find brushing her twice daily with a wide brush seems to calm her, so she never gets to the point where she has a bald spot.

I, too, have used a mobile vet years ago for a semi-feral who never allowed me to touch her. I didn't have to do anything, just make sure she was in the house when he came. It was a bit more expensive, but for her, it was my only option.

 

[trudy1]

So how did it go?

What did you finally end up doing?

 

[houseofnine]

Hi and best of luck to you. I agree, call your vet and ask for meds. With ferals I have found that the vet is more flexible about prescribing without seeing the cat as long as it's nothing too serious. Orbax is an antibiotic that is pretty much tasteless/odorless. They more often prescribe it for dogs but it's approved for use in cats as well.
In a female, it might not be a UTI, it might be idiopathic (without real cause) cystitis, in which case all you can do is try to get her to drink more water and maybe get some Buprinor into her for the pain. If she's eating only dry food, try to get her to eat some poultry based wet food. Fish has higher phosphorus which can be bad for bladder issues.
I hope this post helps. One of our more skittish semiferals got cystitis a few times, but it seemed to be related to her being in heat (it took us a couple years to be able to get her fixed--at least she was indoors though). Once she was fixed it seemed to stop.

 

[houseofnine]

I posted this in the health section, and someone suggested I post it here. Any help would be appreciated. The only update is that she is back to mistrusting my approach again- after several months of gaining her trust
I took in a feral last year when she became pregnant. I had been feeding her outside,but when she got pregnant I brought her in,and she had 4 kittens on 5/15/17. I have since moved and brought she and the babies with me where they remain indoor cats b.c I live near a highway. I had them all fixed. She has remained skittish and it has taken forever for her just to trust me enough to not hide when I approach her. She was losing fur and it took me days to finally catch her to take her into the vet,and was left with a tear - not a scratch- from my lower lip to my chin! It's super traumatic for us both. The vet prescribed Prozac for 'over grooming',but I have been unable to get it into her-and I have tried several different things to mask the med-in both pill and liquid form. It's been a couple of mos.,and her hair loss is much worse as she licks and scratches at herself constantly (which,btw,I did not notice her doing when it began and I took her in) We were in a holding pattern with that as I try to figure a way to get it in her,but yesterday I noticed she gets into the box and squats for several minutes,and she does it quite often-leaving hardly any pee- if any at all. So,some kind of bladder infection and I need to get her back to the vet! I made an appointment and tried to get a tranquilizer in her to no avail,then went to grab her to put her into the carrier,and off she ran under the bed where I couldn't reach her. That was/is SUPER upsetting to me because it has taken her sooooooo long to trust me again after our last trip,and we were really just getting 'completely ' comfortable Honestly,if it were something less immediate than a bladder infection I would let her be. She's finally out from under the bed,but trying to grab her again has me sooo unnerved I made another appointment for the morning,but I'll have to just drop her off ,as I too have an appointment elsewhere. Does anyone have a suggestion as to how I might catch her to transport her? Is there a way to do it without 'grabbing' her? She's pretty lanky too,so getting a hold on her is difficult from that stand point also. I sooooo fear her going back to being so uncomfortable around me and feeling the need to hide I have already tried Feliway and it did not help. Or,is there anything I can get to treat her without taking her in? Thank you so much.

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+ QuoteReply

Hi and best of luck to you. I agree, call your vet and ask for meds. With ferals I have found that the vet is more flexible about prescribing without seeing the cat as long as it's nothing too serious. Orbax is an liquid antibiotic that is pretty much tasteless/odorless. They more often prescribe it for dogs but it's approved for use in cats as well.
In a female, it might not be a UTI, it might be idiopathic (without real cause) cystitis, in which case all you can do is try to get her to drink more water and maybe get some Buprinor into her for the pain. If she's eating only dry food, try to get her to eat some poultry based wet food. Fish has higher phosphorus which can be bad for bladder issues.
I hope this post helps. One of our more skittish semiferals got cystitis a few times, but it seemed to be related to her being in heat (it took us a couple years to be able to get her fixed--at least she was indoors though). Once she was fixed it seemed to stop.

 

[susan d]

Hi,so sorry to have disappeared,but I have been dealing with a health issue myself! The vet allowed me to pick up some Clavamox chewables to give twice a day for two weeks. I had followed some advice in another thread to cut out kibble and add water to her canned food,and very shortly thereafter no longer noticed her frequent ,long squattings in the box! Yayyyyyyyyy! Based on that,I did not start the antibiotics,but the next day I did notice some rashy-looking spots where she's been scratching and biting and am hoping that's normal for the over grooming condition- i.e. that he scratching is causing the rash and not that the rash is primary.

I cancelled the vet appointment for today,but followed the advice to leave the carrier out,and she has indeed spent some time in there She actually had her kittens in the middle of my bed in May It has been quite the journey. My main focus has always been on making her as secure as possible by not invading her space,but that has always come from a place of fear in me,but it now occurs to me that maybe I need to adapt more of a confident approach - kind of a more alpha energy than a passive? Does that work with cats?

 

[houseofnine]

I'm not a vet, but it's possible that she has a food allergy causing the scratching. Natural Balance makes limited-ingredient canned food (things like venison and peas, and maybe some other varieties). Not crazy expensive, but you'd have it get it online or at PetCo or Petsmart. Online cheapest.
Thanks for changing her over to wet food. It really makes a difference. It will help her keep her girlish figure, too!
Also your story is very similar to ours: In 2013, our first feral mama hid her 4 kittens in our foundation window well! We trapped her and kept everyone..then the second feral mama showed up last June with 3 kittens..part of the reason we're up to 12 indoor kitties now. #fosterfail. LOL.
Keep up the good work and thank you for saving this kitty family!

 

[susan d]

Lol,I LOVE your feral story Is a diet exclusively of wet food the best? I have been feeding them Soulistic because none of them seem to like pat'e and this is chunky. I did put a bowl out of kibble over night for them to graze on- should I not do that,or is it ok as long as they get enough wet? The vet mentioned it could be food allergies,and said if the Prozac didn't work,it might be best to go to the food I fed her before she had the kittens. I used to feed her Fancy Feast,but that seemed to bother the systems of the kittens-SMELLY and diarrhea,then I read that additive that starts with a 'c' and has 2 'L' s in it can bother their systems,so I got away from it.

2 things I have wondered about are 1) she likes to hang out on my boxes that had been in storage for 12 years,and wondered if it could be dust allergies? Does anyone know if they get dust allergies? And 2) her kittens are 9 mos. old,and are quite big,but they still try to nurse not infrequently- a few times a week. I assume they do it for comfort,but she's not crazy about it and most times tries to discourage them. Could that be stressful enough to cause her to lose fur?

 

[houseofnine]

Lol,I LOVE your feral story Is a diet exclusively of wet food the best? I have been feeding them Soulistic because none of them seem to like pat'e and this is chunky. I did put a bowl out of kibble over night for them to graze on- should I not do that,or is it ok as long as they get enough wet? The vet mentioned it could be food allergies,and said if the Prozac didn't work,it might be best to go to the food I fed her before she had the kittens. I used to feed her Fancy Feast,but that seemed to bother the systems of the kittens-SMELLY and diarrhea,then I read that additive that starts with a 'c' and has 2 'L' s in it can bother their systems,so I got away from it.

2 things I have wondered about are 1) she likes to hang out on my boxes that had been in storage for 12 years,and wondered if it could be dust allergies? Does anyone know if they get dust allergies? And 2) her kittens are 9 mos. old,and are quite big,but they still try to nurse not infrequently- a few times a week. I assume they do it for comfort,but she's not crazy about it and most times tries to discourage them. Could that be stressful enough to cause her to lose fur?

Hi Susan! Overall, grain-free wet food is best if within the budget. We don't have human kids so we're able to swing it (they eat better than we do, though! LOL) We used to give all our kitties grain-free dry (Halo Brand Spot's Stew) poultry based food as a snack ONLY, but we had to get rid of it entirely when one of our boys wound up with bladder blockage. Eliminating the dry food wound up being good because our two, 11 yr olds were getting kind of "round," and one of them was showing signs of arthritis. Since she dropped a couple pounds, she is nimble again and can hop up on the bed/counter easily.
I assume your mama cat is spayed now? Dust allergies are possible, or maybe mold allergy? are the boxes plastic or paper? I've also had two asthma kitties over the years..
Is mama kitty's life fairly calm now that the kits are mostly grown? Does she gets lots of playtime to blow off steam?
If so, I would talk to your vet about the food being an issue. I have a rescue friend who swears by raw diet, but it's very labor intensive--have to grind meat up, add various vitamins and minerals--just wouldn't work for us with TWELVE.
Not sure if I was helpful but write back with any questions.