Help! Cat refusing to move much....

Linc-thra wrote:
He is normally an active cat, and with the other cats we have they are kept
moving generally. However, today he laid in the same spot all day. He didn't
even move when I picked him up (which is unusual as he doesn't really like
being picked up). The most he will do is maybe roll over or lift his head. He
hasn't eaten or drank anything I've tried to give him in the last 2 hours
either. When one of the other cats pawed at him, he didn't even react.

I've also noticed that every once in a while he will tremble slightly.

His eyes are clean, no problems there and there doesn't seem to be any
problems with his feces or nose.

Any help would be greatly apprechiated as I cannot afford to take him to the
vet, and will have to choose between keeping my cat healthy or keeping my
place to live if it comes down to that.

-Lincthra

You really need to take him to a vet, despite finances. Pay via cc now
& worry about paying it next month, or make a payment program deal with
the vet if s/he is amenable to that option.

He sounds definitely ill, & no one here can tell, esp. via the
internet, what is causing his extreme lethargy. He stands a better
chance if taken in to the vet ASAP (tonight) & being diagnosed &
treated, Vs. waiting because of worrying about the resultant bill.

Cathy

Anna via CatKB.com wrote:
In regard to your cat, you have 3 options:

Get him treated at a vet.
Euthanize him and spare him a slow death.
Let him waste away and wonder what happened.

The last one is *never* an option - it's criminal.


It isn't one for me, but sadly, it is one for many people, and I think
that includes the original poster. As badly as the cat sounded, I
suspect he may already be dead.

I was hoping they would realize just how bad that option does sound,
when said straight out, and haul ass to the vet.

Even Jasper was in better condition than that the night he died.
Unfortunately, we didn't have a 24 hour vet back then. I was hoping he
would last til morning so that I could be sitting in the parking lot
waiting for the vet to arrive. But he died at 3:06 am. And it wasn't
peaceful. He had been improving and seemed fine when I left for work at
2pm. It doesn't take long for something to happen, and it was obvious
when I got home at 11pm that he was near death. I would give anything
to have been off work that day so that I could see the change before it
was too late.

I don't understand how people can see it, know something is very wrong,
and not do something about it.

Joe Canuck wrote:
PawsForThought wrote:
whayface wrote:
My babies
http://members.aol.com/larrystark/

Your babies are adorable


Yes, I noticed one of them is wearing glasses. Someone was asking about
that in here a while back.

:-D

LMAO!

"Linc-thra" u18623@uwe wrote in message news:5bb57cc3f1630@uwe...
He is normally an active cat, and with the other cats we have they are
kept
moving generally. However, today he laid in the same spot all day. He
didn't
even move when I picked him up (which is unusual as he doesn't really like
being picked up). The most he will do is maybe roll over or lift his head.
He
hasn't eaten or drank anything I've tried to give him in the last 2 hours
either. When one of the other cats pawed at him, he didn't even react.

I've also noticed that every once in a while he will tremble slightly.

His eyes are clean, no problems there and there doesn't seem to be any
problems with his feces or nose.

Any help would be greatly apprechiated as I cannot afford to take him to
the
vet, and will have to choose between keeping my cat healthy or keeping my
place to live if it comes down to that.

-Lincthra

Have to imagine that if you took on a part time job that you could afford to
take care of your cat and wouldn't have to choose between his health and
your place to live.

I have had a second job for 27 years. Dedicated income for the animal lives
I chose to take on.

It isn't one for me, but sadly, it is one for many people, and I think
that includes the original poster. As badly as the cat sounded, I
suspect he may already be dead.
I was hoping they would realize just how bad that option does sound,
when said straight out, and haul ass to the vet.

Sorry! - I didn't mean that they way it sounded - I didn't think this was
something you would do; I just wanted the person to know it would be very bad
to do this just in case she didn't listen to you, but it came out looking
like I was talking to you. I understand it was to get her/him to get going
to vet. I don't understand why people have time to ask questions on the
Internet when they're pet is doing very badly when it would take just as much
time if not less to pick up the phone and call the vet. Those posts are
upsetting; then they don't come back and let you know if all is okay.

So sorry about your Jasper. They can go so fast, can't they? One minute
their fine, the next they're not. One of mine blocked up one night but he
acted *totally* normal during the day and even ate dinner (apparently they're
not supposed to be hungry when this happens). The way it works here is we
call the vet's # after hours and the Nurse's Registry answers; they page vet
and she/he calls you. We explain problem and they let us know if it's
emergency or not, then meet us at clinic. The only thing I don't like is
they tell you on the phone that it will be a lot more because it is after
hours. That could cause some people to not bring their pet in but maybe they
have to tell you(?) Maybe people have freaked out when they found out later
or refused to pay. They even had to do up an estimate before they started; I
didn't care how much it cost, but again they probably had to to find out
first if the fee would be something I was willing to pay due to the fact that
other customers may have refused to pay afterward.

Anna

--
Message posted via CatKB.com
http://www.catkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx...ealth/200602/1

Anna via CatKB.com wrote:

Sorry! - I didn't mean that they way it sounded - I didn't think this was
something you would do;

That's okay. I was kinda vague when I wrote it. I meant for that option
to sound offensive, but I didn't actually say it was offensive. So, I
wasn't sure if it came across that I thought it was a valid option.


to vet. I don't understand why people have time to ask questions on the
Internet when they're pet is doing very badly when it would take just as much
time if not less to pick up the phone and call the vet. Those posts are
upsetting; then they don't come back and let you know if all is okay.

Yes, and most vets have a message with a number to the nearest 24 hour
vet. I realize many small towns do not have 24 hour vets, but calling
one in another city would be better than waiting at the computer.

So sorry about your Jasper. They can go so fast, can't they? One minute
their fine, the next they're not.

Yes, it was a whirlwind with Jasper. My mom found him by the side of
the road, injured. So, she took him to the local vet. She came home and
told me about this wonderful cat. He had a head injure, yet he was
still purring and buttinghis head into my mom's hands. I was in love
before I saw him. He just sounded like an awesome cat.

A few of my mom's friends helped us pay the vet bill (over $700) so
that we could keep him. We had a sign up at the vet's office, but he
really looked like a stray, severly underweight.

When he came home, he was such a sweetheart. He had to be in pain still
and his balance was messed up. He was blinded in one eye as well as
having a broken jaw, swollen sinues, etc. He was also very gross if you
looked or smelled too much. His fur was still matted with blood in it.
His jaw was wired open, so his food and drool was just hanging off his
mouth. I had some dry heaves while cleaning him, and I could not eat
while sitting with him. But I would sit and read with him on my lap,
and I brushed him a lot to clean up his coat.

His improvement was immense, and things were going great. Then he got
sick, vomiting his food, and having diarhea. He was back at the vet a
couple times the week he died, and he seemed to clear up and was
getting better again.

Unfortunately, I do not know what really killed him. At the time, we
thought that maybe he had a pre-existing illness, or maybe a missed
injury. Or just the change in diet messed up his system, and being so
underweight, he couldn't get through it.

But last year, I made a horrific discovery. You see, our old first aid
book for cats recommends pepto bismal. When his diarhea hit, we used
it. But we didn't know that pepto bismal has changed. It now has an
ingredient that is dangerous to cats. So, it is possible that this is
what killed him, and there is no way to know for sure. It was like
losing him all over again, to realize that I may have caused it.

I chucked that book, and I will never ever give anything that is not
recommended by a vet currently. I don't ever want to make a mistake
like that again.

It's strange. That whole experience with Jasper lasted less than 3
weeks. Yet, he left a huge impression on me. He was the sweetest cat,
very brave (he never backed down from his fears), and he was such a
joy. My mom named him Jasper because it means "hidden treasure". It fit
since a wonderful cat was hidden under the matted fur, drool, and gross
looking injuries. And he really was a treasure.

His greatest legacy to me was showing me that my decisions to euthanize
my cats and dogs when the time is right, is not something that I should
ever doubt or feel guilty about. I had felt guilty about making the
decision with Fiona and Seusy, always wishing they could have died at
home, peacefully, in my arms. With Jasper, I learned that it isn't
always peaceful. He died at home, and in my arms, but it wasn't
peaceful. Fiona and Seusy (and later Maynard) were euthanized. It may
not have been at home, but they were in my arms, and they were
peaceful. Much much better than letting it happen naturally. Those
decisions don't bother me like they used to. Strangely, Jasper's death,
the worst day of my life, gave me peace about the others. That helped
me a lot when Maynard had liver failure last May, and I know it will
help me in the future as I plan to have multiple animals the rest of my
life.


One of mine blocked up one night but he
acted *totally* normal during the day and even ate dinner (apparently they're
not supposed to be hungry when this happens). The way it works here is we
call the vet's # after hours and the Nurse's Registry answers; they page vet
and she/he calls you. We explain problem and they let us know if it's
emergency or not, then meet us at clinic.

10 years ago, our vet just gave a number of a 24 hour vet phone
service. I called that once when Kira was messing with her stitches. I
don't know when the 24 hour vets started up. My sister's vet has been
24 hour for at least a year. I took Kira to a 24 hour vet 3 or 4 years
ago. I believe they are actually closed during regular business hours
and open on weekends, holidays, and overnight. When you get there, you
ring the doorbell, and they come down and let you in, They must have an
apartment upstairs for the vet people.


The only thing I don't like is
they tell you on the phone that it will be a lot more because it is after
hours. That could cause some people to not bring their pet in but maybe they
have to tell you(?) Maybe people have freaked out when they found out later
or refused to pay. They even had to do up an estimate before they started; I
didn't care how much it cost, but again they probably had to to find out
first if the fee would be something I was willing to pay due to the fact that
other customers may have refused to pay afterward.


I think they are required to. What bothers me is how some of them
really raise the rates. My sister's vet charges double on Saturdays and
triple on Sundays. I don't know what it is overnight.

The 24 hour vet that I went to is much better in regard to price. They
charge a $25 emergency fee, and then everything else is regular price,
and it's pretty reasonable. So, when I took Kira on Easter Sunday, They
did an exam, gave her a shot since she was dehydrated, and she went
home feeling much better. The massage part of the exam seemed to do the
trick. And it only cost me $82 which was less than I expected. The same
thing at my sister's vet would have cost at least $150.

I suspect hearing that even the medication is double or triple would
probably cause some people to not come in. If that was my only option,
I'd do it. But I would feel pretty cheated paying triple for
medication. I think the emergency fee + standard pricing is much more
fair. I understand paying extra, but I think double and triple on
everything is taking advantage.

having a broken jaw, swollen sinues, etc. He was also very gross if you
looked or smelled too much. His fur was still matted with blood in it.
His jaw was wired open, so his food and drool was just hanging off his

Your mom was an angel for stopping; most people would have just driven by him.
And to take him to vet and pay for his recovery was great of all of you.

But last year, I made a horrific discovery. You see, our old first aid
book for cats recommends pepto bismal. When his diarhea hit, we used
it. But we didn't know that pepto bismal has changed. It now has an
ingredient that is dangerous to cats. So, it is possible that this is
what killed him, and there is no way to know for sure. It was like
losing him all over again, to realize that I may have caused it.

Not your fault if that's what happened; you had no way of knowing it had
changed. I tried to use this once a few years ago (don't know when the
formula changed) but my cat freaked out as soon as the syringe of it touched
her mouth and I didn't go ahead with it although a small bit got in her mouth.
I was just lucky that she became hysterical just in case it had changed
formula by then. If she had stayed calm I would have given her much more.

His greatest legacy to me was showing me that my decisions to euthanize
my cats and dogs when the time is right, is not something that I should
ever doubt or feel guilty about. I had felt guilty about making the

Now you have peace of mind about euthanization because of Jasper; he left you
with that.

fair. I understand paying extra, but I think double and triple on
everything is taking advantage.

Yup, I'm pretty sure the fee was triple because it was Sunday. I do know the
bill was $700.00 and that was after giving us a deal - they took one day's
stay off the bill. Thank goodness for Visa!

Anna

--
Message posted via http://www.catkb.com

Anna via CatKB.com wrote:

Your mom was an angel for stopping; most people would have just driven by him.
And to take him to vet and pay for his recovery was great of all of you.


She's awesome. And she passed along the animal lover gene When she
took him to the vet, she wasn't planning to keep him, but he left such
an impression, that she went back to visit him, and talked about him,
and that was all it took. We couldn't let him go to a stranger, so we
paid the bill and brought him home.


But last year, I made a horrific discovery. You see, our old first aid
book for cats recommends pepto bismal. When his diarhea hit, we used
it. But we didn't know that pepto bismal has changed. It now has an
ingredient that is dangerous to cats. So, it is possible that this is
what killed him, and there is no way to know for sure. It was like
losing him all over again, to realize that I may have caused it.

Not your fault if that's what happened; you had no way of knowing it had
changed. I tried to use this once a few years ago (don't know when the
formula changed) but my cat freaked out as soon as the syringe of it touched
her mouth and I didn't go ahead with it although a small bit got in her mouth.
I was just lucky that she became hysterical just in case it had changed
formula by then. If she had stayed calm I would have given her much more.


I know it wasn't my fault. But I still feel bad that this could have
been what killed him, and he'd be alive today if I had done an internet
check before doing it. If that was what killed him, his death could
have been prevented. I was actually about to do it again with Jay Jay
less than a week after I got him. I bought the bottle of pepto and did
an internet check to determine the dosage. I found several posts
mentioning the change in ingredients. I was relieved to catch it before
I did, terrified to learn that I came so close to harming Jay Jay, and
horrified to learn that I might have killed Jasper. I spent the night
crying and took Jay Jay to the vet the next day. They gave me something
that was safe and worked.


Now you have peace of mind about euthanization because of Jasper; he left you
with that.

Yes, he really helped me with Maynard. I felt so much better about
letting Maynard go. And went as ideally as possible. Just relaxed.


fair. I understand paying extra, but I think double and triple on
everything is taking advantage.

Yup, I'm pretty sure the fee was triple because it was Sunday. I do know the
bill was $700.00 and that was after giving us a deal - they took one day's
stay off the bill. Thank goodness for Visa!


Ouch!!!

I understand that Sunday is a premium day, but most other businesses do
not charge extra for Sunday. Imagine paying triple for your groceries
or gas on Sundays. I am so lucky to have found an emergency vet that
only charges $25 premium. I wish they all did something like that.

wrote in message
oups.com...
I was actually about to do it again with Jay Jay
less than a week after I got him. I bought the bottle of pepto and did
an internet check to determine the dosage.

Why didn't you consult the vet?

I don't understand why people are so carefree about this stuff.

Ryan Robbins wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...
I was actually about to do it again with Jay Jay
less than a week after I got him. I bought the bottle of pepto and did
an internet check to determine the dosage.

Why didn't you consult the vet?

I don't understand why people are so carefree about this stuff.

Did you miss the part about the vet book?

It was in a book written by a vet, and it used to be a common practice
with no problem. Do you call the vet every time you give a dose of
hairball remedy? Do you call your own doctor every time you take an
antacid?

This was something that used to be okay. My mom used it many times over
the years. She got out the book, it said how much to give, and we did
it.

How many people would expect the ingredients to change? The stuff has
worked for years. Why would the company change it? And to change in a
way that would make it dangerous to cats?

It was only when I couldn't find the book that I looked online for the
dosage and I learned about the change in ingredients. Jay Jay went to
the vet the next morning.

I was never carefree about anything. Iwas told he had diarhea and asked
to pick up some pepto. I wanted to check the dosage for a larger cat,
and I learned that my previous knowledge was outdated.

If you have been told to use something with your cat, and a couple
years later, the cat has the same simple problem, do you call the vet
again? Or do you do what you know works?