new mother cat still sick

[nosila75]

I hope someone can help because I can't afford the vet anymore. Cookie, our 8 month old kitten gave birth 4wks ago to 4 live kittens. 2 others died. She has been sick since then. I took her to the vet 2 days after the birth. Her temp was 106. He gave her antibiotics,gave her fluids, dewormed her, and charged $200. I was afraid she might have another kitten in her, but I couldn't afford a $100 x-ray. He examined her and said probably not. Two days later she was sicker. I wound up bottle feeding her and her 4 babies. The whole time she was sick-she cared for her kittens. Cleaning and feeding,it was amazing to watch. For the past two weeks, Cookie has a bad smell sometimes and her belly makes noises. She's increasingly jittery and I've actually seen her belly convulse. It scares me and I don't know what to do for her. She is still feeding, compulsively cleaning and taking care of the babies-but is prone to move away and just stare at them. She's eating dry and wet food, drinking water and cat milk and goes to the cat box frequently.
Cookie is half siamese/half long hair. We found her when she was 6wks old and nursed her back to health. I don't want to lose her. Any help is appreciated greatly

[aslan]

OMG, take the cat to the vet asap, you have to be able to get money somewhere or work out a payment plan, I don't even wanna know how your kitten got pregnant so young. But you have to get her to the vet now.

[t.pettet]

OMG: You say you can't afford another vet visit but her condition is 'serious' and you cannot afford not to take her to the vets. You took on the responsibility when you adopted her as a kitten and since you were negligent not having her spayed, her present medical condition is down to you.

[rainbow]

OMG....I couldn't agree more. You MUST get her to a vet ASAP. Good luck and keep us posted.

[Frenchy]

do whatever you have to do to get the money and take this cat to the vet asap. Once she feels better you get her spayed so this doesn't happen again !!!!!

[CyberKitten]

We are not vets even if some of us have medical jobs or know almost as much as many vets about very particular topics. BUT this kitty NEEDS A VET and she needed to see one yesterday!

Beg or borrow the money - email imom.org but get her to a vet. She is sick and it is like having A SICK CHILD - you would hardly expect some stranger on the street who you know has 10 children and experience with their illnesses tell you how to help your child. This is your beloved cat and kittens and responsibility - it goes with the territory. I am sorry to hear you are having this problem and especially concerned for your cat. Ask the vet if s/he will take you on credit? There are many arrangements that can be made. Asking us is not one of them. We want to help but once again, the symptoms all point to the need of a vet - as others have already noted. PLEASE get her to a vet!! She needs you to do that NOW!

I wanted to add if she is seriously ill, and it is contagious, you may have 5 seriously ill felines!!! Take them all in and soon!

Good luck!

[Love4himies]

OMG. Your poor cat, you allowed her to get pregnant, now it is your responsibilty to take care of the results

Take her in, get her healthy, then get her SPAYED!

Poor kitty:sad:

[nosila75]

Thank you all for your help. Why didn't I think of taking my cat to the vet, as you all suggested!! Oh wait, I did,and now I can't afford to again. When we found cookie, we all thought she would die. We paid over $1000 in vet and medicine bills to save and vaccinate her. I had to wait till I had the money to neuter her, and one week before her appt. she got out of the house. My fault, definitely. I know she's young, much too young to have babies. Do I not care about my pets? Of course I do. One of my cats broke his leg in two places (hit by a car). That was last year, again medical bills well over $1000. All of my pets are vaccinated yearly, and all except cookie were neutered. But guess what. I also have 4 children. So, when one needed glasses, and another needed a Dr. last month, guess who was prioritized. My kids. Are my pets like my children? Of course, and I have done what I can with cookie. Did I call the vet and ask for a payment plan? Of course--and no they don't do that. So thank you for preaching and telling me things I already knew. I will try to find the money for the vet, and if I can't then I'll continue doing what I can. And no, the kittens are not sick--this is not a diseased cat. I think it is birth and placenta related. Thanks again.

[Love4himies]

When it comes to a pet getting pregnant there are no accidents, it is owners responsibility to ensure they are fixed before sexual maturity, period! If you can't afford the vet bills of situations that may go wrong during pregnancy, then you should have had the kittens aborted and your cat spayed when she got home after the escape. The kittens are young yet and may still cost you hundreds of dollars in vet bills before they are adopted out.

But I guess you can't change the past and you now you have to deal with the present. Your cat needs vet care ASAP.

We can't help you diagnose your cat over the internet, you HAVE to take it to a vet for health care, your cat's life is at stake.

[Love4himies]

Originally Posted by nosila75

And no, the kittens are not sick--this is not a diseased cat.

Doesn't need to be a diseased cat for kittens to get sick. I fostered very healthy kittens and they ended up with the calicivirus. Very hardy virus that can be brought into the home on your shoes. Cost of vet care: hundreds. They needed subcutaneous fluids twice a day, emergency vet calls because it happened on a Sunday, meds and hospitalization.

[satchelp]

Originally Posted by Love4himies

When it comes to a pet getting pregnant there are no accidents, it is owners responsibility to ensure they are fixed before sexual maturity, period! If you can't afford the vet bills of situations that may go wrong during pregnancy, then you should have had the kittens aborted and your cat spayed when she got home after the escape. The kittens are young yet and may still cost you hundreds of dollars in vet bills before they are adopted out. .

Give the woman a break! I sometimes can't believe some of the attitudes around here. She has been doing the best she can with a cat she rescued. Would you rather that people walk away from sick or injured animals rather than try to help them by giving them a home and treating their illnesses or injuries? I understand coming down on people who let their cats out on purpose when they are not altered, but I think you are targetting the wrong person here. She came here for help, not for a lecture.

[Sylvie28]

Nosila75, it must be hard to go through what you are going through right now, because I'm going through a rough time myself, if you want to read more about it, it's the thread -when it time to let go- or something like this.
anyway lets it might feel better.

[Sylvie28]

Satchelp for writing this, I agree with you

[Love4himies]

Satchelp

Doesn't matter what we say she still needs to take the cat to the vet, period. She needs to find the funds to do so, period. We can't help her, all we can say is take your cat to the vet!

If she didn't want her cat to get pregnant then spay it by 4 months old, she didn't, so these are the consequences. If she couldn't afford vet bills that come along with breeding (and they can really add up), then she should have aborted the kittens and got the cat spayed.

Sorry if I am a person who tells it like it is and expect people to take responsibility for their actions and not to make excuses. She had choices along the way and these are the consequences of them.

Nosila75, I do hope your kitty will be OK, I absolutely love cats, but I have to say again your cat needs immediate vet care!

Visit your local shelter and look at all the homeless cats and you may then understand why some of us get very upset at those who allow their cats to get pregnant.

[badger]

For the past two weeks, Cookie has a bad smell sometimes and her belly makes noises. She's increasingly jittery and I've actually seen her belly convulse. It scares me and I don't know what to do for her.

This is what triggered all these responses. What could anyone have suggested other than a vet? It's a tough situation.

There is a familiar dynamic in this thread. The OP describes something scary and possibly life-threatening. Several people urge her to take the cat to the vet immediately. Silence from the OP. Because the responders are not offering anything useful or maybe she's just busy? The tone mounts. The OP doesn't have to add anything, the fuse has been lit. OP reads the thread, feels attacked. And on it goes.

To the OP: I would be worried about the smell, which can sometimes mean infection. Have you tried giving her a little 'bed bath' particularly around her back end, or is she keeping herself clean there? Just to make sure nothing external is causing the odor. Could it be gas? since you say it is intermittent(that might also explain the tummy rumbles). Are you feeding her anything different that she might be reacting to? Do her stools look normal?

Eating and drinking and visiting the litterbox are all good signs but I would be watching her pretty closely. You could try taking her temperature. If she has a fever, then she needs antibiotics.

[Sylvie28]

Excuse my ignorance, but what does OP means?

[aslan]

Funny we only get part of the information, describing a very ill cat. Who has had kittens at such a young age. We were asked for help,opinions, etc. At no point were we told about the preceeding vet visits, blah,blah. What kind of response did you expect to get. No matter what, the deed is done, the cat is sick and needs more help than we can give. I hope it all turns out for the best.

[badger]

OP=original poster.

[14+kitties]

nosila - First let me preface this by saying none of us are vets. I agree with everyone else. Take her to the vet asap.

Were you giving her the cat milk before she had the kittens? If not, stop giving it to her. It could be that is what is giving her the rumbly tummy. If she is eating, using litter box, still feeding kittens, etc., I would think those are all good signs. Have you taken her temperature? What is it?

Believe me, I totally understand lack of funds. I think most of us do. At the moment I am getting the last four of my 16 plus a feral and a stray male fixed. Then I get to start on the feral females who are running around and at the moment are pregnant. IF I can get them to co operate and go into the live trap. So yep, lack of funds I understand. I have maxed my cards and now have borrowed money from my 81 year old mother. I understand the 4 kids thing too. Been there, done that. Having said that - there must be some way you can find the money to take her to get checked. Beg, borrow, don't steal, but do what you can. I am sure you are doing just that. As an offside, is there by any chance any organizations, shelters, whatever, that may be able to help you out in your area? Sorry, I didn't check to see where you are from. There has to be some way you can get the money together. Cyberkitten mentioned an organization. Try it. Other than that .

As for her moving away and just staring at them - she is probably thinking "Those things came out of me?" Not to mention the fact that they are four weeks old. Momma cats tend to start giving them more space around that age.

I am not trying to make enemies here. None of us are. We are just concerned about the kitten. She needs to be seen by vet, the sooner the better.

[Sylvie28]

thank you badger

[nosila75]

I want to say thank you for those who gave helpful suggestions. I did find the funds to take cookie to a vet for an exam. Thankfully, she is fine and there is no infection. The problem was the cat milk I was giving her. It was giving her gas. Since she's off the milk, she is like her old self. So thank you for your support and especially 14 & kitties tip about the cat milk. The vet said I should wait until the kittens are 8 wks.old before having her neutered. That is just what I'll do as well as having the kittens immunized. So again, thank you to those who were supportive and helpful. For the others who were negative and preachy-well-thank you also. I found this website when I was at the end of my rope-and thought great. No money for the vet but maybe another pet owner has experienced what I'm going through. I now realize it's better just to somehow find the money and go to a vet. Bottom line is Cookie is better, the kittens are fine, and I probably won't be back.

[MOOSEDRY]

hi there.

first of all, i wanted to say that i'm very happy your kitty is going to be okay. it's so scary when they are sick.

i also wanted to say that i'm very sad that you became the object of criticism in this thread, when all you were doing was looking for a little help. you obviously care for and love your pets very much. had i paid $200 with no results, i would have started to look for advice, too - i'm sure vets themselves would admit how frustrating it can be when working with a patient who can't tell you how it feels or where/when it hurts! it could be many things!


finally, let's everyone please remember: people of lesser means than you love their pets no less. there are plenty of animals out there who receive lots of food, shelter, warmth and love daily who would otherwise be homeless and suffering, were it not for people of all walks of life opening their homes and lives to them. blessings to all pet lovers

tracy (mom) , patsy cline punkin jimmy (dad)

[CyberKitten]

I am so glad the situation is under control. I am glad your kitty will be fine! Thx for letting us know and I hope she and her kittens will all be fine. There ae5 a number of milk for cats products o n the market - for some reason, the old tale of giving cats milk is just that, a myth. Most cats, especially certain breeds (like my meezers) are lactose intolerant. I loathe to think what I did as a child in giving my kittens milk! Ugh! We all had to learn this stuff somewhere sometime and none of us know everything. We just keep tying, researching and learning all the time.

[Jim Hall]

gald to her she is better man cats can scare the beje*** out of you sometime


Sometimes thier is zero and i mean zero in the fund department you just try to do the best you can

[badger]

Eureka!
Just wanted to point out (we need a smug, self-satisfied smiley) that I guessed first

[clm]

Great news that your kitty is fine.

Cindy

[RUSTYcat]

Originally Posted by nosila75

I want to say thank you for those who gave helpful suggestions. I did find the funds to take cookie to a vet for an exam. Thankfully, she is fine and there is no infection. The problem was the cat milk I was giving her. It was giving her gas. Since she's off the milk, she is like her old self. So thank you for your support and especially 14 & kitties tip about the cat milk. The vet said I should wait until the kittens are 8 wks.old before having her neutered. That is just what I'll do as well as having the kittens immunized. So again, thank you to those who were supportive and helpful.

Such a graceful thank-you despite the way nolisa75 was greeted and treated by some "members" of this board.

For the others who were negative and preachy-well-thank you also. I found this website when I was at the end of my rope-and thought great. No money for the vet but maybe another pet owner has experienced what I'm going through. I now realize it's better just to somehow find the money and go to a vet. Bottom line is Cookie is better, the kittens are fine, and I probably won't be back.

Such a graceful indictment of those who accused, criticized, judged and bullied the OP. Such a wonderful outcome.

IMO, none of this is acceptable in polite society, and the occurrence of it is becoming more frequent on this board. It seems Pets.ca is devolving into a very unfriendly place.

The worst? When the full story unfurls, the justifications, not the apologies.

Frankly, I'm disgusted...

[aslan]

Nosila, i'm very glad that momma cat is doing well and so are the babies.


Rustycat= I personally don't think i said anything i need to apologize for. Given the initial information I was, i would still respond the same. As for anyone esle who responded, alot of these women deal with animals that they foster whom have been abused, abandoned and in one case i know of was rescued from a puppy mill. I can fully appreciate the lack of funds, been there done that. Once the full story came out, one of our members had an accurate idea of what the problem was. I understand the kitten getting out and getting pregnant was an accident. It could have turned out alot worse, hit by a car, mauled by a dog, etc. There is a woman on here who's dog got out and she's fighting tooth and nail to get him back. Yes some people answered a little more negatively than neccessary, but before you judge them, find out just how many animals they've had die in their arms or they've also nursed back to health.

Nosila, before you abandon us because your first visit was unpleasant, stick around there are some nice people here. And several of the members are very knowledgable of cats and health issues.

[clm]

Originally Posted by RUSTYcat

Such a graceful thank-you despite the way nolisa75 was greeted and treated by some "members" of this board.

I didn't see anything wrong, it was strongly suggested she see a vet as soon as possible.

Such a graceful indictment of those who accused, criticized, judged and bullied the OP. Such a wonderful outcome.
With all of the unwanted animals in this world because of people not spaying and neutering their pets, the time to be delicate about such things has passed. Not being vets here and the fact that this cat had just given birth also warrented the OP to know how important it was for this cat to see a vet. I saw nothing wrong with the responses from the members here.

IMO, none of this is acceptable in polite society, and the occurrence of it is becoming more frequent on this board. It seems Pets.ca is devolving into a very unfriendly place.
I don't find that at all.

The worst? When the full story unfurls, the justifications, not the apologies.
There was nothing that happened at the end of this story that warrented an apology by anyone. The OP took the cat to the vet, the cat is fine and hopefully the cat (or should I truly say kitten), will hopefully now be spayed so she doesn't have more kittens.

The OP realized the seriousness of the situation, took the cat to the vet, the cat is fine, people responded about how relieved they were that the cat was going to be OK.

Cindy

[Love4himies]

Rustycat:

I have to say your response to the members of this board is not better than what you accused us as being.

What Aslan has stated is so true and I agree with her whole heartedly. Thank you, Aslan for that response.

Those of us who volunteer our time and foster at humane societies that are so over burden with an overpopulation of cats and know some healthy cats have to be put down because of the lack of space, get very angry over these "accidental" pregnancies. I cry and cry when I leave the HS where I volunteer for.

All pregnancies can be avoided by spaying your pet before maturity. Having the excuse that they don't have the funds may result in additional vet bills due to the momma falling ill during pregnancy and/or after. IMO, if you don't have the funds to get the basic vet care, then you certainly can't afford an "accidental" pregnancy.