Sick cat foud way out of home, do I need to send her back to kennel?

[dyingslownyc]

Thank you for taking the time to read this and helping me out. I am new here so a big HELLO to all. :D

I became a foster parent for a kitty because I could not care for one long term but did want the pleasure of a cat in my home.

Here is the situation:

The cat they gave me has Feline Leukaemia but is in good health at the moment. She is not vaccinated either, but I guess that makes sense given the Leukaemia.

The people at the adoption center told me that she would need to be an indoor cat because of this. After having her for a week I noticed today that she found a way out of my home and I assume she is occasionally going outside, although I cant be sure. I am pretty sad about this and I want to know does this mean I have to give her back? :(

p.s. I can't really plug up the whole she uses to get out.

[Elaine]

She really must be contained in order to stop any risk of spreading FeLV. This is a very serious condition and she may well remain healthy for some time. It is considered that they can be healthy from the time of infection up to 5 years but really it's any ones guess as to when she will begin to show signs of illness.
http://www.gla.ac.uk/faculties/vet/cad/informationforowners/felineleukaemiavirusfelv/

[Phoenix]

Is there anywhere secure you can shut her in to prevent her from escaping?

If so she really needs to be kept in the secure place, e.g. a spare bedroom etc.

If she's getting out she could potentially be spreading FELV all round the neighbourhood, making other cats ill and potentially picking up more illness due to not being vaccinated.

[dyingslownyc]

if I can catch her, i will keep her in my room. She has only been with me a week and she is still nervous around me.

[Phoenix]

if I can catch her, i will keep her in my room. She has only been with me a week and she is still nervous around me.

Make sure it's escape proof ;)

[dyingslownyc]

Make sure it's escape proof ;)

Once she is in my room there is no way for her to get out

thanks for the help

[dandysmom]

Good luck. It's so hard keeping them in when they desperately want to go out, but for her health and the other cats she must be an indoor cat. Give her a lot of play and a stimulating environment to keep her happy.

[Shelley123]

Welcome to the forum, the best of luck with your little foster, keep us posted.

[dyingslownyc]

Today she let me pet her! When I get a chance I'll pick her up and put her in a secure room.

SHE LET ME PET HER!

[Shelley123]

Brilliant, how about a pic when you get her settled ;)

[dyingslownyc]

Brilliant, how about a pic when you get her settled ;)

http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/9803/happy02.jpg

[dandysmom]

Isn't she a pretty girl! Wonderful that she's trusting you now!

[calismum]

What a pretty girl she is. Hope is works out for you.

[yola]

What a sweet kitty! Glad you've got her safe and secure . . . give her enough reason to stay in and she'll do so. I had an older roamer who, once settled in the house, rarely bothered to even go into the garden!

[dyingslownyc]

What a sweet kitty! Glad you've got her safe and secure . . . give her enough reason to stay in and she'll do so. I had an older roamer who, once settled in the house, rarely bothered to even go into the garden!

haven't tried picking her up yet, i thought she mite bite me. This was the first time she let me pet her, so maybe next time I'll try picking her up. I would hate for her to bite me after showing me some trust and then never trusting me again.

[dandysmom]

Softly, softly catchee monkey! Give her time....

[dyingslownyc]

Fianal Update!

I was able to pick her up and place her in my bedroom. I put her litter box, water bowl and food bowl in my room too.


She has a scratching post, but not the kind you climb on, a ball with a bell in it and a stuffed animal to play with and her kitty bed. Is that enough to keep her mind occupied? I will of course spend plenty of time with her too.

I am going to get some wire mesh and staple it over the hole she used to get out and a few other places I am worried about, then I plan to give her free run of the house again. I feel so bad with her locked up int he bedroom but I told Happy it was only temporary.

Any advice in general?

[dandysmom]

That sounds like an excellent program to me, well thought out. Glad you could pick her up. You're calling her Happy? Like the name!

Maybe a Feliway diffuser to keep her calm, and perhaps a catnip mouse? Not all cats react to catnip, though.

Thanks for the update.

[dyingslownyc]

That sounds like an excellent program to me, well thought out. Glad you could pick her up. You're calling her Happy? Like the name!

Maybe a Feliway diffuser to keep her calm, and perhaps a catnip mouse? Not all cats react to catnip, though.

Thanks for the update.

I just returned from the largest Western style pet store in Bangkok and they don't have anything like Feliway diffuser as far as I can tell.

I did pick up a box of 100% organic cat nip but I am not exactly sure what to do with it. Any suggestions?

[dyingslownyc]

Seems like my cat is one of the 15% that doesn't respond to catnip haha.

I guess it doesn't matter anyway, because I will cover the hole she uses to get outside and then she can occupy her time running all over the house.

[dandysmom]

You can order Feliways on line; have no idea what the P & H would be to Bangkok, but you might check, My Leia is a non-responder too. How is she today?

[Elaine]

Glad you are managing to contain her, she may respond to the catnip once she is more settled. Can you get any Bach flower remedys in Bangkok? If so, try some "rescue remedy", a couple of drops in water or food, or a few drops rubbed into the tips of her ears may help. I'm sure she will settle in soon.
As for toys, most cats love scrunched up silver foil and empty boxes to play around in.

[dyingslownyc]

You can order Feliways on line; have no idea what the P & H would be to Bangkok, but you might check, My Leia is a non-responder too. How is she today?

She is doing GREAT! I was rubbing her belly and playing with her. My landlord and I plan to plug up the holes in the house today and I am also going to take her for a cleaning because she got pretty dirty from being able to go outside. She seems clean but after I rubbed her belly my fingers were black! :oops:

Thanks for the recommendation, Elaine. I will see if I can find some Bach flower.

FYI, she really doesn't seem interested in her toys and prefers to just be held or to sleep all day, and that's fine with me! :p

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/6395/happycat.jpg

http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/9905/happycat2.jpg

[dyingslownyc]

All the holes are plugged up and kitty was very confused to see this.

She gave me this look like "touche sir, touche...very well played indeed" hahah

[dandysmom]

What a pretty girl, she certainly looks relaxed and comfortable in those pics! I hope you got them all plugged, cats are clever and persistent, as we well know! LOL, she'll be an indoor cat now, like it or not. Have you named her?

[dyingslownyc]

I'm calling her Happy

[dandysmom]

Happy - I like that!!

[dyingslownyc]

we are in love with each other!
http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/2868/happycat8.jpg

http://img571.imageshack.us/img571/3862/happycat6.jpg

http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/6575/happycat5.jpg

[Shelley123]

Thanks for posting the pics, Happy is a very dainty looking girl. Has she has sore eyes they look a little red ?

[dyingslownyc]

Thanks for posting the pics, Happy is a very dainty looking girl. Has she has sore eyes they look a little red ?

The adoption agency told me to clean her eyes once a day because she has a problem. They never said anything about being able to fix the problem. I also took her to be examined and they noticed how her eyes get a bit dirty, but also did not tell me to do anything.

all the doctor said was that she has gingivitis.

so i dunno, but i clean her face each day.

[Shelley123]

I think some Cats can be prone to eye problems, particularly if they have been ill or had a rough start. My friends Cat has runny eyes and she has to clean them frequently.
She is a beautiful little girl and i admire you for taking her on and caring so much.
Keep the pics and stories coming :)

[dyingslownyc]

I think some Cats can be prone to eye problems, particularly if they have been ill or had a rough start. My friends Cat has runny eyes and she has to clean them frequently.
She is a beautiful little girl and i admire you for taking her on and caring so much.
Keep the pics and stories coming :)

will brushing her keep shedding under control?

[dandysmom]

It will certainly help. I personally prefer a comb as it seems to get more loose fur, but either is good. Is it possible for you to find a grooming tool there called the FURminator? Or order one on line? It is unbelievable how much dead loose fur it removes!

Here's a link to a rather long thread about the FURminator and our opinions/experiences about it.

http://www.catsey.com/showthread.php?t=22846&highlight=furminator+is+great

[Shelley123]

As Eileen has said, brushing will certainly help and if she enjoys it it's a good way to bond as well .

[dyingslownyc]

http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/1584/img0095km.jpg

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/9825/happycatfp.jpg

http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/3799/img0093wf.jpg
my bunk mate

[Mags]

She looks really settled and relaxed now! :D

[dandysmom]

Talk about relaxed! :) She looks well settled. How is the shedding coming along?

[dyingslownyc]

I think some Cats can be prone to eye problems, particularly if they have been ill or had a rough start. My friends Cat has runny eyes and she has to clean them frequently.
She is a beautiful little girl and i admire you for taking her on and caring so much.
Keep the pics and stories coming :)

I know the cat I'm fostering had a rough life on the streets of Bangkok and I do have to clean around her eyes often because they get dirty from the water running off her eyes. Can you tell me how her rough start is related to her eyes?

In return more photos of Happy!
http://img697.imageshack.us/img697/2336/happycat12.jpg

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/47/happycat15.jpg

Crazy cat! Why you sleep on head like that? :lol:
http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/5676/happycat16.jpg

[Shelley123]

Love the pics, they're so cute curled up like that.
I assume when cats have had a rough start and a poor diet that all the body systems are affected, including the immune system. Whilst some things will always stay the same, say perhaps stunted growth, others things can improve with a good diet and lots of TLC.
I'm not medical and this is only my idea of how things can be affected by a bad start.

[yola]

Some cats do just have more discharge than others. I have 3 persians and one especially (typically the lightest coloured one) has the worst brown tears. Unless the discharge is green and obviously infected I would suggest wiping with cotton wool pads and warm water morning and evening.

I do have one cat that is prone to eye infections. Nothing to do with her history as she's been spoilt since a kitten but she just seems more likely to get infections. Easily treated with antibiotic eye drops - 2 time a day for 5 days.

[dyingslownyc]

This is tropical Bangkok which means I HAVE TO use bug spray from time to time.


I spray it on the floor and it is orderless.

Can I not do this with cat in the house?

p.s. I spray it only in kitchen and not near her food or water or where she sleeps.

[dandysmom]

That is a tough one to answer! It really depends on what ingredients are in the pesticide; some are very hazardous. I personally do not use any bug sprays in the house; like many people in the City I have an occasional roach problem, but I use the small discs that contain a poison that kills them.

Here's a link that might prove helpful:

http://www.wisegeek.com/is-bug-spray-safe-for-pets.htm

[dyingslownyc]

That is a tough one to answer! It really depends on what ingredients are in the pesticide; some are very hazardous. I personally do not use any bug sprays in the house; like many people in the City I have an occasional roach problem, but I use the small discs that contain a poison that kills them.

Here's a link that might prove helpful:

http://www.wisegeek.com/is-bug-spray-safe-for-pets.htm

The vet said the stuff I use is fine if not sprayed near the her food.

Next question: I cut Happy's front claws today using nail clippers. It went fine and I know how to do it properly, however, the claw did not cut so much as it splintered. When I cut my toe nails, they make that "snip" sound, with her it was not the same.

[calismum]

Cats claws are made up of many different layers. Sometimes when I cut my cats claws they do that other times they don't.

I wonder sometimes if it is to do with the sharpness of the clippers?

At least happy let you cut the claws - I had sometimes to revert to wraping in a towel!

[dyingslownyc]

it actually seemed like didn't mind at all. She was laying on her side like she was at salon :lol:

[dandysmom]

Claw clippers made specifically for cats seem to be keener and do a cleaner cut than people nail clippers. You can get them online.

What a good girl Happy is! Most of mine let me do it with only minor wiggling and grumbling, but my tortie was impossible... she thrashed, screamed bloody murder and said I was amputating her toes without anaesthetic! :mrgreen:

[dyingslownyc]

Sadly, I have to give Happy back to the organization as I will be returning to New York.

She goes back in a week and I wanted to give her something special so I decided to pick up a bunch of those Whiskas meaty fish pouches. Is that ok for her to eat for a week?

She is a medium sized cat, how many should i give her?