Toasty Growling & Hissing At Nothing. Claws & Bites His Back Legs.

[ToastyGotNeutered]

I got my 9-month old cat neutered on June 4. He's an in-door cat and has never even seen another cat, so I don't think it's worms. About 3 days ago he started having this condition where he violently growls and hisses at nothing and starts clawing and biting his back legs. He also sometimes licks the area where he had the surgery. He seems to be having the condition right before he goes to the bathroom. Twice I've seen him rush to the litter box like he had to go use it, but then he stopped and went away. Yesterday morning he had a poo accident, so he didn't even make it to the litter box. His poo has also changed a great deal although I have not changed his diet. I feed him Iams hard food. His feces was always hard and cylinder shaped before the neutering. Now it is soft and comes out flat like a pancake. I don't think it's constipation seeing as how he still goes the bathroom twice a day. I don't know if any of this is related to the surgery or not. But he looks fine back there and everything looks healed to me.

I don't have money for a vet. Do you have any advice about this?

 

[ArtNJ]

It sounds like a medical problem Toasty, so I'm not sure what advice we can offer apart from calling around for a cheaper vet. He might have an infection, a UTI or infection of the surgical site seeming the most likely, but we aren't vets here, and I doubt anyone can say for sure. All I'm sure of is that your cat is at risk, and if you can't find a vet you can pay for, you should try to find another home for the cat with a person or organization that can pay for the vet care.

I'm sorry the advice isn't easier to deal with. I totally get the money issue. But this is basic and perhaps critical vet care, not fancy or optional stuff. You need to find the money or find another home for the cat. Stinks hard I know, but you don't want the cat to go into organ failure with a raging infection because you can't afford vet care.

I'd call the local ASPCA, check for a no kill shelter, ask your vet for suggestions, and if all else fails and your not to proud, post the situation on your Facebook or similar. Or just beg/borrow some cash. If its something like a UTI or infection of the incision, the vet bill hopefully shouldn't be that horrible. But don't wait on this.

 

[ToastyGotNeutered]

I've tried hard to find this cat a home since the day he was born. I found him in the back yard. The mom cat dropped him off and never came back. I took him in because I didn't want him to starve to death. I'm afraid finding him another home isn't an option because I've tried to do that for months. It was the the local ASPCA that did the neutering. They told me to take him to a vet. That sure is going to be hard on me. Guess I'll start looking for one.

 

[ArtNJ]

Good luck, keep us posted!

A vet around here gives a free initial exam, so if you look around hopefully you can find that or a vet with a big heart if you explain the situation. If its just a UTI, meds alone shouldn't be that bad.

 

[ToastyGotNeutered]

I just got an appointment to take him to a vet in about 3 hours. This will be the first time I've ever gone to a vet.

 

[ArtNJ]

I just got an appointment to take him to a vet in about 3 hours. This will be the first time I've ever gone to a vet.

Great! Wishing you the best and hoping for a great vet. Around here, the vets are skilled but its big business too. The big business type vets try and pressure you into costly just-in-case tests rather than being cost effective. Just ask questions and be prepared not to be guilted without good reason. For example, for your cat, many vets around here would recommend full blood work and a stool test automatically, but if questioned a bit more, would admit that it wouldn't be unreasonable to test for a UTI first. And since your cat has never been, they are guarantied to want to do a lot of different things that likely have nothing to do with the present problem. I always try and listen carefully, ask questions, listen more, and be prepared to keep asking even if they get a tad annoyed. Your going to have to admit that money is a serious concern...it can be a bit embarrassing, but its nothing they haven't heard a million times before, and once they understand, they will usually adjust and explain what is really a priority.

 

[ToastyGotNeutered]

Vet doesn't think anything seriously wrong. He's peeing fine. He has a fever though. She gave me an antibiotic. She said I'd never be able to give him away because I bottle fed him and he had no other cat to grow up with. Said he wouldn't take to anyone else.

This cat owes me $186.