5/6 month old kitten lost his spark

[cristy]

It's good that you took Marcel to the vet...dehydration happens so fast in kitties. You can tell if he is dehydrated by pinching the fur on the back of his neck...if it snaps back in place he is hydrated...if it stays humped up then he probably needs more fluids.

The thing that worries me is the fact that you have one inside cat and one outside cat. The inside cat has a tremendous chance of catching something from the outside cat if they have contact at all...vaccine or not. The first thing 2 cats do to greet each other is sniff noses...bingo, you have contact! If you can, I would try keeping them both inside only. I know that it is hard to see your kitties cry to go outside, but they will get over it eventually and you are being much kinder in the long run by protecting them from other animals, other humans, cars and disease.

By the way, welcome to PT!!

[Catty1]

I hope the fever medication helps! I wonder if adding B vitamins to his diet would help.

If Marcel eats wet food, you can mix it with some warm water to help get more fluids into him.

Also - is there another vet where you can get a second opinion? All vets are good, but sometimes one will see something that perhaps the other one didn't.

Prayers for Marcel.

[Jyotsna_indu]

Trust me, I've tried to keep Buster inside before. It's impossible. (My Mom has a weak spot for letting him out). He found us as a stray, at about 1 1/2 or two years old, and had been living off of wildlife for quite a while (we guessed...when we brought him in, he attacked my old cat's toy mouse and nearly swallowed it. When we gave him some of our other cat's food, he nearly choked himself because he wasn't chewing), and, nine years later, it's still the lifestyle he chooses. He stays in during most of the winter, which is nice.

Marcel, on the other hand, is just a few months old and has been indoors for about 5/6th of his life. He's used to it. He enjoys it. It was easy to keep him indoors. Sure, he gets jealous of Buster, and tried to run out a few times, but he knows the rules now.

And thanks! I love the forum so far! ^_^

Oh, and, Catty1, the vet told me to give Marcel a little bit of fresh garlic and some oregano to help boost his immune system. Apparently garlic is only poisonous in large doses (no surprise there) but small doses are healthy.

[Medusa]

I'm glad that Marcel is doing better. It's scary when a cat so young becomes dehydrated. If possible, though, I too feel that you should get a second opinion. I have two vet clinics that I work with and, Catty1 is right, one vet sometimes misses something that another vet can readily see. At any rate, at least Marcel is doing better for now. Welcome to PT and we hope to see more of you and perhaps some pix of Marcel and Buster.

[Jyotsna_indu]

My mom had to take Marcel to the vet while I was at work, and she ordered blood tests for me... He has leukemia. Life expantancy is two years, but that's with tumors, illness, and infections left and right.

What the hell?!?! First Jasmine, my best friend of 9 years, then a couple months later, marcel?f! what. the. hell. i've had him for barely even three months!!! This is ridiculous!!!!

The vet told me I should probably put him down... I will in a day or two.

Thanks, guys, your help meant a lot to me.

[Moesha]

Oh dear! That is sad news. I'm so sorry for all that you've been through with your kits. Could the outside cat be infected and be transferring it? Has he been vaccinated? If not, then has he been exposed to Marcel?

[Jyotsna_indu]

No, Marcel had his leukemia vaccination...It's most likely from his mother. Buster is vaccinated as well.

[Catty1]

Jyotsna - read this thread first. Some cats can survive well with feline leukemia (FeLv), even though their immune systems will always be compromised.

Please feel free to send a message to anyone on this thread.

http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthre...light=Leukemia

Hug to you - and hope that perhaps Marcel can enjoy some good time with you yet.