Advice Needed 1 Stray Cat Losing Weight *UPDATE VET APPT MADE* GOAL REACHED FOR VET

[Anikaca77]

Hi All,

Well I'm at my sister's place and I just saw Fatty (well we should now change his name to skinny)....I saw him resting on the road which is typical for him but when I saw him he looked like he was road kill, he's just so skinny now and I can't believe it.

I told my sister that he needs to see a vet, we have no idea of his age because he/or she and this other cat that he/she hangs around with has been around here since she moved in.

The neighbors around my sister all set out food for the 2 cats but Fatty has been getting skinner and skinner. One of my sister's neighbors decided to take them both in one time and one ended up not using the litter box and so he put them back out and well that neighbor that did take them in passed away and well my sister has 3 cats now so she can't take in 2 more although when looking at me and my situation she has more room then me but I know she won't.

The only thing that sucks about trying to just take him/her in is I'd have to take the other one as well because they depend on eachother and even though the one does hunt for food it still wouldn't be fair to leave her outside, even though she's been doing it now for about 3 years since my sister moved in here and when my sister moved in here both of the cats were adults when she moved in so they had to be 1-2 years or more.

So I guess I'm just asking for any advice what might be the problem with Fatty and how to help him. I wish I could say I had the funds to get him fixed and I told my sister if she set up a vet appointment I'd come back up here and take him/her to the vets and figure out what was wrong with him/her. But sadly I need to do something cheaper because my one cat Athena is having surgery at the end of this month for a Hernia which is $150 and then I still owe the vet $44 from a previous vet visit. Luckly, I did receive a donation before which did pay for a vet bill for another stray cat that I took in and has since found a home.

I better get going now, I will be offline for about 4 days and then return around Thursday.

Melissa

Here is the previous thread I wrote about the 2 cats.

http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthread.php?t=143233

[catmandu]

I WOULD SAY WORMS:(:( RIGHT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, AS HE SOUNDS AS THOUGH HES TOO YOUNG FOR A THYROID PROBLEM.
I WOULD GET HIM IN, HAVE HIM TAKEN CARE OF AND THEN BRING HIM BACK,
IF YOU COULD GET BOTH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT AS THE FEMALE MAY BE HAVING LITTERS, MAYBE YOU COULD FIND A SHELTER FOR HER TO BREAK THE CHAIN OF KITTENS.:cool:
GOOD LOOK WITH SKINNY AND HIS GIRL FRIEND.:love::love::love:

[Anikaca77]

Thanks. I hope it's just worms as well. He's a super sweetie.

[catmandu]

I JUST HOPE THAT ITS NOT BAD TEETH, OR AN IFECTION IN SKINNYS MOUTH, AS THAT COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS.:(:eek:
I HOPE YOU CAN GET A GOOD LOOK AT SKINNY, AND HELP HIM OUT , SO HES NOT LOSING ALL THAT WEIGHT.:(

[kb2yjx]

Well, yes, worms, but since he is an outdoor fellow, I'd think about feline aids/leukemia OR cancer. Also, since the cat's age is unknown, thyroid, diabetes, or kidney disease might be considered.

[kt_luvs_kitties]

I would also say have him tested for disease , could be the cause. Is he fixed? Flea treatment? Little more info needed please.

It is hot, so they eat much less in summer, but they never should be boney.

[Catty1]

So - is your sister taking him to the vet?

He's not getting any better...

If funds are tight, I could chip in a bit.

He doesn't sound good.

[Anikaca77]

Hi,

Well we think he is fixed only because I know what a none male looks like fixed and well if it is a girl which we think it's not she would be pregnant by now if she or he wasn't fixed.

jenn_librarian is donating some tubes of Revolution and 20 pills of Baytril and Clavamox and 2 tubes of eye meds in case he gets goopie eyes.

My sister is going to be able to apply the flea meds to him but we are going to wait on the pills until we know for sure what he has.

When I was with him on Saturday he was very hungry and he'd eat a lot but he looks like he's having some jaw issues or chewing problems. My sister has been giving him a can of cat food a day.

I've attached a recent picture I took of him on Saturday.

Melissa



I would also say have him tested for disease , could be the cause. Is he fixed? Flea treatment? Little more info needed please.

It is hot, so they eat much less in summer, but they never should be boney.

[Anikaca77]

My sister said she's not able to take him to the vets because of the money it would cost to run blood tests and check him over and figure out what's wrong with him but I told my sister if she would schedule an appointment I would come up with the funds somehow and I would also come up and take him to the vets with her and have him checked out.

With my funds there is none at the moment because I have to get funds together to get Athena Hernia surgery at the end of this month and well with all the other vet costs it's all going up.

I was thinking that I might try to put more stuff on ebay if people would be interested in purchasing stuff for a generally low price.

Melissa




So - is your sister taking him to the vet?

He's not getting any better...

If funds are tight, I could chip in a bit.

He doesn't sound good.

[kb2yjx]

I would not medicate him until he is checked out by the vet. If there is something wrong, it could be masked by the antibiotics....I do not mean to sound mean, but the meds can interfere if there is a problem....

[Catty1]

Melissa, I'll be able to donate a bit. And so will some other folks. Please have your sister take that kitty in. If his jaw is broken or dislocated, he needs emergency help.

please....!

[kt_luvs_kitties]

Yes, he doesnt look too good.

Does the vet take credit cards over the phone?

[Anikaca77]

The vet does take credit cards over the phone but they won't take it till I show up with the cat.

The office visit will be $36

She said for a complete bloodwork $105
(blood count, liver levels, the works she said)

So I'm looking at with just the bloodwork and the office visit: $141

I have an appointment scheduled for Friday, July 18th at 3 pm since I will be traveling 2 1/2 hours away I had to make it semi-later in the day. I may move it up to Wednesday, July 16th but I will let you all know. I might only be able to afford the vet visit for now but we'll see.

This is the vet's address and phone number that I will be taking Fatty too.

St Francis Animal Hospital
(570) 386-5313
1002 W Penn Pike, Tamaqua, PA 18252

Thanks,
Melissa



Yes, he doesnt look too good.

Does the vet take credit cards over the phone?

[Anikaca77]

I just called the vets that I'm taking Fatty too and I had them put Fatty under my sister's name since she's a client there and that way I can get funds ahead of time before I show up to the vets. Please PM me for the VET'S INFO and my sister's name to put the money under.

I checked to see if I could get Fatty into the vets any sooner than Friday and they said they are all booked so I will be taking Fatty on Friday at 3 pm.

I also asked the vet if the bloodwork included the FIV/FELV test and she said it didn't so there is now an additional $38 cost just for the FIV/FELV test.

The lady I spoke with said I should do the FIV/FELV test just to make sure that's not the reason for him losing weight.

So the total depending on if I have his complete bloodwork done is

$36 visit, $38 FIV/FELV test, $105 bloodwork = $179

Not including any meds. I will probably be able to cover the vet visit, plus at least $60 in gas to get to my sisters and come back....but that will still leave $143 needed.

If I'm not able to come up with the funds before his vet appointment I will have to cancel the appointment until I can afford it. I really hate to say that I need funds but I do with having to keep $150 back for Athena's hernia surgery at the end of this month I just can't afford much more, plus I just had to pay the vet $44. today for a previous vet visit.

Melissa

[Anikaca77]

I just received a wonderful donation:D, I won't say the person's name only because I haven't asked if it's okay to mention the amount or the name. I just need ~$100 left to raise before next Friday.

I will be willing to send out whatever books I have on cats to anyone who donates that wants a cat book.

Melissa

[Catty1]

Melissa - I remember one time you got donations and sent little presents to everyone to thank them. Heavens, girl, save the shipping costs and sell these on eBay - or sell them at a garage sale if you know someone who is having one!

VERY sweet of you, but postage costs money too! ;)

[Anikaca77]

I just e-mailed a bunch of organizations around PA asking for some donations as well and I just got this one e-mail back from one organization:



If the cat is that sick this is cruelty to animals letting him suffer and be sick for so long.
There are many vets that have night hours, weekend hours and there are er's.
I can understand how money can be a factor but I do not understand how she can't find a friend or relative that could take this cat and get him help instead of making him suffer this long and now have to wait another week.
You have asked many people for money, all of us struggle to pay vet bills for our rescues.
We are hours away from where you sister lives yet you wrote to us.
I think you need to get your sister to see that she should be responsible and she needs do the right thing for the cat in HER care.



I know in some way with him losing weight that he's been suffering but he doesn't cry in pain or I would have taken him back home with me and I would have if I didn't have to take the girl he hangs out with as well....and if I lived closer I would of taken him a long time ago but I don't have a ton of money...:(....I'm so upset that someone thinks I'm being cruel...do you all think I'm being cruel...I've done so much to help cats and take care of them..I'm just so upset right now.

Melissa

[Catty1]

This is just one response out of the many you have sent...it's not the whole picture.

If you really feel like responding, give them your sister's email address and tell them to talk to her - or forward that email you got to your sister.

Can she contribute any money to the vet care? She should - if she is feeding them, then she has taken on some responsibility.

Anyway, look at the big picture - there are way more positives than negatives. The most important thing here is Fatty! ;)

If you do contact rescues, ask if they can take Fatty rather than donate money. Rescues are the ones needing donations, as you know. :)

If nothing else, take them off your email list. They aren't being cruel - just telling their side of the story.

[jennielynn1970]

I am sending the meds in the hopes that if he does require antibiotics, Melissa won't have to foot the bill for that yet too. I figure Baytril and Clavamox are the two that are given the most frequently, and since I've had some extras, I'd ship those out. Same with eye meds. I'm hoping that once he is well, she can put the Revolution on him.

Poor guy. He looks really skinny.

The person who emailed you may have sounded cruel to you, or rude, but I can understand where they are coming from. Your sister is feeding them, and is basically taking responsibility for their care. With that come the bills. I know she's not expecting this to happen, the cat being sick and all, and we don't plan for it, but it does happen, and when it does we have to make sure we can take care of their health and well being.

Hopefully things will fall into place, and your sister can put some cash toward them as well.

[Anikaca77]

I have just received more donations!! Thank You!! I won't list the peoples names because I haven't asked for permission yet but you know who you are and thank you so much. Fatty will appreciate it even if he has to be stuck with a needle.

With the donations that I just received I'm looking at about ~$62 left not including the vet visit which for $36 (I'm going to try to pay for that depending on how much gas will cost).

Thank you so much for you all who have donated and I'd just like to add that I am going to be trying to find Fatty and Pretty Girl and home together and if any of you would like to adopt them please let me know. Or please cross post about him.

Thank you,
Melissa

[Anikaca77]

Well I spoke with my sister tonight to ask her if she would be able to get Fatty for me in the morning and keep him up in her bathroom till I was able to get to her place and she said she couldn't.

As most of you remember about a year ago I struggled with her not to declaw a cat well actually 2 cats and she's frankly just a witch in a nice word. I love my sister to death but she just doesn't have the compassion that I have for animals.

I'm probably going to head up to her place on Friday and hope the cat is out and about....

I just need more funds since she isn't willing to help...I'm sorry I tried...I'm still hopefully that I can raise the other money that's needed.

Melissa

[Catty1]

Hopefully you can catch the other cat she is feeding...maybe later when Fatty is fixed up.

It's the weekend, so wait til Monday and a couple more people see this thread.

How much more do you need now?

AND - maybe the rescue you thought was cruel SHOULD be given your sister's email address, as well as the pet 'history' she has, especially with refusing to help Fatty get vet help. :mad:

How much more do you need now? Keep us posted on that.

[Anikaca77]

Hi,

I'm sure I will be able to get Fatty if I show up early enough and I plan to.

Right now I need about ~$91 (I'm going to try to cover the vet visit but depending on gas it's not looking so well) left in order to take him to the vets. I told my sister that if he needs regular medicine I will have to step up and bring him back to my house and keep him in the bathroom with the Girl cat and they will just have to deal until I can find them a permanent home or until he is better depending on what's wrong with him.

I've also thought about just bringing him back here and taking him to a vets around here but I don't think I'd get any cheaper prices and well if it's something simple that we can just apply flea meds then I could just re-release him and then hopefully find him and his girl that he hangs around with a home. They have to go together though.

Please don't get the wrong idea about my sister, she does care for animals and she takes very good care of the ones she has, I know declawing is wrong trust me I lectured as best as I could but she has run her cats to an emergency vet and spent a lot of money in the vet care of her own. She just feels differently about stray cats I think because they have been there before she moved in and other neighbors feed them both.

Goal right now is to raise $91 before Friday and then I'll be set and Fatty will be going to the vets.

My sister did tell me that the vets will charge me $55 if I do a no-show which is why I can't believe my sister won't help me get him and just keep him in the bathroom but she said he was the one who peed in the guys house who took Fatty and Pretty Girl in for a while and I'm wondering if he's not fixed which I think he is but I could be wrong that maybe he was just spraying in the house and I recall my sister saying that the guy who took the cats in for a bit didn't know who was peeing in the house.

When I was at my sister's last weekend I saw Fatty take a pee and he tried to cover it up with the grass so hopefully he will use a litter box fine if I bring him back to my house and of course I would have to bring Pretty Girl with me as well and I'm hoping that I can just try to work on finding them a home without bringing them back here only because my oldest cat is having stress issues and peeing sometimes throughout my house and bringing in 2 more cats among my 7 already will only just irritate the situation but I'll have to do what I have to do if Fatty needs meds.

Melissa



Hopefully you can catch the other cat she is feeding...maybe later when Fatty is fixed up.

It's the weekend, so wait til Monday and a couple more people see this thread.

How much more do you need now?

AND - maybe the rescue you thought was cruel SHOULD be given your sister's email address, as well as the pet 'history' she has, especially with refusing to help Fatty get vet help. :mad:

How much more do you need now? Keep us posted on that.

[jennielynn1970]

Would it really kill your sister to keep him inside for one night?? I'm sorry, but she wants them taken care of, she could at least help out. :(

Like I said, the meds I sent should be the be the basics for an infection. If, however, he needs something for another kind of affliction, I don't have anything else.

Can your sister keep Fatty in a large carrier with a pee pad in it, so at least he can be confined (since she's worrying about him spraying).

The bottom line is he'd just have to be confined for the night till you got there the next day. He's not going to do that much damage (if he does at all) in that amount of time. Would one of the neighbors that feeds them be willing to shelter him for the night?? One night is not an eternity, and again, if she wants him to be helped, she be a little more humane and helpful in the situation.

[Anikaca77]

Jenn,

Trust me I tried to reason with my sister and she just won't. I know it makes you guys mad because you guys have donated money and she's not willing to help but she doesn't see stray cats like we see them.

She has told me that she thinks he's had a good run and well she just thinks he's getting older and that's with age. She hasn't ever asked me to take him to the vets or get him help. I'm just doing this on my own but I was talking with my husband tonight and we were figuring out financial stuff and well I have 100 left to get myself through till the end of the month since I had to put money aside for Athena's hernia surgery at the end of the month so I'm sad to say that unless I raise enough money to cover his vet visit $36 along side with the $56 still needed, I will have to cancel his appointment for now and return the donations until I can come up with the funds.

I hate to do that but I don't feel I have any other option at this time especially since I will be driving 2 1/2 hours one way and then back home again which will take probably $60-$80 for the gas alone.

Well see what this week brings but if I have to cancel his appointment I have to do so within 24 hours before the appointment to avoid the $55 no show fee.

Melissa



Would it really kill your sister to keep him inside for one night?? I'm sorry, but she wants them taken care of, she could at least help out. :(

Like I said, the meds I sent should be the be the basics for an infection. If, however, he needs something for another kind of affliction, I don't have anything else.

Can your sister keep Fatty in a large carrier with a pee pad in it, so at least he can be confined (since she's worrying about him spraying).

The bottom line is he'd just have to be confined for the night till you got there the next day. He's not going to do that much damage (if he does at all) in that amount of time. Would one of the neighbors that feeds them be willing to shelter him for the night?? One night is not an eternity, and again, if she wants him to be helped, she be a little more humane and helpful in the situation.

[momtomany]

Melissa,

Hang onto my donation. Hopefully you will have enough donations to cover the rest and can still take him this week, if not next week then. Hang in there.

Julie

[jennielynn1970]

Did you try contacting Furry Feet? I don't know if they have any openings, but she definitely helped out with getting testing and and vetting with our donation.

[Anikaca77]

Jenn,

I will contact them today. I just don't have long distance at home so I can't call from there and I don't have a cell phone so I'll try from work today.

Melissa




Did you try contacting Furry Feet? I don't know if they have any openings, but she definitely helped out with getting testing and and vetting with our donation.

[Anikaca77]

Jenn,

I called Furry Feet at lunch and she returned my phone call this evening.

Unfortunately she has a full house and can't help me out.

Thank you for your suggestion though I appreciate it.

Melissa




Did you try contacting Furry Feet? I don't know if they have any openings, but she definitely helped out with getting testing and and vetting with our donation.

[jennielynn1970]

DARN!!! :(

I know she has a lot of cats at her house (I was a bit overwhelmed when I visited there).

I was hoping she would have some fosters available and be able to help out with the vetting and stuff. :(

[Anikaca77]

Jenn,

I appreciate the suggestion though.

She mentioned that there is a place in Allentown that spays/neuters cat for $15

I didn't get the name and well I think Fatty is already fixed though so that shouldn't be a problem.

Thanks,
Melissa



DARN!!! :(

I know she has a lot of cats at her house (I was a bit overwhelmed when I visited there).

I was hoping she would have some fosters available and be able to help out with the vetting and stuff. :(

[jennielynn1970]

Where is there a place that spays/neuters for $15 here?? Dang.

I know the vet I go to also helps with shelters, gives discounts, and does TNRs as well. When I took Autumn in last year (I think it was last summer, not the one before), she did vaccinations, spaying and abortions of kittens for $45.00. But again, this was not at the vet office, but at her own place where she works out of as well.

What I was thinking of with Furry Feet, was when we took Patrick there (a friend of mine was contacted by a neighbor who found him in his back yard and was feeding him for about a month), we gave her a donation, and she did all the testing and all that, and then after the isolation, she took him in. I wasn't suggesting, if Catty meant it that way, that you ask her for funds to help out.

I hope you can get the rest of the funds.

[Anikaca77]

Jenn,

I actually don't know where the place is that does spays/neuters for $15. I just called that Michelle at Furry Feet and she told me about it.

I'd give her a call.

Thank you for your help so far in all of this,
Melissa



Where is there a place that spays/neuters for $15 here?? Dang.

I know the vet I go to also helps with shelters, gives discounts, and does TNRs as well. When I took Autumn in last year (I think it was last summer, not the one before), she did vaccinations, spaying and abortions of kittens for $45.00. But again, this was not at the vet office, but at her own place where she works out of as well.

What I was thinking of with Furry Feet, was when we took Patrick there (a friend of mine was contacted by a neighbor who found him in his back yard and was feeding him for about a month), we gave her a donation, and she did all the testing and all that, and then after the isolation, she took him in. I wasn't suggesting, if Catty meant it that way, that you ask her for funds to help out.

I hope you can get the rest of the funds.

[Anikaca77]

I just wanted to let everyone know that I received enough money for the vet appointment alone!! Which means we raised $179!!!

I'm hoping that vet pills are not expensive if that's what he needs.

Well work something out though if he needs pills or what not.

I just want to say a HUGE THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO SAID A PRAY OR DONATED MONEY to help Fatty and I will be leaving tomorrow morning to go take him to the vets!

Thank you all again so much and I will probably post something late tomorrow evening or on Saturday..depending what time I get home.

Thank you all again so much,

Melissa