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Q: Cats and URI
asked by: Maddie34 on March 31st, 2009
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Anyone ever have a kitty with a cold?

I just got a kitten. I've been visiting her for about two weeks and she came back from getting spayed with a cold. I decided I'd adopt her anyways since they told me its not serious-- if by the end of the week she seems like she's getting worse, I may take her back even though it would pretty much kill me to do so at this point. I just don't want her to die!

I took her to the vet immediately after I left the shelter and I've got antibiotics and L lysine to help get her better. But right now, she's not eating. I've only had her since 12 pm yesterday, but that's like a day and a half without eating. She's just so tiny already and I can't imagine her not eating..

I know I'm probably over reacting. I'm just soo new to having a cat as it is, I wasn't expecting to get a sick cat. Does anyone have any stories about their cats getting this cold? How long did it take for them to get better? Were they eating?
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zigemyster
replied on March 31st, 2009
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Has she been tested for Feline Leukemia?
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Maddie34
replied on March 31st, 2009
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Yep, she's negative.

She's riled since I'm on the computer now (she likes the buttons)and she's playing. It does make me feel better... she's just so skinny already and I wish she'd eat and poop so I know she'll live.

Maybe I'm just rushing it...
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JavaMissus
replied on April 1st, 2009
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No, you are making sense...When we got one of our twin Yorkies, the girl was so tiny...We hand fed her pieces of dog food dipped in chicken broth to get her to eat...One piece at a time.. Rolling Eyes .Took like an hour to feed her a meal...Took her out on the sun porch away from the boy as he wanted all the food...Do something to entice her...Dip some cat food in milk or a broth or whatever it is that cat's love..If she won't drink, get a plastic dropper and put it down her throat...We did all these things with our little girl....

Good luck Maddie...I love baby cats and dogs...Like them when they are bigger too... Very Happy

Caroline
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Maddie34
replied on April 1st, 2009
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Maybe I'll try some milk in her food. I'm already giving her wet foods, its just that she can't smell so she's not interested in it.

She finally started drinking water this morning, but she didn't go for the food yet.

Thanks Caroline, I love them too. Very Happy
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Maddie34
replied on April 3rd, 2009
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Holy crap was this an ordeal!

I took her to the vet yesterday because she still wasn't really interested in her food-- and I tried EVERYTHING! On March 21 she weighed in at a staggering 4.1 lbs and yesterday she was down to 3.5lbs. After sitting alone in the tiny exam room for over an hour (but I could her everyone ooing and ahing over her in the lab room). My vet came in and went right into cost estimates and blood work estimates-- which was incredibly overwhelming. They wanted to keep her over night which would have costed around $350. My other option was to give her a hydration shot(which I didn't really get since she's drinking water just fine) and an apetite stimulant. I took that option since the humane society told me they wouldn't really do anything I couldn't do on my own.

She's eating now, but she's a diva and only wants the tuna I was "coaxing" her to eat earlier. She doesn't want normal catfood, but I'll figure out how to get her to like it eventually since tuna isn't exactly healthly or cheap.

She's finally sneezing everything out of her nose and last night I even had to search to find her when I came home(wasn't an issue before since I could hear her breathing and knew where she was always). She's also fit enough to prance about and explore now since she's finding all the dark hiding places in my apartment.

So anyways.. she's not 100%, but she's getting there. Smile
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zigemyster
replied on April 3rd, 2009
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She's improving, this is good.

Since she favors tuna fish...try mixing it very well with her cat food and with each feeding decrease the amount of tuna fish...and /or get soft cat food and mix it with dry cat food.

KC, my late cat, would only eat cat food...hated people food. Now we have a Jack Russell and she prefers people food...so sometimes I mix people food with her dry food.
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penpen
replied on April 7th, 2009
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Hi, I work at a humane society as a vet tech and we ALWAYS have cats with URI, most cats will get URI either while at the shelter or shortly after being adopted. I think veterinarians overreact when it comes to URI. They want to run all kinds of bloodwork, hospitalize, etc. Really, its just a virus and with the proper antibiotics they recover just fine (as long as they eat and stay hydrated). Some cats get it worse than others and need to be force fed and be given fluids, etc but most recover just fine with no complications. It sounds like your cat is recovering just fine and you are doing everything right. Good luck!
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