Most of you read here, that we lost poor Slinky a few months ago - he was one of our feral cats, who came to eat a few meals each day the past few years. This past summer, another very pretty cat starting coming, but only a few times a month. He always looked VERY clean - as if he belonged to someone, but he eats like he hasn't had a meal in forever!
We haven't seen him for over a few months now, and I was hoping he had gone "home". Well this morning, while I was cleaning up the kitchen, one of my cats was making a rukus by the sliding doors - there was Butterscotch! But the poor baby has been in an AWFUL fight with something! His entire ear is chewed up to the point that ALL the fur is off of it! POOR BABY!
I gave him a bowl full of dry food which he gobbled up in a second, and then I put out a small can of food, which was also gone lickety split. I will be looking out for his return, and hope I can help nurse him back to health. He is very skittish, and we won't be able to take him to the vet, but we can at least feed him well.
Does anyone know if the fur will grow back on his poor tender ear???
P.S. He is back now, and eating once again. He doesn't seem as frightened by us right now, and I'm hoping he will try out the cathouse that Don built for shelter too.
ohhhhhhhhh My goodness,,,,,,,,,, Poor Kitty! I know it being a feral cat it probably won't let you touch him,, I hope he becomes trusting of you so you can get close to him,, and possibly treat him somehow,,
"Grace without perfection is more to be desired than perfection without grace."
I am happy to say, that he/she was in the cathouse that Don built most of today. And ate every morsel of food we put out during the day - the only time he went off the deck was when I'm assuming he went to the bathroom - thankfully NOT on the deck! Don was able to put a soft towel in the bottom of the cathouse while he was gone, and he's been sleeping in there since about 7 this evening. I hope he stays safe, and a bit warmer in there.
Poor butterscotch. The ear looks a lot better than the first photo, looks like his fur will grow back too, but his ear might not return to its pointing upwards position, sometimes when trauma occours a haematoma develops, or lesions occour. Neither ae life threatening. Looks like he is getting lots of TLC!
ohhh what a nasty fight he got into! it does look like it's healing nicely though. if he's eating and drinking that is a good sign. It looks as though he will be just fine. how nice it is he has a nice warm place to crawl into and some food in his belly.
Cricket
Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it. ~Russel Baker
Poor Butterscotch, His ear looks better on the second photo and the fur will regrow. His ear may not return to its original position if either a heamatoma or lessions have developed, neither of these are life threatening, and he looks like he is enjoying lots of TLC!
Butterscotch disappeared for 2 days, and I was worried that he might have gotten into more trouble. But yesterday, just as we were getting ready to go to our friends' house, he appeared... hungry as ever! We had had about 5 inches of snow all day yesterday, so he must have been very cold as well - the wind was blowing fiercely too!
This afternoon, after a wild night of wind, I saw Butterscotch sitting in the sun on the deck. It was still only 20 degrees out there, but I'm sure the sun felt oh-so-good to him! He sleeps with his head ever ready to run at the first sign of a sound, poor baby!
I think the ear looks red because of the sun shining through it without any fur cover. It looks pretty much the same as from the first day we've seen it. I have not seen him shaking his head, nor touching his ear at all. He is always very hungry, and does sleep in the cathouse from time to time, but not like the first 2 days that he was here when the wounds were fresh.
sorry lynne. i missed your post as it ended up on page one and glenda's was on page 2. so i thought her post was in response to your second post. now that i've confused everyone as well as cindy ever could, i am glad to get the update! thank you
a good appetite is an excellent sign that he's going to be okay!
it would, of course, be best if you could get that ear looked at...although, a safe, protected, comfy place to sleep and get out of the weather and food and water regularly will do wonders all on its own. so, he's probably going to be just fine!!
If the skin is there the hair will grow back. If you could get some antibiotics into him it would help fight any infection that is sure to come along with an injury like that. you could crush it up into his soft food. I work as a vet tech and we see these kind of injuries a lot. looks like a fan belt got hold of him. Just a guess but had one in the other day that was almost identical to that. Lucky cat but will be ok with time. Hope this helps. Good luck.
Be careful of those that say they are you friend. Friendship and Trust must be earned, Saying it is only part of the truth.
Butterscotch comes daily to eat several times a day. He is extremely friendly, loving pets and rubs and tries to come inside every time. I sooooo wish we could bring him in, but unfortunately we cannot afford to take him to the vet for all the necessary shots, etc if we were to do that, and having 5 indoor cats is a handful as it is already.
But I do love the times when I get to feed him and give him a scratch and rub - he even pushes into our hands when we do that, which makes Don believe that he had to have been someone's cat and was cast outside for some reason - poor kitty.
Here he is tonight, trying to get inside, while I was feeding him about 1/2 hour ago. His right ear is doing so much better - it is even standing straight up once again - I am so happy to see that, as it had been curled back when he got hurt. Now... if he can only stay out of fights - he had another awful one a few weeks ago and lost some fur from his eye back down past the same ear.
Ohhhhhhh He looks soooooo good now! He has really healed nicely! He looks like he is saying,,,,, "just let me in for a minute please!"
You feeding him has lead him to healing so well and now, he is trusting you enough to allow petting and closeness,, which tell alot about you Lynne. He knows he has a good friend in you
"Grace without perfection is more to be desired than perfection without grace."
aawwww....butterscotch has healed real nice! thanks SO much for the update! he is one handsome kitty. those male cats just don't know when to quit with the fighting do they? we lost our 'pork chop' like that. we're on 10 acres and the neighbor is on 5. our male and her male kitty couldn't come to any kind of agreement with all that land to work with!...go figure??? such is the way of nature, I guess. glad to see him doing well.
Cricket
Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it. ~Russel Baker
OH Lynne---he is doing so well--I am so happy to see it.----Also glad to see that he is warming up to all of you so well.---perhaps is he stays around long enough the time will be right for you to take him in---or perhaps someone else will find they are in need of a sweet kitty---and gee you happen to know of one----
Thanks so much for the update.
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Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!! .....
Well just my opinion P & P.. I am assuming he is an intact Tom.. which would explain the fighting. And I assume he is just visiting to get some food. And a safe Haven I dont know where you live but most all cities now have very cheap Spay neuter clinics. Even for Feral Cats. they snip and you release. At least that way they are not contributing to the horrific overpopulation. We can all do something to help! We may not all be able to give them homes but we can sure help with the over population. You might google Low Cost spay Neuter in your city. I bet you have one. You could probably lure him into a crate with some yummy Tuna. Best of luck!
"Awwwwwwwwww I REALLY wish I could come inside and eat with the rest of the cats!!!"
"PLEASE OH PLEASE won't you let me in???"
His expressions break my heart. But he is fed well, numerous times a day by us, and gets lots of rubs too - he tried to get Don to continue again last night, but is actually scratching him when he grabs for his hand to continue.
We are going to wait and see when our son gets to have a place of his own and takes his 2 cats with him - right now he is only employed as a temp., but that job might become permanent in about 1 1/2 months. After that, if things stabilize here, we "might" be able to take Butterscotch inside.
Lynne,, He looks so healthy now,, His eyes are clear,, his fur the thick ,,,, And He has friends that feed him, No wonder he wants in, He knows it's warm in there and knows that's where the food comes from,, and I imagine he smells the other kitties too, and wants to join in on their comfort!
"Grace without perfection is more to be desired than perfection without grace."
Aw Butterscoth looks so cute--and--pleading. I do so hope everyting works out for all of you.
about the neutering. We always had our cats spayed or neutered.
The neutering certainly cut down on the children, and while it may have cut down on the fighting it did not stop it. When our "Tigger" came home one too many times with "battle scars" he was given a permanent place to live in our house. The girls thought that was best.
and yes we neutered him just as soon as we were told he was old enough.
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Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!! .....
Time for another update. Butterscotch tries harder and harder to come inside each time we feed him, but it's just not possible right now. We do not have the funds to take him to the vet - especially with what we are dealing with, with Oliver being sick. So we feed him NUMEROUS times a day and give him lots of rubs and attention.
Here he is getting in my camera - he wouldn't pose nicely so I took the picture anyway.
He plopped down against the open door and was watching Amber inside.
Being lazy as cats like to be, he decided to turn over for a bite to eat!
One can see that you have taken very good care of him/her Lynne---perhpas one day Butterscotch will be able to become a part of the "family" for real....
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Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!! .....
Butterscotch seems to be very afraid when we try to go out on the deck when he is there - he runs away down the stairs. He will sit on the stairs to wait and see if we leave, but won't come around us - YET!
He does love to be petted when we open the door to feed him though.
I agree with Caroll Some day he will call your place Home,, he almost does already!! He is skiddish yes, but I think he will come around and eventually both of you can be out on the deck together!
"Grace without perfection is more to be desired than perfection without grace."
Last night, Butterscotch actually went over to my husband while he sat in a chair on the deck while BBQing, and he let him pet him for a long while. It's the first time he didn't run away when one of us went out on the deck. I am so hoping that he'll learn to keep me company while I garden this summer.
Dont know if you have, but getting him neutered will stop him from fighting and getting injured. There are usually local clinics who spay/neuter feral cats for a low price and can lend you a humane trap. I feed feral/stray cats but got them all spayed/neutered because of all the fighting and kittens being born. Now the cats are happy and healthy, and half of them are super people friendly now and some got adopted. Dont know about the ear, but if you could catch him and have the money a vet who deals with feral cats could help him.
One idea is to contact your local SPCA and see if you have Vets in your area that help with things like shots and "fixing" them. Our little Rocco came meowing outside our room one morning in the pouring rain. So sad! We took him to vet and told them his stoy and the vet wrote him up as a shelter cat cause had I called the SPCA that is were he would have wound up anyway.. So they didn't charge us for the first visit and gave us the shots half price. They are also neutering him him at 1/2 price. So it is an idea.. He looks great! Good job!
~Believing in God for a miracle~
The sunshine is calling me, the dirt says come and play, the little seeds yawn for a nap, the weeds yell go away!
... I was on the phone all morning - Butterscotch came back to us last night after being away for 3 days, but his front leg seems to be very injured. He barely walks on it and it seems to dangle when it's up in the air. I've been feeding him, and he ate so much that he limped off the deck stairs to go potty - he's such a sweet cat - wouldn't do it on the deck. I've now put a small litterbox out there for him, but he hasn't come back yet.
Since we cannot afford to pay yet another cat's vet bills, I found an organization who will pay to take care of him IF we keep him indoors in a cage afterwards - they will pay to get him neutered, shots, and his leg... and then IF we think he is adoptable after we take care of him, they will put him in a foster home and then adopt him out after. If not, then they will release him outside back out here.
BUT... if it's a bad break in the leg, then they will have to euthanize him. They said that it could cost upwards of $2500 to take him to an orthopedic vet. surgeon, and neither they, nor we can afford that. I am so upset at that prospect, but the woman is right - they can't afford to have a bad break fixed, nor can we, and he will probably get killed by a stronger cat outside since he won't be able to run away from it. I hate being in this position, but we don't have a choice right now - we just cannot take another cat inside.
Please keep Butterscotch in your good wishes, and hope with us that his leg is a simple fix. He and we would appreciate that very much!
My emotions are running up and down today and I have a whoppper of a headache.
when the kids were small our cat (a barn cat that was litter trained) got hit by a BB gun and it shattered her shoulder. The vets technician wanted me to take it to a University for major surgery to repair the shoulder----we could not afford that SO the vet (after I spoke to him) made a splint/cast for the shoulder----we kept her in the house while it healed.--which it did---then she ran & jumped as if nothing had happened----so you might ask if there is an alternative kind of cast/splint---no one would have told me If I had not of asked because the opriginal surgery was so expensive.
and Good luck with Butterscotch
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Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!! .....
Oh mannnnnn What a dilemma to be in I HOPE his leg is not a bad break, You've been soooooooo good to him and he knows it that's why he comes back,, even allowing to be petted. It would be a sad thing if he can't be adopted out,
"Grace without perfection is more to be desired than perfection without grace."
Oh mannnnnn What a dilemma to be in I HOPE his leg is not a bad break, You've been soooooooo good to him and he knows it that's why he comes back,, even allowing to be petted. It would be a sad thing if he can't be adopted out,
I agree with everything that Diane has just said. :wink:
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Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!! .....
The woman couldn't get a cage today, so she is coming tomorrow evening. Don will be here and he is going to tell her under no circumstances should they "put him to sleep". I hope we don't "get into it with her", but we shall see how it all pans out.
Brian now thinks I shouldn't have done anything because he thinks his leg is better - we still think it needs to be looked at and unfortunately we can't pay for that right now... so we'll see what the woman tells Don tomorrow.
they should be able to put a splint on the leg until it heals up. even if they have to re-break it so that it can be set properly, that should only require a mild sedative so that they can do what's needed. it shouldn't require any surgery at all.
having to be pts because of a broken leg? well, that's an absolutely ridiculous thought/comment. broken bones will heal - and fairly quickly. if there was some issue of severe injury and the bone was protruding from the skin and there was a resultant infection that was bad enough to have worked it's way into the blood and/or gangreen has set in, well that would be a different story.
he hasn't had the injury long enough for things like infection to have progressed to such a serious condition. and you don't mention an break in the skin itself, so infection doesn't seem to even be an issue.
why this woman would recommend he be pts is beyond me!!
won't your vet work with you about payments so that the break can be treated and he can be neutered?
Thanks for the information, Joclyn. And no, we cannot work with the vet because we just cannot afford to pay for another cat at this time.
BUT... it is time for an update. The woman partner was not able to get to us last night with the cage and Advantage to start the treatements. But we did notice that he was putting a bit more weight on his leg. That started getting us concerned that maybe we had jumped the gun yesterday in involving this organization.
This morning after I gave Butterscotch his food, I noticed that he was walking MUCH better on the leg. And then he turned around and I saw it! He has a wound on the "shoulder" part of that leg - looks like it could be a bite from another cat - the fur is missing there and there is definitely a wound. But he is still moving much better today, and was licking it clean - a VERY good sign. So hopefully it isn't a break at all!
I called the first woman back because I did not want to lose him in an adoption, and I told her that we might have "jumped the gun". She was VERY nice and said that he was "OUR" cat and whatever we decide after he is treated is fine. We can try to keep him indoors, or we can put him back outside - though he wouldn't fare as well being "fixed". So now we will take it one step at a time, and they will get him taken care of, and he will heal here in the cage indoors. We will take it from there after he is better.
Since we don't have the funds to pay for this, but I do have lots of yarn waiting to be used, I am going to knit a bunch of small blankets that they can use in the cages. I've noticed that they use them in the cages at PetSmart, and this organization shows their cats there, so hopefully they will be appreciated. It will be slow going, since I still have tendonitis pretty badly, but it's the least I can do right now.
I will update once again after Sylvia comes tonight with the cage.
If it's any help, one time by me 2 very large feral males got into a very bad fight, one had a bloody ear and the other was limping on 3 legs and could not jump or run even if he had to. Weeks later both cats healed and were acting perfectly normal again, no sign any of them ever had any injury. Male cats tend to be able to withstand worse in injuries/pain than females, and being they are more muscular prevents them from usually getting fatally injured in a fight.
Meaning since Butterscotch is a male he should have a good chance at recovery, and the younger the male ( if he is like 1-3 years) recovery would have an even better chance when there at there prime.
We are not sure how old Butterscotch is - I guess the vet will tell the women when they bring him there. Now that we have the ball rolling with these women they of course insist that he get "fixed" to prevent any unwanted pregnancies. They also say he most likely will not get into so many fights once he's fixed. I am much more optimistic about him now, and very thankful that these woman agreed to take him on - they get so many calls and cannot help everyone since they run on donations only.
The first woman was telling me about all the calls they get from people saying "there's a cat in my yard - come and take him away!!!" This organization is NOT a shelter, and it is not funded other than contributions, so they simply cannot help everyone. We got very lucky that they are willing to help us. I feel very badly for them - it sounds like they are running in all their spare time, trying to help as many cats as they can - the woman who is coming here tonight, does this after her day job, and on her lunch hour as well. Thank goodness for caring people like these two!
We only have 1 public shelter here in this county and it is a KILL shelter - we know that first hand. I will never ever EVER take an animal there. One of the animal hospitals I called yesterday said that they would take him, but after he is taken care of they bring them over to that shelter. But once they are there, if they are not adopted within a certain time period they are "put down" - no thanks!!!
Thought I'd update for those of you who are following...
Butterscotch was put in a cage on Tuesday night in preparation for taking him to the vet. They didn't know when they'd be able to get him into the vet, and we needed to put Advantage on him to kill all the ticks and fleas first. He was terrified in that cage, but did appreciate it when Don would pet him and responded with very loud purring.
The woman, Sylvia, came and took him to the vet very early this morning. He was going to be neutered, looked over thoroughly and cleaned up, wound taken care of, ears cleaned, shots, feline aids and leukemias tests done, etc. She called this morning to tell us how it all went.
All the routine things and wound care went well. BUT... he had such a bad urinary tract blockage with crystals that he probably would have died within a few days from now!!! It's a VERY good thing that he came to us with his wounds and we were able to get the ball rolling on his treatments!!!
There are 2 downsides to this new developement. Because there were additional charges due to the blockage, we are now asked to contribute to the organization's expenses - they have asked us to mail them a small check each month - we can do that. BUT... he will be on prescription canned food for the next several weeks at least, and that will run up expenses that we were not counting on. We also have to clear out a small room off the kitchen so we can keep him in there after he is finished having to be caged, because he cannot eat the dry food that we put out for the rest of the cats. They say that dry food is what causes the blockage and crystals in male cats. This is my "catch-all" and craft room, so there is a lot to box up so he doesn't get into it and swallow anything dangerous. I also need to find another place to put all my plants that are in that room - I keep them in there with the door closed so the other cats don't eat them. Now where to put them???
We will do what we have to do to take care of Butterscotch of course. And are EXTREMELY appreciative for all the help that Sylvia and Ilene have given us! I just wish it wouldn't be so hard on us all - including him, the poor baby.
Our son has been through this urinary tract issue with his cat, Oliver, so that will be a big help now. Oliver is back to eating both dry and wet food, so hopefully Butterscotch will get to that stage soon as well.
Butterscotch is back home now and resting in his cage. His wound area was shaved and he did need stitches, but everything else looks good - he didn't even have any ear mites - not even dead ones after the Advantage, which is rare for an outdoor cat.
He will have to be on prescription food for 6 months according to the vet, but we are going to see if we can shorten that period. Sylvia suggested mixing the prescription food with other wet canned food to help it stretch a bit. The prescription stuff is $1.50 a can!
OMGosh Lynne talk about the making the right call to the right place in doing the right thing for Butterscotch! Unknowingly it couldn't have been better timed for him, This is a turn of events for the good of him, tho a little costly ~ your reward is knowing how good a life he will have now, I think that is awesome !!! Big Kudo's to your family for caring enough and Big Kudo's to the organization that enable cats to have better chance at living a full life!
"Grace without perfection is more to be desired than perfection without grace."
OH Lynne---I so agree with Diane---I am so glad that Butterscotch found you and your family. and that he found you "Just in time. I said and I think that he knew what he was doing when he came back to you when he was hurt. he knew where there were kind and caring people that would help him.
I am so sorry about the cost of his food--- I will pray this all works out for you all---
Give Butterscotch a hug for me...
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Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!! .....
Thanks again Diane and Carol! Butterscotch knows that you also care about him.
I just checked on him - he's still pretty scared, rolled in a ball in the cage not lifting his eyes to look at me. But it does look like he ate some food that Don put in the cage before he left for work at 5 this morning, because the bowl is empty. I will give him some more in a little bit before I leave.
It will take time, but Butterscotch will change his view of things.----I imagine he is feeling sore and does not know why, poor baby.--but as time goes on, and he is treated well by all of you, he will come around I am sure.
Thanks for the update.
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Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!! .....
i'm so glad things worked out as they did and he was treated for the crystals and blockage!!
male cats do tend to develop the crystals, it's much less common in females, although it can happen.
one way to help avoid it is to feed a good quality kibble that has no grains in it. or very little and definitely not anything with corn in it. most of the usual foods have corn as the FIRST ingredient.
before grain brand and evo brand are two that don't have any grains in the kibble at all and are fairly easy to get. both brands offer canned food that are 100% meat (before grain brand) and 95% meat (evo brand).
both companies market for cats and dogs. i mention this because the stuff for dogs comes in the large, 13 oz, cans and the stuff for cats is only made in either 3.3 oz or 5 oz. so, i buy the stuff with 'dog' on the lable so i can spend a little less. extra can be kept in the fridge for a couple days and i also freeze it, too, if it's not going to be used timely.
is the canned stuff from the vet the a/d or z/d?? if so, it's good stuff. only comes in the 5 oz size, though.
here are two sites you can order online - you would need a prescription from the vet, though, which is easy enough to get. it's a little cheaper online.
Thanks for all the info, Joclyn. The canned stuff is S/D, and to be switched to C/D when he is finished with that. I had already been to those sites - they are either the same price or slightly higher than my vet's prices, plus shipping, so unfortunately that won't work. But thanks for posting them.
Thanks for your kind words, Carol. It helps to be able to talk about it here.
He is still recuperating in the cage, and finally moved onto the soft towels instead of laying on the cold cage floor. He scarfs down any food we give him, but we are only giving him a little at a time so he doesn't get sick. He hasn't used the litterbox yet - hopefully by tomorrow. I am going to clean out the small room next to the kitchen tomorrow, so we can bring him upstairs and out of the cage. I know our cats are going to be scratching and banging on the door from that point forward though! Just what I need - more noise around here - NOT!
I spent all day yesterday cleaning out the small room off the kitchen so we could bring Butterscotch upstairs into the house, yet keep him away from the other cats. When Don put the cage in that room, Butterscotch would not come out.
I had put the cat tent in the room earlier and when we checked on him a few minutes later he was in the tent nice and secure. I thought he would go in there, as it's about the same size as the cathouse he liked outside on our deck. He is slowly coming out to eat, and has been using the litterbox - I am very pleased with his progress. He is still very frightened though, and stays in the tent unless he eats or uses the box. We try to pet him as often as we can, so hopefully he will stay out in the room more often.
Very Cool space for him Lynne And very thoughtful of you to accommodate him the appox' amount of space he had in the "house" outside. This is all so very new to him , with the extreme changes he's been through this past week, it's good to hear he is adjusting slow but sure.
"Grace without perfection is more to be desired than perfection without grace."
it's a big adjustment being in a house when they're used to be outside. he'll come around - he is already, actually. the fact that he's not completely freaking out is evidence of that!
he's looking good, i'm glad to see. i love that tent!! where'd you get it??
I got that tent about 7 years ago at a PetSmart, but many stores sell similar ones nowadays - the pet stores, IKEA, Christmas Tree Shops to name a few.
Butterscotch is NOT a happy camper today. He won't let me pet him at all. But he is spending most of his time out of the tent it seems. Everytime I go check on him he is sitting on the blanket instead. But the first time I went into the room he hissed loudly at me!!! Then he ran back into the tent. He will sniff my hand, but not let me touch.
When I brought his lunch food into the room he cried out loud at me. I very slowly put the bowl down and left. A few minutes later he was eating.
Our other cats are very inquisitive about who/what is going on in that room, so he probably is aware of that now. Poor baby.
he's either feeling better enough to show his displeasure at being cooped up in that room or he's feeling some discomfort and telling you about it. actually, under the circumstances, either scenario is a good thing because it shows he's got some trust in you.
if he doesn't want petted, that's okay. everyone is allowed to have a bad day :wink:
you know Lynne--I too think that Butterscotch is jsut healing---if he is healing I am thinking he i s hurting more and so is not happy---just let him be alone as much as possible. He will see you taking care of him and come to know that you are a friend not a foe. When he was well you KNOW he knew that bacuse that is why he showed up at your door when he was hurt.
Like Jocyln said everyone deserves a bad day---and I know there are good days and bad days while healing from surgery.
You will all get thru this, and come out the other side well and happy, I am sure.
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Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!! .....
Well he hissed at Don when he went into the room upon coming home from work, but Don sat in the chair in the room and Butterscotch went over to him for lots of petting. He did try to swipe at him, as he does from time to time, but Don speaks to him in a very stern voice and says NO when he does that.
After our dinner I gave him more food - he seems to be very hungary - he was used to having dry food outside all the time, but now he is only getting the canned prescription food mixed with other canned food, several times a day.
Don went in and gave him more attention, and I joined them after cleaning up the kitchen. Don sat on the floor and I was in the chair this time, and he came over to me for lots of attention and rubs. He had a bit more food for the night, and before I left the room he was cleaning himself - haven't seen him do that since he went to the vet, so all seems very good tonight.
A question... he has very coarse fur, as did most of the feral or outdoor cats that we've had, and I was wondering if it will soften up if he stays an indoor cat? All our other indoor cats are shedding tons of fur these days, as is the season, but I haven't noticed him shedding at all?
I am only guessing here but might it be due to his "diet" while outdoors and on his own?? or perhaps his need to have a more insulating type of fur when he was an outdoor cat??
glad to hear of the nice report, Lynne---that is good!!!!
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Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!! .....
I was also thinking that outdoor cats develope a thicker coat to protect them in the "elements" Carol. What I'm wondering is if it will turn softer if he is kept indoors?
Well I would think so Lynne--again I am no authority but between not needing the thicker coat and the nice food he is getting I am thinking it will soften and improve in general.
Kinda like a girl using expensive hair care items ????
Last edited by JunieGirl; May 11th, 2009 at 07:35 PM.
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Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!! .....
ahh, he was HONGRY!!! no wonder he was having a hissy hongry on top of feeling uncomfortable = a hissy kitty!!
yes, the coarser coat is due to the not-the-greatest diet while living outside (even with your supplementing it) and also, since he's outside all the time, the coat will get much thicker than those of indoor animals. plus, he had a medical issue going on and probably wasn't getting the most nutrition from what he was eating and that will affect the quality of the coat as well.
as he sheds and continues to eat properly and stays inside, you'll see the coat getting nicer and nicer. by fall shed you'll see a bit of improvement and by next spring he'll look almost like a different cat.
But tell me... he is VERY hungary and as I mentioned last week, we cannot afford to give him tons of this prescription food each day - do you have a suggestion? Is he totally limited to the prescription food right now while he recuperates? It will be a week on Thursday since he went to the vet.
right now, until all the crystals are completely cleared from his system, he DOES need to be on the special diet and the soft stuff (canned) is the preferred. still, he's a big kitty and obviously the canned stuff isn't enough to sustain him - especially as he's gaining his strength back after surgery.
ask the vet if you can get some of the prescription kibble to supplement the canned stuff.
and like I have said--if he cannot eat dry food wet the food with a little warm water oor i f he does not go for that try a little low sodium broth. (usually the warm water helps)
after it sets a bit it will soften up and can be stirred up a bit if you would like.
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Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!! .....
ask the vet if you can get some of the prescription kibble to supplement the canned stuff.
Joclyn - they did give us a 4lb. bag of prescription dry food - but that small bag costs $16.59!!! That is more than the very large bag we buy for all 5 of our other cats! My husband had started to give that to him as well yesterday. I spoke with the woman who runs the organization this morning - they offered to buy a case of cans for Butterscotch - 24 cans, and another bag - that was extremely nice and we appreciate it more than they will ever know. They said to give him a total of 1 cup of dry food and 1 can per day. He has been crying today when he didn't have food, and that amount doesn't seem enough for him. I'm hoping that in time he will adjust his appetite.
She also told me what Sylvia had told us - that Butterscotch would have died within 2 days of the date they took him to the vet. His blockage was so very bad that his bladder was about to burst at any moment - poor baby!!! She said it was a miracle that he had gotten into that fight and came back to us - that is what got the ball rolling to save his life! I am so grateful that these women took him into their hearts. I'm also very grateful that I didn't have to find him dead in the cathouse or on the deck a few days later!!!
He let Don pet him a long while this afternoon, and was even kneading and purring - very good signs indeed!
She said it was a miracle that he had gotten into that fight and came back to us - that is what got the ball rolling to save his life! I am so grateful that these women took him into their hearts. I'm also very grateful that I didn't have to find him dead in the cathouse or on the deck a few days later!!!
He let Don pet him a long while this afternoon, and was even kneading and purring - very good signs indeed!
I too am greatfukl that Butterscotch came back to you in time--and for all the wonderful help that you have been given to help him.
and I knew it was just going to taken time for him to "come around" and accept you all---and while he may still have his "days", remember he knew where to go when he needed help and he knows that you are good kind people. In the end it will all be good I am sure.
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Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!! .....
i'm so glad butterscotch if getting back to himself!! if he's got his appetite back, that means he's healing up and feeling better and that's fantastic!! especially since it turns out he was so close to passing on from the infection!!
the prescription stuff is not cheap, that's for sure!!! that was so, so nice of them to give you a good supply of it!!! that extra case of the cans and the additional bag should get you and butterscotch through the recuperation period. then, you can put him back on a 'regular' type food. since he's had issue with the crystals, though, i'd strongly recommend a brand that doesn't have grains in it as the grains will aggravate the condition and the crystals could form again.
the evo or before grain seems high-priced until you take into account that, since 100% of each piece of it is utilized by the body, they end up eating less because they get what they need quicker. so, you end up not buying it as often and end up spending less in the long run.
most of the stuff you can get at the grocery and pet stores has corn as the first, second or third ingredient. corn is particularly bad with regard to causing issues like the crystals. these pet food companies use it because it's cheap and most people don't know it's bad for their pets
cats, dogs and ferrets are all carnivores. granted, cats and dogs have a cesum (sp?) and they can process grains, fruits and vegy's to a degree, so those items in their kibble aren't completely bad. it's the corn, in particular, that is the big issue and wheat is the second biggest problem-causer.
at the least, i'd switch to a brand that uses rice or barley as the binder ingredient in the kibble. those two are much easier on the system than the corn or wheat and much less likely to cause problems or aggravate existing conditions.
i've had the ferrets on the evo for years now (they don't have a cesum, so really, really can't have kibble with grain in it) and, when i switched them over i saw a big difference in how often i had to buy their food. i went from buying a 40# bag of kibble, with corn or wheat in it, every 6-7 weeks (had 4 ferts at the time) to buying one 30# bag of evo every 8-10 weeks (frequency depended on how often i supplemented with the homemade stuff i make for them).
i've had rusty on the evo only for almost a year now. (i used to mix the evo with the purina stuff) i fill his bowl every 2 - 2 1/2 days rather than every single day like i did before. so, he's eating about half what he was before...and he looks just as good as he did when eating the stuff with the grains in it. in fact, he actually looks better! he's all muscle with no fat at all and his coat is even softer/silkier than it was before.
he's just turning 5 in another month or so, so, he's getting to the point where the crystals, and other digestive tract issues, are possibly going to be an issue (males do seem to develop more of them than females), so, being on no grains now is important for him.
yeah, i have more of an outlay when i buy their food...at the end of the year, i've actually spent less than i would if i was still giving them the 'cheaper cost' stuff. and, it's healthier for them, so i don't mind at all.
One thing though... these women keep telling me that he has to be on the s/d for at least 3-6 months and then the c/d for at least the rest of a year. Meaning prescription food for an entire year before we can give him the better over the counter food. Are they being a bit excessive, or is that really a concern for him?
Also, I keep meaning to ask you about this but forget - he has a black area on the top of his tail - had it when they first took him to the vet - they said it was secretions, and that after he was neutered it would stop. Well we hadn't noticed it on him all the while he was outdoors - only when he came back this last time. AND the black area is actually getting larger! Any ideas what is going on with that?
i've never had a cat with the crystals so i'm not sure about proper length of time for the dietary restrictions. i can ask a couple people who've dealt with it in cats what they've done, though. with ferrets that develop the condition, it's recommended to keep them on grain-free foods for the rest of their lives - not necessarily the prescription stuff, though.
the special food (c/d, a/d, and the others) is usually just a temporary thing for a month or two - just until it's clear that any infection has been resolved and that there are no more crystals forming (urine test can confirm/deny whether crystals are still present or not).
i'd think the same would apply with cats, too. is it the women that are helping that are saying he needs to stay on the special diet for that long or is it the vet who is saying that? if it's the vet, then there may be some truth to it...or it could be a matter of them just trying to make money (some vets will push the issue with the special diets, even when not truly needed, since they do get kickbacks from the company and/or assistance with supplies and equipment for their clinic). maybe call your usual vet and ask if that kind of time frame for being on the special diet is the norm with this kind of situation (excessive amount of time with an untreated infection along with the blockage).
in all honesty, i wouldn't switch him off to regular food straight off. after at least a month on it, i'd ease him off the prescription diet by mixing it with the regular food - 75/25 for a couple/few weeks; then 50/50 for a couple and then 25/75 for a couple and then just the regular kibble. too quickly going back to a richer and less processed diet may cause an issue/relapse of the crystals and that's definitely not what you'd want to happen!!
a month or two strictly on the special diet and then a couple months of weaning off of it should be more than sufficient. unless he starts up with the crystals again - which is not likely to happen if you move from the prescription diet to a high-quality kibble that has no grains or very little grains (and definitely no corn).
of the half dozen people i know that have dealt with cats with the crystals, none have had recurrance after the initial incident - that i'm aware of anyway. they all did move to a better quality kibble after the treatment for infection, though. not all had to do the special diet either.
mostly, that's being recommended here because he had an extended period of time with the active infection that wasn't treated and he had the blockage that kept the urine in his bladder - and all those toxins too. not just in the bladder, either. the kidneys would also be affected by the infection and the blockage causing things to not flow outward and to back up within the system. the special diet is more for giving some extra time for his system to recuperate rather than being a true need for anything more than a few weeks. at least from what knowledge i have about crystals.
i had one ferret that had them when he first came to me. he actually had more serious issues going on - he had lymphosarcoma and it didn't show in any of the tests...was found after he'd died. so, the crystals issue was actually a side-effect of that condition (it was all through his whole digestive tract) as well as residual from the bad diet he'd been eating before he came to me, rather than being it's own issue.
he wasn't put strictly on the special diet either (yes, that same prescription stuff is used with the ferrets, too). all i did with him was give him more soft foods (either the canned evo 95% meat or the stuff i cook and puree for them or the canned prescription stuff) and i also switched to the dog evo since it comes in a red meat version (rather than poultry which is the only option with the cat evo and ferret evo). before he came to me, his diet was really bad (long story about the rescue situation) and getting him on the higher quality/no grain kibble in the first place was a help and getting the chicken, specifically, out of his diet was all he needed to get things back on track and get rid of the crystals...that kind of doesn't apply here, though, since percy's crystals issue was not the main problem and with butterscotch it is.
for the spot on the tail, that sounds quite odd! is it near the base of the tail or somewhere along the length of it? will he let you or your husband take a look at it?? if so, try to wash/wipe it with a warm washcloth. if it is some kind of secretion from hormones (which would be more likely to appear at the base of the tail), then it should wipe away with the washcloth. if it is secretions due to hormones, then, yes, it will stop once the extra hormones are out of his system - that takes a few weeks after being fixed. if he was still in full rutt when fixed, it could be a bit longer.
if it doesn't wipe away, i'd be concerned something else is going on.
under the circumstances - with him being a stray and so used to being outdoors and now being kept inside and all the going to the vet and being treated and fixed, he may be stressed and may be grooming himself too much as a result.
if that's the case, once the spot is wiped at, and you can see below whatever gunk is there, you'll see a sore from his excessive licking at the spot. as long as it's not infected and not an open wound, you can just deal with it with some bitter apple spray sprayed on so that he won't lick at it. you could also get a cone to put on him (if he'll allow that, lol) to keep him from being able to bother the tail.
if there is a sore there, even though he's on antibiotics for the other infection, it can still become infected (different type of bacteria and the antibiotic he's on may not be the right one for that type), so you may need to get a topical ointment to apply/treat it. and you'd have to wrap the tail also so that it has time to heal over - or use the cone to keep him away from it while it heals.
is he due to go back to the vet for a follow-up soon? if so, the vet can take a look at the spot if it turns out to be something other than hormones causing excessive production of oils. if he's not due back for a check-up and it is something more than excessive oils, then you'll need to either call that vet or your usual vet and see if they'll prescribe meds for it...or maybe they'll just say some over-the-counter meds would be sufficient.
That is a great website Keith - thanks for posting the link! I'm sure I will get a ton of great info there, and will keep it in my favorites.
Joclyn - unfortunately, the vet that these women use is the same vet that we use, and if we want them to continue helping us financially we cannot speak with the vet about Butterscotch, or he won't be considered a stray anymore and the women won't be able to get their deep discounts there - got all that???
Once we take him on as our own, we have to bring him in for regular office visits and pay full price for everything. We're not ready to do that, and the women are willing to continue overseeing his care for a few more months.
As for the black spot on the tail - it is on the top of the tail just below where it attaches to the body. I have only seen him clean himself once since he's been in the room, and that was mostly his front legs and the area where they stitched the wound on his shoulder. By the way - the stitches are gone and there is only the slightest spot where the wound was - YEA!
He still isn't at the stage where he trusts us enough to try and wipe the black area - he is still swiping at both of us as we pet him, so we need to work that out first. The black area is so weird - it almost reminds me of tar. His tail was flat there also when he first came back to us and I noticed the black - I thought maybe he got run over by something, but the women told us that THE VET (our vet too) said it was secretions?
He was crying a good bit yesterday - he really wants to come out of that room. I go in as often as I can and spend some time either just sitting with him, or trying to pet him. I brought some toys in there but he isn't interested. Sylvia was saying that he needed a toy mouse, but he pays no attention to the one I put in there and was trying to play with him. I know this will all pass with time, but I feel badly for him being stuck in there all by himself when he knows that we and the other cats are on the other side of the door. Our Amber kept shoving a red mouse under the door yesterday - she always did that even before Butterscotch was in that room, and I'd have to retrieve it for her. Now she knows he's in there - he didn't pass it back outside the door. Just sat by the door sadly...
He is not due back to the vet so far as I know. All the issues are being taken care of by the women either over the phone, or picking up things we need for him. Again... if WE take him back we will have to pay full price and we will lose the assistance of the women for good.
by all means, continue on (for as long as you need to) as if he's just a stray!! i understand completely :)
it may be that they're urging you to continue him on the food so that they are still involved - some people who offer help, like they have, do so to have control and they sometimes like to keep that control as long as is possible. that may not be the case, though. it may be that he does really need to be on the special diet that long. if they're willing to help with supplying the food for a while, then go with it as it's certainly not going to hurt him any!
once you get to the point where you can take on any vet bills and/or he seems to be completely clear of the crystals, you can start weaning him off of it.
i hate to see any of my 'kiddies' holed up due to illness - they are SO good at giving those pouty/poor-me faces and it just breaks my heart to have to keep them confined!! he still needs time to recuperate though. and he still needs time to get completely comfortable with you and your husband. as well as adjust to being an indoor cat now.
in a couple weeks, maybe bring in one of your females and do a short intro - if all goes well, you can continue to give them some time together each day and maybe even leave her there with him - would be good company for him and would help to get him acclimated to the others (you could do intro's with the others in the same manner once he's comfortable with one of them).
you're absolutely right, it's going to take time for him to adjust. he will though and quicker than you may think - just look at how far he's come already and in such a short time, too!!
Unfortunately, it seems that Butterscotch is blocked up again. Or there is something else going on, but most likely blockage.
Yesterday morning, Don went downstairs to find that Butterscotch had thrown up and had diarhea all over his room. And he had hardly eaten any of the food our son had put out for dinner Friday night. We gave him 1/3 cup of the dry s/d yesterday morning, which he usually gobbles up in a few minutes - it is still mostly there right now - over 24 hours later.
I gave him a small amount of the wet s/d food this morning - he took 2 licks and walked away. Just now, about 4 hours later, I moved the bowl next to the chair I sit in, and he ate a bit more, but not all, like he used to do.
He is also licking himself often, which is another sign of a urinary tract problem. So I called Sylvia, and they are going to have him go back to the vet. She is coming here early tomorrow morning to hopefully help me get him into our carrier. I don't know how we are going to do that, as we lured him with food last time, and he doesn't seem interested right now. We cannot lift him and put him in there - he bit my husband this morning and broke the skin - first time for that!
So it will be interesting to see how things play out tomorrow. I just feel so badly for the poor fur baby! He wants out of that room so badly, but we can't until he is totally healed.
Jocyln - I don't think that he just wants out because last night my husband stepped in a puddle of urine when he went in to say goodnight to him, and this morning Butterscotch was leaking on the floor when I gave him a tiny bit of fresh canned food. He really wanted to eat it, but only got half way done and couldn't eat anymore. This was only half of 1/8 of a can! At least he did get something into him before he is put in the carrier.
He still has not used the litterbox at all since Friday night, and only ate a couple of pieces of the dry food. He seems to be having difficulty eating the round pieces - he finally gets one chewed in half and one half falls out of his mouth onto the floor or back into the bowl. He never had a problem with dry food before, but it wasn't round like this is.
I am waiting to hear back from Sylvia after Ilene calls the vet. She was supposed to have called the vet about 20 minutes ago. Once they know if he can be seen this morning, Sylvia will come over and help me get him into the carrier.
Well I took him in right after I wrote here this morning - Sylvia was a pro in getting him into the carrier - I was so impressed!!!
The vet picked him up and felt underneath, and right away said he is so blocked up that this is an emergency case!!! He didn't even want to hear about anything else - Sylvia told me to be sure to tell him everything - like the fact that she thought he was dehydrated - he said that first and foremost he is terribly blocked and if he can't fix that then the other things won't matter!!!
He asked me what I wanted him to do, or if he should call Ilene - I said yes call Ilene, because right now we are "fostering" him, and the final decision is hers. He told me that they can try to unblock a male cat 3 times and that he really needs surgery which is VERY costly. I told him that neither we, nor the organization can afford that, so when he called Ilene he asked if she wanted him to try and unblock him, or to euthanize him. They agreed that he is such a sweet cat, and to try to unblock him once more. So I left him at the vet's and he is also going to stay at least til Wednesday so the vet can see how he does.
I was able to overhear him talking with Ilene on the phone in another room, and I got choked up - he really is such a sweetie. I hope this time works like a charm... poor Butterscotch!!!
He asked me what I wanted him to do, or if he should call Ilene - I said yes call Ilene, because right now we are "fostering" him, and the final decision is hers. He told me that they can try to unblock a male cat 3 times and that he really needs surgery which is VERY costly. I told him that neither we, nor the organization can afford that, so when he called Ilene he asked if she wanted him to try and unblock him, or to euthanize him. They agreed that he is such a sweet cat, and to try to unblock him once more. So I left him at the vet's and he is also going to stay at least til Wednesday so the vet can see how he does.
I was able to overhear him talking with Ilene on the phone in another room, and I got choked up - he really is such a sweetie. I hope this time works like a charm... poor Butterscotch!!!
Butterscotch,, Lynne I'm so glad you have him,, and know what to look for,, You are Butterscotch's Angel Please keep us updated.
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POOR BABY! 
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ohhhhhhhhh My goodness,,,,,,,,,, Poor Kitty! 
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He'll be okay,, and will probably give second thought 
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sorry lynne. i missed your post as it ended up on page one and glenda's was on page 2. so i thought her post was in response to your second post. now that i've confused everyone as well as cindy ever could, i am glad to get the update! thank you ![[Linked Image]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v161/LynneNY/outdoor%20friends2/Butterscotch2-09-09.jpg)
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and I have a whoppper of a headache. 
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