I need help to give this kitten a fighting chance. :<?
I found a kitten on my porch yesterday in horrible condition. It was pouring rain and the mother never came back for her. So I brought her inside.
I estimate that she’s almost 8 weeks old because almost all of her baby teeth are in, and he can eat dry food. Although this is my fist kitten.
She was born in the wild and was homeless, so I know she is not had any vaccinations. I am almost positive she has sarcoptic mange. She has oxidized blood on her face, balding patches, and the skin on her tail is so crusted over it has split in several locations. My husband set her on my tummy last night and now I have little itchy bumps there, leading me to think it’s sarcoptic.
I want to give this kitten a chance, I figure since I don’t have a cat I can take care of her.
I have rather low income at the moment however. Is there a low income vet? And what is the averarage cost of vaccinations and mange treatment? I want to make sure I have the money for treatment when I walk in.
Thank you!
I live in Tampa, Florida. Near riverview.
For a home remedy, give her a bath in the bathroom basin. Barely warm water, baby shampoo or other mild shampoo.. Spoon the water on to get her used to it before soaping up and dunking to rinse. You will have to hold her with one hand and do all the work with the other.
The shampoo will kill some insects on her. Any fleas will float up when you push her underwater (except the mouth and nose). Scabs will soften up or come off.
When she is rinsed, dry her thoroughly with a towel. Some people say use a hairdryer, but most cats hate the sound of it.
Get worming tablets from a pet shop or supermarket.There are easy-to-adminster chewable ones. This will get rid of any worms, which can also be associated with fleas.
Get some Aloe Vera cream or jelly, also from the supermarket. The kind sold to go on sunburn would do. Put this on the damaged spots to soothe the skin.
If she does have mange, she would be scratching and chewing at the affected areas just about all the time. If washing and creams don’t stop her scratching, then you do need to go to the vet for better treatment. If you think you’ve caught it, go to the doctor for a cream for yourself and use it on the cat as well.(but don’t do this with tablets, as you can’t work out a safe dosage).
Feed her small meals 4 times a day, soft food (tinned is ok, fresh is better, leftover cooked meat ok too), but leave out some dry food to nibble in between. Give her milk (I use it diluted with about 30% water) as it is very nutritious. If her stools don’t go very soft from it, she can handle it (some cats can’t).
Until you clear her of having anything infectious, give her her own towel and bedding. Sit her on the towel on your lap or on your couch. If she likes you, let her have a worn Tshirt that smells of you, as part of her bed.
Around 14 weeks is usual for the first shots. That or the repeat visit would be suitable times for neutering. Cat protection societies sometimes do discount spaying, but I’m not sure about other veterinary work.
Find out more about Sarcoptic Mange Symptoms & Treatment, here.
Are you in USA or UK or where?
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I would call around to different vets, and explain your situation. 9 out of 10 should work with you on payments and how much they will charge. Good luck with your new baby
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Call the vet and tell them you dont have a lot of money and you found this kitten and it is in horrible condition and see what they’ll do and i hope the kitten lives with you guys forever
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I believe the kitten will need rabies and feline leukemia/distemper shots. It should be tested for leukemia first, which is a blood test to see if it comes up positive for leukemia. If it does, there is no cure for it and the most humane thing would be to euthanize it. However, let’s think positive! I know that puppies have to be 14 weeks before they can get a rabies shot, and I believe kittens are the same. Blood work for the leukemia test is usually around $25.00. Office calls vary probably minimum would be $25.00. Where are you located? There are vets who handle large and small animals and usually their prices are more affordable. I have a vet who handles both my horses and dogs and cats and his prices don’t gouge you. He is very fair.
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I’m sure there are. You should explain to the vets and since most vets have some sympathy, They’d probably give you a discount
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I can’t help you with your question as I don’t know where you live but I just want to say she is a lucky, lucky, kitten to find you – somehow they always know the best place to go to and she will reward you time and time again.
Good luck.
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Animal welfare volunteer. Owner of 5 cats.
Poor thing I hope it survives!
It really all depends where you go, some human society clinics will vaccinate for free if the circumstances are dire enough. I know in my area there is a very inexpensive clinic where we are getting our kitten spayed and vaccinated for $50.
They are out there, call around and ask about cheap options.
You sound right on the mange, but it is also possible that the bald spots are from either malnutrition/dehydration or worms. Watch her stool closely and her body language. Is she wobbly or tired with diarrhea?
Simple trick you can also pinch the fold of skin in between her shoulder blades pull it up (don’t worry it won’t hurt they have very few nerves there) and see if it returns to normal quickly or if it sinks slowly back down. If it takes a while, the cat is dehydrated. Symptoms of dehydration/malnutrition are hard to differentiate because they come hand in hand so often. If she is showing these signs don’t feed her hard food, get her soft not too rich food for kittens and give this to her in small amounts with water. SMALL AMOUNTS!
If this is not it, she may have something even more serious than being underfed!
Call the humane society in your area. If they do not have the facilities to care for your kitty cheaply, they should be able to refer you to a reliable and cheap veterinarian. You may be able to find someone to do it for free, but don’t count on it. Explain your situation, and some vets may lower their prices a lot to help you, because most vets are in the biz because they want to help pets stay healthy, not make money. My parents had to do this once when my cat almost died of potassium shortage (he’s a weird cat don’t worry…..), and our vet was kind enough to charge us about 75$ for a very expensive operation and four day stay just to see my Chunk get healthier.
Whatever you do, don’t overfeed it, and make sure it stays warm at all times, keep a litter pan very close, and make sure she knows she is loved. Sometimes its best to confine them to a bathroom with an insulated box for them to lay in if you must leave her alone in the day for work.
Best of luck to the poor cat!!!! I hope it works out!!!
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Cat lover =^..^=
For a home remedy, give her a bath in the bathroom basin. Barely warm water, baby shampoo or other mild shampoo.. Spoon the water on to get her used to it before soaping up and dunking to rinse. You will have to hold her with one hand and do all the work with the other.
The shampoo will kill some insects on her. Any fleas will float up when you push her underwater (except the mouth and nose). Scabs will soften up or come off.
When she is rinsed, dry her thoroughly with a towel. Some people say use a hairdryer, but most cats hate the sound of it.
Get worming tablets from a pet shop or supermarket.There are easy-to-adminster chewable ones. This will get rid of any worms, which can also be associated with fleas.
Get some Aloe Vera cream or jelly, also from the supermarket. The kind sold to go on sunburn would do. Put this on the damaged spots to soothe the skin.
If she does have mange, she would be scratching and chewing at the affected areas just about all the time. If washing and creams don’t stop her scratching, then you do need to go to the vet for better treatment. If you think you’ve caught it, go to the doctor for a cream for yourself and use it on the cat as well.(but don’t do this with tablets, as you can’t work out a safe dosage).
Feed her small meals 4 times a day, soft food (tinned is ok, fresh is better, leftover cooked meat ok too), but leave out some dry food to nibble in between. Give her milk (I use it diluted with about 30% water) as it is very nutritious. If her stools don’t go very soft from it, she can handle it (some cats can’t).
Until you clear her of having anything infectious, give her her own towel and bedding. Sit her on the towel on your lap or on your couch. If she likes you, let her have a worn Tshirt that smells of you, as part of her bed.
Around 14 weeks is usual for the first shots. That or the repeat visit would be suitable times for neutering. Cat protection societies sometimes do discount spaying, but I’m not sure about other veterinary work.
References :