Sick kitties (was smelly cat)

[enjoytheride]

I acquired a new rescue on Monday who I’d like to mull some things over about. He was a starving stray and then was taken in by a “rescue” that ballooned to over 100 cats and finally had to seek help from other rescues. I got him directly from the first rescue. Another rescue contacted me and asked if I’d help as I’d contacted them about looking for another Siamese.

He’s extremely thin, has diarrhea and the sniffles, and stinks terribly. He came neutered and with his shots and they said he’s been treated for his cold, so we’re watching that and I’m picking up worming medication to treat him. He also doesn’t use the litterbox at all, although he is limiting his habits to my office where he’s been staying. When I let him out in the house he comes back to my office to poop on the floor

He pooped on the dog once because he was pooping on her dog bed.

Besides all that he’s super friendly with people and other animals although he needs to learn that biting does not get you petting. I think because of the hoarding situation he just learned to get along with other cats.

He’s super food needy (understandable given how thin he is). He tried to steal food from the dog which almost resulted in him being lunch so now they’re separated at doggy dinner time. He doesn’t show any fear of the dog either although he did hide for about 12 hours after the dog tried to eat him.

Any suggestions? I’m confining him to my 12x12 office. He has 3 litterboxes in that room with litter attractant and two different kinds of litter. He used one once. I moved him to it and he pooped in it then pooped in it on his own later but since then he poops next to it. I can confine him to a crate to try and force him to use the litterbox (which is what I normally do with ferals) but I’m hoping I don’t need to as I don’t want to ruin his trust given he’s gotten very attached to me.

They said he was healthy and using the litterbox but with that number of cats, most of them loose in the house, how can you tell?

What about the smell? He stinks like someone’s been peeing on him. I can give him a bath but I was hoping that he’d clean himself up once he felt better.

[Jenerationx]

Just the thread title had me singing this one.

Friends: The Smelly Cat Jingle (Season 3 Clip) | TBS

No advice, but it sounds like he found the right person to take care of him.

[Marla_100]

Try some pee pads for doggys or even several pcs. 3-4 paper towels placed where he wants to go. Then at some point put the crumpled up/peed on paper towels in the litter box.
I have an elderly, senile cat who has given up the litter box but will faithfully use the paper towels where she likes to go (on my kitchen floor).
Also since it’s a feral, try plain sand in the litter box or leaves. My cats will use that when I’ve run out of kitty litter.
When I’ve taken in starved cats or dogs, I generally give them 4 or 5 smaller meals per day,
until they build up their weight a little. Sometimes starved animals gorge themselves on food
as they been deprived so long. Sometimes that alone can cause diarrhea.
Yes to worming.
If he’ll let you pet or hold him a simple sponge bath with some warm water and mild soap/shampoo will help. Then do it again in a few days. A wet washcloth will clean his face also.
Thank you for being the rescuer for this poor cat.

[enjoytheride]

He’s awful friendly for a feral and looks to be a purebred so I wonder if he was loose or abandoned at some point. My Ferals I crate during the defrost process and that helps with handling and litterbox habits.

[Marla_100]

Any pictures? What type purebred do you think?
Sounds like he had a home at some point. Who knows how he ended up where he is.

[enjoytheride]

He’s a lynx point Siamese/color point short hair

[candyappy]

@enjoytheride

They said he was healthy and using the litterbox but with that number of cats, most of them loose in the house, how can you tell?

What about the smell? He stinks like someone’s been peeing on him. I can give him a bath but I was hoping that he’d clean himself up once he felt better.

I doubt he or many of the other cats were reliably using a litter box. I would bathe him and hope that when he is clean and doesn’t smell like a litter box himself that he will use one.

The only thing I can think of is are you using the largest litter box you can get? Is it covered? Sometimes even if it is a smaller cat they can miss the stupid thing when trying to go. Try different types of litter?

Once they mess in a certain place it seems hard to get that idea out of their head.

[cayuse]

I took in a cat with colitis/IBD and when he has a flare he will poop/pee on the floor. When he first arrived he was completely stressed out and the diarrhea was considerable as was the mess everywhere. He could make it to the box, but chose to go elswhere. We got the diarrhea under control with medication (tylan) and diet and he is happily using the box. Maybe if you can get his diarrhea resolved it will solve the issue? He’s a very handsome cat !

[Marla_100]

What a lovely kitty! He IS unusual- I can’t believe someone would just dump him but stranger things happen w/ animals.
So glad he’s friendly- do you plan to keep him and be his forever home?

[OzarksRider]

Whenever I get a new cat, the first thing I do is take it to my vet to be checked out. I’d make this a priority with your new cat, because he has both a respiratory infection and diarrhea. Respiratory infections in cats are often caused by a virus, but the cat can get a secondary bacterial infection that has to be treated with antibiotics. He may also need treatment for his diarrhea beyond just simple worming. And, he needs to be checked for feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus. Do you have a rabies certificate and proof of other vaccinations? If not, he may need vaccinations.

Are you sure the smell is coming from a dirty coat? I once had a really stinky new stray cat and it turned out that the smell was coming from his ears–he had an ear infection.

I wouldn’t worry about him missing the litter box just yet. Cats often will refuse the litter box when they don’t feel well. Get the respiratory infection and diarrhea sorted out and the litter box issue may fix itself.

What are you feeding him? I have had cats that could not tolerate food with any grains in it. It would give them diarrhea every time.

[Simkie]

Every time he goes not in a box is reinforcing going not in a box, and will make it that much harder for him to learn to go in a box. For his benefit, restrict his world until he goes in a box.

Until he’s bathed, you just can’t know if his stink issues are ongoing or just from his previous environment.

Has he had any bloodwork?

[Alex_and_Bodie_s_Mom]

I second what cayuse said upthread - IBD disorders can really wreak havoc with a cat’s digestive system and how they smell. If he’s not feeling well, he won’t clean himself, either. I would definitely get him checked out for that. At the same time, also check for a yeast infection in the ears, and his mouth - mouth sores smell God-awful, and he might be hungry enough that he’s willing to eat despite them.

Also second the idea of getting him tested for FIV and FeLV. In that kind of situation, there’s no telling what the poor guys has. Also have them do blood work and check his kidneys.

Also, depending on the conditions of the house he came from - ALL the cats may have smelled that way, because they were surrounded by cat pee/poop all the time. It may take a couple of baths and time to get rid of the smell from his coat. (And honestly, I’d pay the vet to sedate and bathe him!)

[shiloh]

I would put him in the bathroom for now. So much easier to clean up. And it sounds like - and this is just MHO - that he either was never box-trained or because there were so many cats he just learned to go in the first available spot. If you catch him in the box, gently pat the top of his head three times (no more no less) and don’t ask me how it works but they rarely mess outside. Try it - what have you got to lose? Did that will all the kittens and a couple of older not housetrained cats.

Try “washing” like this - scalding water, dip wash cloth,wring cloth out almost dry and wipe him off, the cloth will cool, and since it is hot water he will dry faster. I also found some nice lavender pet wipeys and they worked great. I had to use them on both Ollie and Smudge. Smelliness could also be from bad teeth or stomach ailment.

Poor kitty. He is really quite handsome and I am glad you took him in.

[3PonyFarm]

His is very handsome. I hope you get him acclimated soon and get the smell issue figured out.

[enjoytheride]

So the rescue said they got him neutered, all his shots, and he just came off his antibiotics. They didn’t send him to one of the other shelters because he was still pretty thin. I did crate him last night and he used his box in the crate so I’ll continue crating at least at night for a while. We’re going to monitor him and see if the diarrhea goes away in a few days once he realizes he’s not moving again.

[trubandloki]

Could the diarrhea be the result of the antibiotics? Maybe some probiotics are needed?

[enjoytheride]

Smelly cat and my other siamese both went to the vet today.

My Siamese Simon had just gotten over a upper respiratory infection from thinking he was an outside cat and getting loose and lost in a storm. Friday he must have fallen off something disciplining Jack (smelly cat) and in addition his cold was back with a vengeance.

So Simon got another antibiotic shot and a anti-inflammatory shot. They don’t think he broke his leg, and can’t tell if Jack made him sick or if he did that on his own.

Jack got a poo sample drawn, antibiotic shot, antibiotic meds, pepto bismol for cats, a probiotic, and a diagnosis that he was probably at least 10!!! and not the 1-2 the lady told me he was. They also think he might have a tooth/gum infection so to keep an eye on him.

[BatCoach]

so glad you are getting tests done on him! Rescues unfortunately rarely are good at guessing ages. Here in SoCal we have a bunch (whole colonies even!) of street kitties with siamese blood, so I wouldn’t think he is PB.

How long have you had him? It sounds like he has had a super traumatic life and needs to take “Housecat 101” since he has either been scraping by on the street, or having to assert himself in a cat hording situation. Do you what you would do with a horse that need re-training and start at square one. I think the crating idea is a good start for now.

Once the medical gets dialed in (very possible he has an internal infection, maybe abscessed anal glands?) the behavioral might solve itself. Could any of this be stressed? Dogs, new cat sibling, new house all might be a bit much so he is reverting to street cat mentality?

Definitely make sure the little box is big enough. I know some people who have had to use a storage bin and cut an entrance hole. Does he have any paw/claw issues that could be preventing him from digging and using the box properly? There are a bunch of different litter materials (wood, paper, pellets, silica, clay, clumping etc) you might just have to see which one he responds to.

He is going to be beautiful once you get him figured out!

[Mango20]

What are you feeding him? It’s not his fault.

[enjoytheride]

When did I say it was his fault?