[reams]

Last night my girlfriend went to a barbeque with some of her friends. While outside having a smoke she noticed a sad looking cat one yard over sleeping with its head down in a pile of overgrown dead grass and weeds. She went to check on it and it wasn't able to escape because the fence was to high and it was not in the good physical condition.The cat was missing its tail, was extremely dirty, had a bump on his head, trouble walking and was scratching itself constantly. There is also something wrong with its left leg.

She left it there and came home because she had no way of taking it back home. I got off work at 10 PM. When I got home she told me about what she saw. At 1030 PM we rolled up on the house and the cat was still there very moist from the water in the air as it was extremely cold and windy. Wearing all black we jumped the fence, put the cat in a box and took it hme.

This cat is the most friendly creature I have ever met. Though it was weak and limping it would jump and rub itself on our leg and sleep right on top of us. She ate 4 cans of wet food and 2 bowls of dry food and drank a ton of water since we've had her. She slept like a baby in our warm bed on top of feather pillows. She is an adult girl and is neutered that is about all we know.

What should I be most concerned about. Her tail looks like it was bitten off and is only about 2 1/2 inches long. I dont know if shes litter trained because she hasn't used the litter box yet after eating a drinking so much. However, she did go outside and disappear in our yard for about 20 minutes before coming back. Maybe she used the bathroom outside. I want to take her to the vet but honestly I don't have much money. I can take her to be groomed and have flea medicine put on her but im afraid the groomers might hurt her. Any advice on what I should do. Btw, I intend on keeping this cat.

 

[Heidi n Q]

Welcome, and how sweet of you both to rescue this poor girl. :luv

Well, if she doesn't have any immediate injuries that require attention, I think I'd just give her a bit of time to settle in, gain some strength and feel better about herself, though it sounds like having people, food and a wonderful/safe place to rest/sleep is like Heaven for her. As for grooming, I wouldn't. When she feels better, she will groom herself. You can *help* her by using a warm/damp washrag, gently running and scrumbling it over her dirty fur. Food and water seemed to have been in short supply for her, and what she is eating/drinking now, is going to nourish her body. She will create 'waste' material after her body's immediate needs have been met. It can take 1-2 days before a starved/dehydrated cat will eliminate any waste.
As for fleas, I would use a spot-on treatment, Revolution, Advantage, Advocate or Frontline, available at vets offices, pet stores or mail-order catalogs. Give her a chance to gain some strength, first. These meds usually just affect the bugs, but if a cat is *very* weakened it could affect them, too. I would also advise a vet visit for spay confirmation and vaccinations in conjunction with a general exam to see if they can help her with her other injuries (tail, bumps, leg-limping) and do their best to make her comfortable.

She's a very lucky kitty she fell into the hands of two compassionate people. I luv ya both! :luv
heidi =^..^=

 

[Jeanie]

This is such a coincidence. I just answered another member whose cat had lost its tail. I know you will do your best to keep it from getting infected, but if the tail has died, it will have to be amputated. In either case, make sure this poor baby has regular bowel movements. My cat had no problem with the amputation, but it affect his digestive tract, and he eventually died of a blockage. We had been taking him to the vet to keep his digestion moving, but I believe he should have had a special diet. I would call the vet about that, even if his tail gives him no problem.

Thank you for caring. I wish you the best.

 

[reams]

Well she is grooming herself a lot now and starting to be a little more active. She still hasn't used the bathroom. As for the tail issue to me it looks as if she has been without the tail for quite sometime now as the wound has already healed and covered over with fur. She can still move the part of the tail she still has up and down and to the sides. Her not using the bathroom is my biggest concern. I will be taking her to the vet this coming tuesday. As of now she continues to eat and drink constantly. I will be putting a flea killer on her pretty soon to atleast comfort her a little.

 

[Heidi n Q]

I think that is great you are going to be able to bring her to the vet. She really seems like a super-sweet kitty. I had a kitty who had a shortened tail, it was only about 4" long and she'd wave it all over the place.
Something I've noticed with my rescue kitties, is it usually took them up to 2 days before they would use the litterbox. Especially if they had been starved or dehydrated for any length of time. If they didn't have anything in them, it's gonna take a bit of time to make its' way from end-to-end, and the first few meals/drinks will be mostly used by the body before any 'leftovers' are allowed to pass all the way through the system.

 

[Stryker]

...I will be putting a flea killer on her pretty soon to atleast comfort her a little.

Please - be very careful of what you use for the fleas!

Near the top of the index page for the Health and Nutrition section, there is a thread "Dangerous Flea Treatments and Shampoos/ Permethrin" - this one viewtopic.php?f=3&t=45822

Many of the flea treatments sold in pet stores are very dangerous for cats...so much so that the FDA has launched a major investigation into the problem. Heidi n Q mentioned these brands: Revolution, Advantage, Advocate or Frontline. I'm not so sure you'll find them in a pet store (it's fine if you can)...but be very careful of anything else...especially Hartz - it's deadly!

Finally, I just want to say "Wow" - what you've done for this little one is just sooooo great!

 

[Mom of 4]

A temporary option for treating the fleas is to bathe her in Dawn dishwashing soap - the original one.

No over-the-counter flea treatments please. They aren't safe.

 

[PureMuttz]

Thank you for taking in this sweet cat and looking after her.

I read the other responses, and just had to mention what was on my mind...

Do you think that her short stub of a tail could be due to being part Manx (or whatever the tailless breed is)?

I only mention this because in the last rescue I volunteered with, we had several kittens come in with little to no tails, and a lot of people would ask if the tails were injured.

Just an idea, that her tail could be the tail she was born with.

I agree with the rest. No "over the counter" flea medications! Please get it from a vet clinic (Advantage, Frontline, etc.).

 

[carolsclan]

:luv poor kitty .... I always find that these kitties mainly need food , deworming and love .

 

[reams]

**UPDATE**

Moo Moo is doing well. Today, at approximately 0830 Hours she used her litter box. She continues to eat and drink a ton but not as much as when we first brought her home. She grooms herself for extended periods of time and is able to jump from the floor to my bed unassisted. She still favors her leg when she walks. She will be going to the vet either tomorrow or wednesday. Pictures will be up tonight or tomorrow.

 

[Jeanie]

I'm so glad she's doing well.

 

[Stryker]

...The cat...had trouble walking ...There is also something wrong with its left leg...it was... limping

...She will be going to the vet either tomorrow or wednesday.,,

I want to give you another caution...with the symptoms you've described, I think it's likely that a Vet will likely recommend a particular drug which has been particularly injurious to thousands of cats. That drug is Metacam and you can read about the dangers here http://www.metacamkills.com

Metacamis a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug...reducing inflammation and thereby reducing pain. Cats cannot metabolize this type of drug as well as most other animals/humans - thus the danger.

If the cat is in pain, there are alternative analgesics. If it's prescribed to reduce inflammation and speed recovery, I would opt for a slower recovery rather than risk damaging/destroying the kidneys.

You may need to find a polite way to decline the prescription, as many Vets get their 'noses in a knot' when ordinary clients have "done their homework". You can read examples of the danger here viewtopic.php?f=3&t=60324

Can't wait for the pix!