I am so scared, all my cats are rescued, most from our humane society, and now they are sick and I have limited funds to live on. I feel like such a bad "parent" and wish I could talk to someone about what to do. If they are contagious, I need to be careful where I take them and not expose other cats to them.
2006-06-26 10:25:44 · 11 answers · asked by kittykris2002 3 in Pets ➔ Cats
It is funny how critical people can be without knowing the details. I used to work at the shelter I got them from, and they have gone through turmoil, 6 directors since I was there. The community is hostile towards them and I took the cats that were going to be killed automatically by the director the board fired! Anyway, I appreciate all the great answers, and I know that after losing 4 jobs in non-profits due to funding cuts since 911 and beyond, I am on the path to financial recovery, my cats are older, except for one kitten found in my windowell.
2006-06-26 10:56:23 · update #1
As you can see already there will be quite some aszholes putting you down on this site, sorry for that - just ignore them.
Dont be sad for things you done there, you tried to help and your doing all you can to help the cats, so thats good!
My advice would be to try and not get too emotional over it.
Cats themself can be pretty "cruel", if you were the size of a mouse youd know what I mean.
So try and keep that in mind.
If one of the cats suffers then have it put asleep, if you can get the disease identified then try and get shots for the healthy cats, maybe the local animal shelter can help you.
Dont be sad, you already done all you can which is more other people would do and if they had been on their own your cats wouldnt have survived anyways!
Take it easy :)
2006-06-26 10:37:24 · answer #1 · answered by ganja_claus 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It depends on what kind of illness they have. If it's feline leukemia, you need to get your other cats tested right away, and separate the sick cats from the healthy cats immediately. The virus is incredibly contagious, and it's hard to kill with household cleaners. A cat living in a house with a cat infected with feline leukemia stands at least an 80% chance of catching the disease because it is so incredibly contagious.
If they have FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus), which attacks the immune system similar to the way HIV effects humans, some vets will recommend you euthanize the sick animals, and some won't. There are actually shelters that will take animals with FIV and place them with "foster families" who only take other cats with FIV. This virus is very easily cleaned with household cleaners, and cats who test negative for the virus can be vaccinated against it. A cat living in a house with an FIV+ cat will have a 50% chance of catching the virus if not vaccinated.
2006-06-26 17:33:21 · answer #2 · answered by Luann 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Having rescued a number of cats, and coming from a family who has rescued more, I can sympathsize. And I can see that you're doing your darndest. So there's no need to call yourself a 'bad parent'.
A lot of vets are willing to work with pet owners in straits like yours. What you want to do is isolate the sick animals from the healthy and take them to the vet ASAP. It's best to call ahead of time and explain the situation. Watch the others closely to make sure they haven't also fallen ill.
If your sick kitties obviously are not enjoying life, it would indeed be kinder to put them to sleep so they won't suffer. Although I did know one cat who had feline leukemia (dormant) that actually enjoyed himself quite thoroughly before he was overwhelmed and had to be put down. It's up to you to decide that.
You may not have to euthenize all your cats: It depends on the disease in question. But for a while there were a bunch of cats outside that my parents cared for, until some other cat strayed through with feline leukemia or distemper. All the outside cats (except for one) died.
Good luck!
2006-06-26 19:23:13 · answer #3 · answered by Tigger 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Absolutely not-what you should do is quarantine the sick cats until you can get them to the vet (which should be within the next day or two if you know that they're sick). Euthanasia is a last resort only: it is inhumane to euthanize an animal simply because they are old or if they have only been exposed to an illness. If the illness is contagious, you need to have all of your cats screened for the suspected illness.
2006-06-26 19:13:02 · answer #4 · answered by Aubri M 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you adopted your cats recently, there are some vets that will give a free first exam to adopted shelter cats or kittens if you bring their paperwork in with them. If you can't get a free exam, at least call your local vet and talk to them. You won't get charged for just asking a few questions and they may know what it is and how to treat it...who knows...it may just be a quick $15 pill.
If you can't take care of them and you think that what they have may or may not be deadly, I would put your cats on an adoption site or start searching the web for a "no-kill" shelter in your area that would be able to treat them and then adopt them out.
2006-06-26 17:33:08 · answer #5 · answered by nofx_18_19 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you're talking about FIV or FeLuk, there are tests that the vet can do to see if they have it. A cat that has FIV or FeLuk can live happily, you will just have to make sure it's not exposed to other cats who don't have it. If it is distemper, that is a bit more serious. Even if you are on limited funds, you should be able to get your pets low cost vet care through a shelter or humane society. Good luck, and I hope they're ok. Don't blame yourself, just do what you can to get them better!
2006-06-26 17:32:17 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should find out what is wrong with them before you decide to euthanize them. If they by chance have FIV or Leukemia, then chances are you may have to euthanize them, but you also may not. I have a cat that tested positive for FIV about 4 years ago, he's never been sick. We had him tested after my neighbors cat died from FIV because they were always fighting. We keep him confined, we built a cage off of the window of the house and he goes outside and lays around in his cage, he has a huge tree trunk to climb and he seems very content. So sometimes they can have it and not get sick. You should check with the SPCA that you adopted them from to see if they test their cats for these two diseases before they adopt them out. If not, you should tell them your concerns and perhaps they can help with the cost of the tests.
2006-06-26 17:30:38 · answer #7 · answered by chessapeke 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like you weren't ready for a cat in the first place, much less multiple cats if you're on a tight budget. They may be cute, but it's a living creature and needs money at unexpected intervals in life. (Just like kids, but not as bad)
You need to suck it up, and get whatever the cats need. You decided to own this cat, and at the same time decided to be binded to the cat. Get a second job, borrow money, finance it.
You made a commitment, and need to take responsibility.
2006-06-26 17:42:52 · answer #8 · answered by steveo3k 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should have opnly taken on the cats you could support. Why have more than you can feed or get medical attention to? That wasn't fair to the cats. Maybe you need to take some back, and then you can feed and take to the vet those that are sick.
2006-06-26 17:31:12 · answer #9 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This could be the answer to your prayers. Eat the cats so that way you do not have to buy any food and you will have more money to leave off of.
2006-06-26 17:29:14 · answer #10 · answered by God 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋