Rescue cat symptoms

IMPORTANT: If your cat is in any distress or discomfort, please consult your own vet as your first priority.
Post Reply
emmab
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 403
Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2014 7:36 am

Rescue cat symptoms

Post by emmab »

We went to our local cat refuge yesterday to adopt a cat and found one! Bad news is that the centre has had a problem with cat flu and some of the cats have suffered with colds. We have chosen a cat. He is lovely and was very affectionate with us and seems very content. However when we went to see him with the lady who runs the place she thought he also looks like he may have been a little unwell yesterday. However he was very active and affectionate. We could not see anything obvious to suggest cat flu but she did and said she would get the refuge vet to look at him. They did say he was overweight when he came in and has lost quite a bit of weight whilst there but said they thought that was due to stress as the other cats made sure he was lower in the pecking order and did bully him a little. We did note that he was drinking a little more than normal which did concern us slightly and noted he did sneeze once.. Last night she emailed me to say the vet said he has a temperature and has been taken to the vets for bloods. He is 18 months old. Do these symptoms tie up with cat flu as to me it sounds more like diabetes or renal failure. I know renal failure mainly affects older cats but can happen in young cats too. However, I was not sure though that a fever would be in line with diabetes or renal problems? Cat flu shows reduced drinking in cats not more.
So to summarise....temperature. increased drinking, sneezing??? and maybe weight loss (stress).
OHWS
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 115
Joined: Sun Jan 10, 2016 8:22 pm

Re: Rescue cat symptoms

Post by OHWS »

.
Last edited by OHWS on Sun Nov 27, 2016 12:51 am, edited 2 times in total.
User avatar
Kay
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 1961
Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2014 2:50 pm
No. of cats in household: 1
Location: West Wales

Re: Rescue cat symptoms

Post by Kay »

it would be very unusual for an 18 month old cat to have diabetes or renal failure, so I would not worry about either of those conditions at the moment

a mild dose of cat flu is much more likely - trust the rescue's vet and see how he is in a few days - he's young and you have many years ahead to have him home with you, so a little patience now is nothing really, though I doubt I would take that advice myself!!
emmab
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 403
Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2014 7:36 am

Re: Rescue cat symptoms

Post by emmab »

I think Diabetes or renal failure is a long shot. There is a cold virus going around there atm and they think it is that. However, will this affect him long term if it is...ie prone to colds etc? this is not the flv virus is it? I know with that it is a different kettle of fish. It was just the qeight loss that threw me a little but they seemed to suggest it was stress rather than an illness. I am waiting for a response today but if it is a cold I cannot pick him up for a couple of weeks. We have another cat we are introducing him to so do not want to bring any nasties into the house for her.
User avatar
Ruth B
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 1998
Joined: Wed Jun 15, 2016 11:31 am
No. of cats in household: 3
Location: Wolverhampton

Re: Rescue cat symptoms

Post by Ruth B »

While I would very much doubt it being diabetes or kidney failure, a blood test can easily rule those out. I think it is far more likely that a dose of the common cold is doiing the rounds at the refuge and they are being responsible by getting them seen by a vet and warning potential adopters.

Like in humans cats can get colds and flu, and while a lot of people will refer to the slightlest sniffle as flu there is actually a big difference. If you are sneezing all the time you are loosing a lot of fluids that way so being thirsty is normal and it is a good thing that he is wanting to replace the fluids himself and drinking more.

When I was a child we had a cat adopt us, he was in rather a state to start with, starving, covered in parasites, and several wounds and abscesses from fighting. He was nursed back to health, and neutered, then he got cat flu. Not just a simple cold the full on cat flu, to the stage where he went out one night to curl up under a bush and die, (we couldn't keep him in he would NEVER use a litter tray, even one filled with soil, I think he would have let his bladder rupture rather than going in the house). My mother decided that he wasn't going to be allowed to die after all the money spent on getting him well. She dragged him back in and started to pipette fluids into him every two hours like he was a kitten. The vet said afterwards that a lot of the time dehydration is what kills a cat with cat flu more so than the virus itself. Sam survived into his late teens afterwards.

The one question I have is your current cat vaccinated, if not then I would advise getting them done, it will help protect them from any residual germs that might be introduced, where you have one illness doing the rounds it leaves the cats (or people) vulnerable to other diseases while there bodies are recovering . While I fully agree that not bringing home a sick cat is a good idea, don't forget that bacteria and viruses can be carried on skin, clothing, shoes etc, so unless someone runs a full decontamination whenever they enter or leave a house then even a house bound cat should be vaccinated.

I really don't think you have anything to worry about, just be patient and in a couple of weeks the cat you want should be happy and healthy and make you a wonderful pet for many years to come.
emmab
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 403
Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2014 7:36 am

Re: Rescue cat symptoms

Post by emmab »

Thank you all. Yes Gémo is vaccinated and is done so every year so all is well there. At least they have highlighted the fact although we suspected something when we visited him yesterday. It is good they are being safe and are aware of the problem.
LittlePenBigHeart
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 143
Joined: Sat May 07, 2016 9:07 pm

Re: Rescue cat symptoms

Post by LittlePenBigHeart »

Definitely sounds like cat flu to me. Bubbles was ill with it when we were going to adopt him and it was a month before we could bring him home because he was so poorly. :cry:

Your cat will likely be fine in a week or two, with treatment, but bear in mind that once a cat has had cat flu, they can be more prone to it after that so you'll need to keep an eye out for sneezes, weepy eyes, etc. It can also cause long-term problems with their sinuses. Nothing serious but Bubbles always snored REALLY loudly because he'd had it about 4 times when he was young, lol!
emmab
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 403
Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2014 7:36 am

Re: Rescue cat symptoms

Post by emmab »

I have brought him home! Friday night he stayed at the vets and had some bloods taken. They were all normally and yesterday is temperature was down to normal. He has been very stressed at the refuge as the other cats have been ganging up on him a little. He seems absolutely normal and is in his won room for the next week or so whilst he settles in.
User avatar
MarySkater
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 564
Joined: Sat Nov 14, 2015 8:47 pm
No. of cats in household: 2
Location: Dumfries, SW Scotland

Re: Rescue cat symptoms

Post by MarySkater »

emmab wrote:He has been very stressed at the refuge as the other cats have been ganging up on him a little.
I wondered about this in your first post, since apparently the shelter cats all live in a large group. In any British cat shelter I've seen, the cats are housed individually, or maybe in pairs if they get on together. Having to compete for resources in a "pack" must have been extra stressful for your boy, and I'm sure he'll be much happier with you. Good luck to all of you (you, the new cat and your resident cat).
emmab
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 403
Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2014 7:36 am

Re: Rescue cat symptoms

Post by emmab »

Thankyou. He is so affectionate and settling in a treat. We are in France and yes they do house them in bigger groups however there are some that are individually caged mainly after vet treatment like neutering etc. He is so happy, I cannot wait to have him wandering around the house with our other cat.
User avatar
Ruth B
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 1998
Joined: Wed Jun 15, 2016 11:31 am
No. of cats in household: 3
Location: Wolverhampton

Re: Rescue cat symptoms

Post by Ruth B »

Glad to hear you have him home and he is settling in well.

I think in the UK it depends on the charity, in the larger ones the cats are kept in separate pens but some of the smaller ones seem to keep them in a large group. I've know a couple, including the last one i got my two juniors from that keep most of the cats together and they have the run of part of the house and the outdoor pen. She has some cages so that new intakes can be quarantined and any with issues or nursing mums can be kept separate, but most are allowed to run together. It is a system that works wonderfully for some but others don't seem to thrive as well, and it sounds like your lad was one of the latter.
emmab
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 403
Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2014 7:36 am

Re: Rescue cat symptoms

Post by emmab »

Yes. The SPA is the main charity in France and they have large pens as well as small but he was in with 6 other cats. I have made an appointment for him Wednesday as all new adoptions are given a free health check with the vet within 2 weeks of adoption. He has had a very slight runny eye this morning but nothing bad. It was just a clear fluid and not a lot at that. So will get that checked on Wednesday too just in case he has the startings of this cold going around the SPA.
Post Reply