Sorry To Be Mia...

[RissaRoo]

Sorry to be MIA lately...I have had a tough couple of weeks. Right now, my little kitty (7 mos old) is very sick and we are trying to keep her going. I'm not sure how it's going to turn out...she won't eat or drink and has already racked up quite a bit in vet bills. We could use some prayers...I am really exhausted and sort of feeling thrown back to last year, when my oldest kid was sick...I know it's just a cat, but it's sort of bringing back the feelings from last year (it happened at the same time of year, so that doesn't help). Don't know if I'm making any sense here...I've been up for 3 nights in a row with either the cat or a distraught child, so I'm a little loopy. Anyway, I doubt I'll get a menu posted because we're not organized at all this week. If anyone knows how to get a sick cat to eat and drink, I'd LOVE to hear it!

[purple]

Sorry to be MIA lately...I have had a tough couple of weeks. Right now, my little kitty (7 mos old) is very sick and we are trying to keep her going. I'm not sure how it's going to turn out...she won't eat or drink and has already racked up quite a bit in vet bills. We could use some prayers...I am really exhausted and sort of feeling thrown back to last year, when my oldest kid was sick...I know it's just a cat, but it's sort of bringing back the feelings from last year (it happened at the same time of year, so that doesn't help). Don't know if I'm making any sense here...I've been up for 3 nights in a row with either the cat or a distraught child, so I'm a little loopy. Anyway, I doubt I'll get a menu posted because we're not organized at all this week. If anyone knows how to get a sick cat to eat and drink, I'd LOVE to hear it!

I am not a vet but I have given our cat probiotics before. Just break one open and try to give the kitty a little in food or drink or with a dropper and squirt it down his throat. Sorry about the sick kitty, I will pray for him.

[Puddy]

Awww...sorry about your kitty, Rissa. I'm not a cat owner so have no advice, but will think good thoughts that she gets better soon.

[GlutenGalAZ]

Sorry to hear about your cat.

I do not own any cats -- but I have two dogs.

When we lived in CA our vet said at one time we could give our little dog Pedialyte (near the baby formula) since he wasn't feeling well and didn't really want water (said not to do Gatorade).

Last year our Lab got really sick we couldn't get him to eat any type of dog food (hard food or can) so we gave him some Bologna so he woudn't loose anymore weight (helped ease him back into eating). Then we figured out some yummy safe human foods that he could eat for a while till got back to dog food.

I am not really sure about cats but what about can tuna??

Hope your cat gets better and you can get some sleep soon

GOOD LUCK!

[jerseyangel]

I'm so sorry to hear about your kitty being sick, Rissa I've had luck with mixing a bit of food with either the water from tuna or some chicken broth. Make sure she gets water, though. You can even use an eye dropper for that, just to get some into her.

Don't worry about posting menus or anything right now--we'll look forward to them again when you're up to it. I'll keep you and kitty in my thoughts

[Jestgar]

You can try baby food. Make sure it has no onions or garlic. Try putting a little in his mouth. Cats need to have food in their bodies, so even swallowing a mouthful a few times a day will help.

[DMarie]

I am sorry to hear about your kitty. I will prayer that all turns out well. I do not have cats, but do have two dogs - so I know how that is when they are sick. I am thinking a dropper to get a few drops at a time of fluid (perhaps the pedialyte as suggested) would be what I would try.

[Cheri A]

((Rissa)) sorry to hear about your sick kitty. I hope she gets better soon! I've never been a cat owner, but I know how attached I am to my dog. Take care!!

[ravenwoodglass]

You may want to try some kitty formula, usually available in pet depts. Another thing if she is not eating and drinking at all is to get a 'liquidy' food from your vet along with a syringe. You can use them to 'force feed' your little one. Your vet will show you how if needed. I had a kitty who basically had his face broken in half by a car and while he was wired up we used the syringe and slurry to keep him fed until he would eat on his own.

You've gotten a lot of really good suggestions so hopefully one will work. I hope he is better soon.

[RissaRoo]

Aw, guys...thanks so much for your support and your ideas! Kitty is much better now!!! I can't believe she made it...we were pretty sure she was a goner. I *think* she was poisoned with green tomatoes/tomato vines...the only account I could find of that sort of poisoning pretty much described exactly what she was going through. I am hoping that was it, because we can certainly keep her away from green tomatoes but if it was some other internal foul-up and happens again...well, kitty has pretty much exceeded her lifetime vet allowance so I'm not sure what will happen.

I ended up force feeding her mushed up prescription cat food mixed with water from a syringe. I fed her water and pedialite that way, too, but she threw up the pedialyte. She didn't fight the watered down cat food as bad, and she took food for awhile that way and kept it down. I cooked her a chicken breast after she'd kept some food down and she ate it! She wouldn't take water until yesterday, but I mixed everything she ate with water to try and keep her hydrated. Today she seem almost normal....playing and eating and drinking. Thank God!

I had no idea how involved all this could be...I spent the whole week dealing with the kitty and now have a TON of things to catch up on. I'm so glad she's OK, though...she really is just such a sweet little cat. Let's hope we're out of the woods and can put this behind us...after an overnight stay, IV fluids, blood tests, urine tests, an ultra sound, prescription food, two anti-nausea shots and a pain killing shot, the cat looks like she's been attacked by a porcupine and my wallet looks even worse!

Moral of this story: DON'T let your animals anywhere near green tomatoes of tomato vines! They can be deadly. I had no idea...this kitty has a habit of eating things, especially leaves, that she shouldn't. But if you bring your green tomatoes indoors to ripen (as I did) make sure they are not where an animal can get to them!

[jerseyangel]

Wow! I'm really happy to hear that kitty is on the road to recovery

Thanks for the warning about the tomato vines--

[Jestgar]

I'm glad it turned out ok.

[Cheri A]

Glad that she is doing better. Hope you have a much better week!!