My cat was poisoned. Please help.?

Question

My landlord put snake be gone (or some kind of snake rid product) with 2 boxes of moth balls in the basement about 2 months ago.

There were awful fumes. The cat got extremely ill but then got better over the next month. Now just in the last 2 weeks he doesn't want to eat and he has dropped all kinds of weight. I have been giving him water and wet food by syringe. He uses the box when I put him in it but otherwise he just pees where he lay.

I have called every vet around here and no one will see him without money which is something I don't have right now. They won't even give advice over the phone. Does anyone have any idea what can or who can help. I am in the Wheeling, WV area.

The best solution is always to take him to the vet, so don't mention that. Tell me if you have tried something else at home that has worked.

Answer 1

Snake-A-Way is probably what was used. It's a snake repellant that uses odor to repel snakes. Inducing vomiting is useless, because kitty doesn't EAT the poison, the fumes are what make kitty sick.

It sounds like your landlord is using the stuff in the wrong way. Snake-a-way and other similar products don't poison snakes, they make a band that the snakes can't cross. You're supposed to spread it AROUND your building, on the outside, not put it in the basement! The really bad news is that it's reapplied every three months - so Landlord might be planning a new attack soon.

You've got to get kitty away from the apartment. Do you have family who'd take kitty for a little while? The first step is to get kitty to clean air, as animals are more sensitive than humans. If nothing else, take the cat outside, put it in your car (at a comfortable temperature, if it's hot where you are turn on the AC, if it's cold turn on the heat) as a quick temporary solution while you do the next step --

Talk to your landlord! Explain to the landlord what's going on. Tell him that if the situation isn't resolved soon, Vet bills will be on him! (Say this, even if you don't mean it, because it'll show him that you mean business! No businessperson wants a bad rep, they'll lose business.) Explain to him the right way to use Snake-A-Way. If you search online for "Snake-A-Way" you'll quickly find instructions. It's the most popular snake repellant; there are others but they're all applied in the same way.

Once the repellant is OUT of the basement, the fumes will abate and kitty will probably get better. But, it does sound like he's badly ill, he's been breathing fumes for two months. He really needs medical attention. If your vet won't work on a payment plan, they're not a very good vet! But there is another way.

Take kitty to an animal shelter. Explain the problem. In my experience, the people there really CARE about animals. They'll have a vet on site in most instances. They'll help your cat free or at an immensely reduced price (and usually with payments even then).

Please, take kitty to a shelter and ask them for help. If you don't, your beloved cat is likely to die, even with the snake stuff removed from the building. If there's no shelter, take the cat TO the vet, when they see the condition he's in they should save him first and ask payment later.

Answer 2

If you don't have the money to take care of your pet when it is sick, you shouldn't have the pet in the first place. You are negligent and if your cat doesn't get to a vet soon, it will probably die. You said this happened two months ago and your cat got extremely ill and you did nothing but wait for it to get better? Most vets will allow you to make payments on a bill, which is a lot better than having your pet pass away. Sounds like you are just trying to take the easy way out. If you were that concerned maybe you should have contacted your landlord, explained the situation and made him/her pay for the vet bills.

Answer 3

This is a difficult one. Since you didn't say the cat actually ate the product, I don't feel certain that the fumes would make him this ill. Could be some other disease. You could try to give him activated charcoal capsules to see if this helps leech any poison out of his system. I had a dog that was poisoned, and even after spending 1,000 dollars on vet hospital bills, he still died. I find it extremely sad that a vet won't see him without allowing you to make payments. Best of luck to you. (if you can afford to buy some milk thistle tablets at the health food store, this might help with any liver damage).

Answer 4

It sounds like he is still suffering from the poisons. They could have hurt his kidneys. With him peeing where he lays sounds like a kidney problem. I would make sure you give him plenty of water. You need to contact your landlord and let him know that he is responsible for the vet care since he put the poison out. If people put any poisons (including rat) out and the animal dies and our dogs or cats eat that animal, it is the same as giving the poison to your pet directly. If you have a regular vet, just tell them up front that you need to make payments. The majority will allow you to do that! I wish you the best with your kitty!

Answer 5

I would either try calling poison control, the spca or take him to the vet. Hopefully, they'll act just like a regular hospital and would not deny him/her treatment. Maybe you could work out some sort of payment plan (did your landlord tell you about putting the poison in the basement? I think s/he should pay the vet bill). Regardless, you need to seek treatment for your cat. It is cruel to make him or her continue to suffer.

Answer 6

You can't get the answers you need here. Only a qualified veterinarian can tell you what to do. It is called a diagnosis and it is illegal for me or anyone else to do that without a degree in veterinary medicine.

Sorry. You really need to get him to the vet ASAP. I am a vet tevh and it sounds very serious to me. I am providing a link to a program that may be able to help you afford vet bills. GL.

FYI folks: I have NEVER seen a vet that allows a client to make payments. I have been doing this line of work for 4 years and I have never worked for or heard of one that takes payments. It's the nature of the industry. Whenever they make an exception they get burned so most don't bother at all now.

Answer 7

well you can go to some pet store, and pick up this stuff in a tube..its high protein and keeps them from getting too dehydrated. you could try giving the little guy some gatorade as well..it has electrolytes in it. then if he's not any better within a week after all that, I would take something to the pawn shop and get some money and take him to the vet. I hope the poor thing get's better, I hate to see animals so sick. sorry i couldn't give you more advice, but I hope this helps you some.

Answer 8

Try calling the SPCA in your area. Even though they charge, it is significantly less than what a vet charges. But don't waste a minute, because you are going to lose that kitty soon.

Look at the article in my source list for some ideas, but the best thing to do is find out what the product was and look at the packaging and get your cat to the SPCA fast!!!

Take care and Hurry,
Troy

Answer 9

Sorry to hear about your cat. Are you certain that it was poisoned though? It could have been just a coincidence and your cat was just sick. A few months ago my cat got suddenly ill just like you described and I took her to the vet and she had Feline Leukemia, she was a big healthy cat, and within a month was just horrible. But there is no way to know for sure. Wish I could be more helpful.

Answer 10

I don't know where you live, but I know that at the vet hospital I work at they will be more than happy to give you advice or Dr. opinions over the phone, that may be able to help you. Call 850-878-8800, and ask them. Hope everything gets better.