Poor Tom

Blackkat · Post by **Blackkat** » Jun 05, 2005 1:59 pm

Tom, the stray we took in last December, was attacked by our other cat, Selena. She really hates the poor guy. Now he's limping and not putting much weight on his hind leg. The problem is getting him to the vet. He's reverted to his wild personality and will not come into the house or let us touch him. His appetitite is still good, but I'm really worried that he'll get an infection. So, anyone have any ideas on how I can lure him into a cat carrier? Food doesn't do the trick.

Post by **Chris_W** » Jun 05, 2005 3:08 pm

Hi Shelly,

Normally injuries will heal quickly in cats. You could watch him for a few days to see if he is making improvements. If not then I would agree a vet visit would be in order.

You may never be able to get him in a cat cage. I had two cats that absolutely would not go in there, no matter how hard I tried. With one I had to wrap him up in a blanket to get him to the vets. I've also heard of using pillow cases and I've occasionally resorted to using a large box after my kittens learned all about the cat cage leading to a vet visit

Good luck, although hopefully it will start to heal on its own soon.

PeggyC · Post by **PeggyC** » Jun 05, 2005 9:31 pm

Shelly, I don't have any advice for you but wanted to say that I hope Tom heals quickly and a visit to the vet is not necessary.

Great advice Chris!

jmboyer · Post by **jmboyer** » Jun 06, 2005 1:00 am

Yes, I agree, Shelly....that is very good advice from Chris. Without being able to touch Tom or get close to him, it may be difficult to determine the presence of infection. A wound that won't heal, pronounced swelling, heat coming from the wound, or a discharge from the wound would be signs that an infection is present. But as you said, you can't get close to him. So I would do as Chris says. Keep an eye on him. Lethargy is another sign of infection, but if Tom is not lethargic, he is probably healing. As Chris mentioned, cats do that very well on their own. Best wishes to Tom and let us know how it's going.

Annie · Post by **Annie** » Jun 06, 2005 7:14 am

Aww poor guy

Try using one of those live humane traps. I have caught lost of wild critters with those. To move them to a different location.
Hope he gets well soon!

newtohosta-no more · Post by **newtohosta-no more** » Jun 06, 2005 8:52 am

Let's hope the wound doesn't get infected, Shelly. I had the same thing happen with one of the male outdoor cats. He never would come to us, but he stuck around to eat if I put food out. He apparently got into a fight with another cat and had open wounds. We couldn't catch him to take care of the wounds and they did become infected. It wasn't until he was too far gone and became very lethargic that we were able to get him, but the infection was massive by then. I put him to sleep myself using pain killers. We stayed with him and pet him to the end. So sad. We would have taken him to the vet in a heartbeat if we could have caught him sooner. Good luck with Tom......hopefully he'll heal up without any problems.

Blackkat · Post by **Blackkat** » Jun 06, 2005 11:21 am

Thanks everyone for your replies. I have to wait until Tom comes back today to see how he's doing. It looked like he was in some pain when he walked yesterday, so I'm hoping he didn't go far. Usually he hangs out in the dog house we bought for him and filled with straw, but he's not there this morning. It looks like he is still eating well since the food DH left before work is mostly gone. If it seems like things have gotten worse, I might try Chris's idea for bundling him up to get him to a doctor (thanks Chris for your ideas!)

Blackkat · Post by **Blackkat** » Jun 08, 2005 4:36 pm

Here's an update on Tom. We didn't see him from Monday morning until Tuesday afternoon, when I heard him meowing weakly under a rose bush by our front door. He didn't resist much when I scooped him up and carried him into the house. The vet was able to take him within 2 hours, thank goodness, and he went right into the cat carrier without a fight. We found out why when the vet took his temperature - it was 104.4 degrees F. A normal cat temperature is 102.5 F. I know how weak and achy I am when I've got a fever from the flu, so I can imagine how miserable he was. He was in too much pain for X-rays and very dehydrated, so he spent the night at the animal hospital. He had also lost 3 lbs from when I weighed him last March.

Today, I learned that he spiked a temperature of 106 F overnight and the vet told me it was the highest temp she had ever seen in a cat. There wasn't any neurological damage and he continues to get IV fluids, anti-inflammatories, pain meds, and now two different kinds of antibiotics. This afternoon, his temperature became normal, but he's too weak to move much. His leg is still extremely painful. There's an absess that isn't ready to drain yet, so when I get him home tomorrow, I'll have to bring him back a few times to have it drained and have him examined. We saw some holes in the heel of his foot where Selena bit him (I love her dearly, but she can be a 7 lb terror to other cats) and we are hoping that the tendons weren't damaged too badly.

So, after two nights in the hospital, we'll get to bring him home tomorrow. We were going on a short weekend vacation, but I'm sending DH without me so I can take care of Tom.

Ginger · Post by **Ginger** » Jun 08, 2005 4:43 pm

Aww poor kitty

G

PeggyC · Post by **PeggyC** » Jun 09, 2005 5:02 pm

Oh Shelly, I hope he has a speedy recovery. Glad that you were able to get him in a carrier and get him to the vet. Please let us know how he is doing.

newtohosta-no more · Post by **newtohosta-no more** » Jun 09, 2005 5:40 pm

I'm so glad you were able to gather him up and get him to the vet. Poor baby. I hope things will improve quickly now that he's been treated.

LucyGoose · Post by **LucyGoose** » Jun 09, 2005 9:43 pm

So sorry I missed this.....

So glad you were able to get him to the vet!! Poor thing....What did you do with him when you brought him home? I hope that he gets better fast!!

patsue53 · Post by **patsue53** » Jun 09, 2005 9:56 pm

Poor Tom!

My Taffy had a bite that abcessed once. It was pretty nasty but he recovered quckly on medication. I hope your Tom will do as well.

Old earth dog · Post by **Old earth dog** » Jun 09, 2005 9:58 pm

Glad to hear he's doing better. To follow up on Lucy's question. Willl you have to separate him from Selena now? Seem like you got your work cut out for you. I don't know cats, but if dogs go at it that strongly, the chances of them being social with one another is slim.

jmboyer · Post by **jmboyer** » Jun 10, 2005 12:41 am

Oh, that poor baby....but it's good you were able to get him to a vet. I hope Tom recovers soon. Let us know.

Blackkat · Post by **Blackkat** » Jun 10, 2005 2:40 am

I brought Tom home Thursday morning. The vet brought him out to me before putting him in his carrier so I could see him and scratch his ears. He still limps and has some lethargy, but he looks soooooo much better than Tuesday. We came very close to losing him then and I think when I found him under the rose bush that day, he had come to me for help.

So he's confined to the house, forced to use the dreaded litter box that he hates so much, and subjected to a squirt of antibiotics twice a day. He cries to go out, pacing with his sore leg for an hour at a time (like he is right now), and then gets tired and sleeps. It's driving us crazy, but I will gladly put up with it. I'm just thankful he's okay.

I'm really touched by this brave little soul. A year ago, he was semi-feral, only allowing me to pet him for a few seconds before hissing at me and running away. For years, he wouldn't dream of coming into our house. When winter came this time, the cold was too much for him and after years of being outside, he decided he wanted to join our household. I think age had finally caught up to him.

He warmed up to us gradually, yet DH and I sensed that this cat hadn't quite accepted us. He still seemed like an outsider despite the fact we fed him and gave him as much affection as he would allow. This week brought a turning point, however. After he came to us Tuesday, it really hit home that we were all he had, the only people who cared about him and he seemed to know it. When he was on the table at the vet's office, he huddled against me for security when the doctor tried to examine him. I hadn't expected that because he had always been so brave and independent. Today, he followed me around the house and layed next to me (or against me) as I tried to get stuff done around here. He'll let me scratch his ears and massage his neck for extended periods and for once, actually seems to enjoy it. It seems that he has really decided to trust me. This is so cool, I feel so special! He suddenly became more than just a pet when this new bond developed. It is hard to describe because I have a close bond with our other three cats, each special and unique. But with Tom, it is somehow...different.

OED, I'm not sure how we're going to handle the Selena/Tom impasse. The vet recommended cat psych therapy, but it sounds expensive and unreliable. Selena has always been insecure and demands a lot of attention. Any time I show affection to the other cats, she tries to wedge herself between us and take over. I guess the only thing I can do is to keep giving her a lot of positive attention, but only when she behaves.

newtohosta-no more · Post by **newtohosta-no more** » Jun 10, 2005 6:26 am

Poor Tom has probably had a very tough life until he found you. It has taken him a very long time to trust you completely and now , when he's needed help the most, he finally put his trust in you and you came through with flying colors!! (no surprise to us on this forum

) I think you now have a friend for life, Shelly.

PeggyC · Post by **PeggyC** » Jun 10, 2005 7:57 am

Its wonderful to hear that Tom is home with you and getting better every day! Your story of bonding with Tom is heartwarming!

Patrushka · Post by **Patrushka** » Jun 10, 2005 11:34 am

I'm glad that Tom is home and doing so much better. It's wonderful that this bad experience has resulted in a newly formed bond between the two of you.

Annie · Post by **Annie** » Jun 10, 2005 12:01 pm

I'm so happy to hear about Tom!

If I were you I would try introducing them like they have never seen each other before.
Keep Tom in another room for a while (week or so) and let them smell each other under the door. Switch the bedding between them ( not washed). And after a while I would put Tom in an enclosure like a dog kennel so they can see each other, once in a day for a while, all the while holding and petting the other kitty.

This might work and it might not, because it is harder to introduce adut cats than it is to introduce a new kitten in the house.

There is a lot of info on introducing cats on the web.
Just type in INTRODUCING ADULT CATS.

Hope everything works out for your kittys!!