Feral cat cold?

Question

One of the feral cats outside seems to have a really bad cold or the flu. He's lovely and still comes for a stroke warily but when he purrs he's all blocked up, keeps sneezing, has stuff running from an eye and his nose. We can't catch him to take him to the vets as he goes balistic. Mum says he might also be put down if taken to the vets. Will he? And what can we do to help. We've given warm milk, blankets covering a hot water bottle etc. Any info wanted. Thanx

Can you really catch cat flu????? Crap-I'm in trouble...

I've been stroking him and cuddling him-i'm going to die... *gulps* :D

Answer 1

He may have one of the feline cold viruses, and he really should have antibiotics, but I fully understand if you have been unable to catch him. Been there, done that!

First of all, let me assure you that this is NOT contagious to humans! People on here who say it is are simply wrong. I know this because our adopted stray had a virus 2 months ago, and because my son was concerned I did check with the vet and was told no, it is not contagious to humans. He is very contagious to other cats though.

I would tell you to coax him with something especially yummy to eat that has a strong smell, think tuna or sardines, but if his nose is plugged, he won't be able to smell it. That's actually one of the main problems with this type of illness, a cat won't eat what a cat can't smell, and they will sometimes starve to death. They also get dehydrated because they can't breathe well enough to be able to drink anything.

The best advice I can give you is just to grab him and wrap him in a towel or blanket, whatever it takes to get him into a cat carrier and to the vets. He really needs to be seen if at all possible, and you need to be prepared to also get a pill down him every day for 10 days or so. Believe me I know how difficult it is, we have just finished 2 courses of antibiotics for our 2 cats, and I think all of us were exhausted afterward! I don't think they will put him down unless he's too far gone, unless you give permission.

Just do your best and good luck to you.

Answer 2

You can not catch a cold or flu from the cat but other cats can. Be sure to wash your hands after petting it. It would be best for the cat to be seen by a vet. If you can get it into a cage, keep the cage somewhere quiet and covered with a blanket. Make sure the cage is strong (not cardboard) or it will escape. Tell the vet it is feral. They won't put it down unless it is very necessary. Hopefully they can give something to make the cat better......you don't want other cats to get sick. Also, look for a cat rescue organization in your area. They can help and might cover the cost of the vet. Good luck!

Answer 3

If this isn't already a heavily progressed level of disease, he has at a minimum a terrible upper respiratory infection. The only way to treat this is via a veterinarian. You may be able to talk your vet into giving you medication you can use for this feral cat, but generally speaking most vets will not prescribe medicine for animals they haven't seen. This fellow needs some antibiotics, and he needs them right away.

If he continues on like this, the infection will most likely weaken him to a state where he can no longer eat or keep himself hydrated and he will die. I wish there was a better answer for you.

You can try calling your local humane society - oftentimes there will be someone who is familiar with the feral cats in your area and is available to help you treat them.

Good luck, and thank you for caring for this fellow!

Answer 4

You're not going to get sick, stop worrying.
Now, this cat has an infection and needs antibiotics. You can get them from your vet or a local farm store.
Mix about half a capsule in some canned cat food or some other soft food he might like.
The vet won't put him down just for this, he might give him a shot though.
Don't give him anymore milk, it actually makes cats sick.
If you can hold him, you can wash out his eyes with warm water and then put Neosporin or some other triple antibiotic ointment in his eyes. He won't like it, but it will help him.
good luck, you are very kind hearted.

Answer 5

Firstly u can't catch cat flu, d only ting u can do is make sure he alwayz has a drink & bcoz his nose is blocked u need 2 leave him out smellyfood (tuna, salmon), in 60% of cases d cat will actually die(if not taken 2 vet) but ive had a few dat recovered

Answer 6

Look in your area for an animal love foundation or PETA, also find out if there are vets that are involved in helping feral cats. Then try and get the cat medication for his cold and if you feed him give him frskis with gravy. Crush the pill really find, grind it and mix it in with just a half of the normal amount you feed it. When the bowl is empty then give him more. You might have to do this twice a day for about 7-10 days and watch the cat for any reactons/improvements. If the cat does not respond he/she is really sick and needs help from the human society or animal love. There are feral cat organizations all over the US and Canada that have ways of helping these cats try and locate them, they have alot of knowelge on feral cats. God bless you for being so kind to stray animals. I feed the strays in my area but can't let any in as I own two cats and theyr'e really terretorial but also do what I can to help the cats in my neighbourhood. It breaks my heart that there are so many strays out there. Good luck

Answer 7

It needs antibiotics, but if you will not trap him for a trip to the vet, where they could give him and injection, then he either has to get over it, or not.
Those are the choices. Even if the vet saw the cat, they might give a liquid and you could try and see if the cat would eat the medication in the canned food.

Answer 8

He does need antibiotics, you could contact your local cat protection league and ask if they will help you catch it with a trap. If you are willing to have the cat back and continue feeding him, he won't be put to sleep.
Cow's milk isn't good for cats but any fluid he is drinking is good. See if he will eat some pilchards in tomato sauce, when their noses block up and they can't smell the food they tend not to eat, so something really smelly like the pilchards might work. feral cats generally have strong fighting will power so he'll probably be OK.x

Answer 9

Hi there...cat flu or feline upper respiratory infections (URI) is not contagious to humans only to other cats because it is a species-specific virus so if you have other pet cats you need to thoroughly wash up before touching your own cats as you could infect them.

Most feral rescues will capture a cat and place them into a pillow case to transport them to a veterinary hospital. Most veterinary hospitals will work with ferals, but you need to contact them in advance to learn what their practicing policies are with regards to feral cat care. If they are unable to assist you consider asking them who can as they generally know who performs feral cat veterinary care.

This kitty truly needs to be seen by a veterinarian to be evaluated and treated with antibiotics for the secondary infections as a result of the upper respiratory infections (URI). Giving allergy medications will not resolve this problem only antibiotics. Left untreated the URI can become life-threatening.

Feline Upper Respiratory Infections: http://www.marvistavet.com/html/feline_upper_respiratory.html

Furthermore, please take away the milk because cats are lactose intolerant and suffer bowel distresses such as diarrhoea and this can dehydrate cats quickly especially when their health is already compromised. See http://www.peteducation.com:80/article.cfm?cls=0&cat=1276&articleid=1183 Only offer fresh water for cats since they need this especially when ill or injured.

Answer 10

Yes..they can catch the cat flu and it can be very serious. Try animal handling gloves to grab him.