Rescued & trapped a young (1 yr.) stray female with a very infected right eye, left one was watery & closing with adhesions. Took a couple of days to trap, she was frightened & timid, didn't fight hard to escape, very sick. Tortoise shell (mainly black), tiny (5lbs), doesn't try to bite or scratch, just hisses and trembles when I give eye ointment. We lost two older males this past summer, Willee & Yello, so we call her WILLO.

2003 HISTORY for WILLO

11/21- Trapped gave Aconite30c + Rescue Remedy

11/22- Prep for surgery w/ Arn30c, Tested f/ Tub & HIV - OK, eye removed & spayed follow w/ NV30c & shot of Pennecillin

11/22- Second Pennecillin shot. Bring home -Gels30 & Rescue Remedy, start eye ointment (antibiotic) & Clavamox (oral antibiotic) 2x-day. Timid & scared, hard little feces.

11/23- Arn30c & Rescue Remedy (cont. antibiotics)

11/24- Still frightend but eating well - hard feces (cont. antibiotics)

11/25- >Bowel movements & eating> (cont. antibiotics)

11/26- Left eye looking> wider & clearer, very scared (cont. antibiotics)

11/27 till present getting better daily, still taking antibiotics (Eye 3x-day & Clavamox 2x-day), eating a lot, coat looks>, bowel movements good. Eats while I sit in cage with her, now grooming in front of me - but very frightened & timid. Trembles when I hold her to give eye ointment - hides head when I pet & stroke her head & back. Must leave stitches in eye another week.

If she were healthy and not half blind I would have released her, but I can't, especially with winter coming on. Any suggestions? I've never had an established wild cat, only kittens, can she learn to accept us. Should I let my friendly young (2.5 yr.) female visit her through fence? When I trapped Willo she was hanging out with a three yr. old male I neutered & released couple years ago. So she can be social with other cats, just afraid of us. I am keeping her quiet & warm - play the classical music station for her and still give her Rescue Remedy when she get's scared & tries to hide while I need to medicate her.

[ 03. December 2003, 00:26: Message edited by: Lyndee DeMeo ]

__________________
every life should have nine cats...

Hi Lyndee,
All the rescue remedy in the world will not change her behavior, that will only happen through time and trust. I own 2 feral cats, one 1st generation and one 2nd or 3rd generation. The 1st generation cat probably started in someone's home as a kitten and as such allows minimal handling, however her daughter (F2) doesn't. I've had them for about 6 years living with me, the really wild one has grown acustom to my presence but not my touch(is comfortable with me hanging about, so long as I don't try to touch her, will sit by me, but leaves as soon as I try to make a move)-its kind of a game for us now. At any rate I'm not bothered by it, unless she gets sick (as she did this summer) and then I have to kennel her and it causes both of us much stress. Sounds like your cat is not too bad, you really just got her and I wouldn't be surprised if she did turn out to eventually accept and adore you. We have to remember that when cats are sick, they do their best to hide it(the weaken cat suddenly will find itself "the hunted"). As she starts to feel better, her confidence might return and she might start to relax a little bit. She's had a rough road and needs some time (up to 6 months possibly). Thank you for taking her in -she is very lucky indeed!

She's eating a lot (likes homemade raw & wellness wet formula), more hissing and struggles more when I put eye ointment in. Trembles while I hold & stroke her. Letting other cat visit.
So I should just continue with the antibiotics? And no other remedy? Vet wants to give her Wormer & Rabies shot in a few days when he takes the eye & spade stitches out, he may have to sedate her; if he does should I give another dose of NV30?

[ 03. December 2003, 00:29: Message edited by: Lyndee DeMeo ]

__________________
every life should have nine cats...

Hi Lyndee,
It would be better not to put her under again, the stress isn't nearly as traumatic as the work her body has to do again to flush out the anastetic.

Also, unless you are going to release her, slow down. No need for rabies if she's inside the house, she has been greatly debilitated, too much at once is too hard on the body and she will very likely start having serious problems if you overwhelm the system further.

Also, if under again, don't automatically follow up with a remedy, unless its called for. Many different remedies can be used after being under, depends on symptoms.

I wouldn't worry about worming unless there is a problem. Most cats carry parasites, but keep them in check on their own. At the very least I would do a stool sample 1st to confirm there might be a problem.

I would probably go ahead and finish antib's at this point, keep in mind that the topical ointment you are putting on the eye also contains antib. Also be careful mixing allopathic and homeopathic treatments. I've run into a few problems, primarily trying to distinguish real symptoms from symptoms produced by meds.

Good luck!

Her right (only) eye is still very watery and squinty. She's now fighting me when I try to medicate it, so for the past few days I've only been doing it 2x-day instead of three. She's more frightened and now a bit agressive, do you think aconite could help again?

__________________
every life should have nine cats...

11/8/02 Willo had stitches removed & vet says all we can do is wait & see if her remaining eye gets over the virus, it's watery & a bit closed. She was very frightened on the way to vets, so I dosed Acon12c. Any suggestions for anti-viral? Maybe homeopathic zinc?

__________________
every life should have nine cats...

Willo's still spitting mad at us, the better she feels, the more aggressive she gets, making it hard to medicate her.
I've been squirting EUPH wash into her eye and put NatMur6c into her daily water.
The eye seems to get better for a few days and then watery again, so I started the Mycitracin ointment again - all I can get in is once a day.
She is eating well - is up to about 6.5 lbs now.
She hisses & growls when we try to touch her and sometimes lunges & spits. If I wrap my hand in a fluffy pink towel (that's been with her since the beginning) she stays calm. Any thoughts?

__________________
every life should have nine cats...

Lyndee, in my experience, feral cats do not lunge and spit (they quietly wait for an opening to get away and are never noisy). Perhaps one needs to take agressive behavior into account of the present symptoms (in this one case).

I am fortunate to have a vet who works with me and agreed to postpone the required rabies vaccine till she heals... so luckily NO RABIES vaccination to complicate this picture.
She is a bit better this week, now hissing less, and gives a pitiful little meow if I hold her too tight while medicating her.
She always tries to communicate with my other cats when they visit, she has a sweet, tiny little voice.
I'm just worried about her eye, don't want her to lose sight completely. Her inner eylid is closing a bit again.
She only hisses when first approached - after I cover her with her towel or pick her up (she only lets me pick her up with her bed) then she withdraws and hides her little eye & stiffens-up. I hold her & bed sometimes for an hour, stroking her, she still burries her little face.
We installed a big tree branch in her room, at an angle leaning up to the window sill, hoping to encourage her to look outside more.

[ 05. January 2004, 08:31: Message edited by: Lyndee DeMeo ]

__________________
every life should have nine cats...

HELP!!! She's now losing hair from her hindquarters. Fur is really thinning on her thighs (inner & outer). I didn't notice before as she hides and when I medicate her I have to cover her with her towel in her bed, and pick both bed & her up. Also my vet does spaying with a side incision and I thought the bald area I was seeing was that. Now I realize that area has hair growing back and it's thinning all around it. Could this be because I gave her Nat.Mur. cell salts? Yesterday I sat quietly near & beneath her, she was on countertop. My head was about 2 ft. from her and I kept my eyes lowered. After about 1/2 hour she relaxed and I was able to see her body. She has tremors, shudders constantly.

__________________
every life should have nine cats...