We had hoped this would be a simple rescue. Cute black cat finds our back deck, gets fed, hangs around. We got that far. Then week ago, Meda was able to collect the cat and bring her into the house, where she is in isolation in our small extra bedroom. Her first vet visit was on Wednesday.
Cat is friendly but still somewhat wary, retreating under the futon at the first hint of anything weird. And she hasn’t been active, instead somewhat lethargic. I thought perhaps just a matter of getting used to being indoors.
But now that her blood test results have come back, we know why she’s been moping around.
Hookworms. Not good. And she turns out to have a serious dose of them. On a scale of 1-4, where four is the highest, she was a 3.5. These things can be fatal.
In her case, they appear to be the cause of a slight anemia.
Also potentially related, elevated kidney values, perhaps from dehydration.
Luckily, there is a medication to attack the hookworms, liquid by mouth, single dose, then repeated in 2-3 weeks. So we took her back to the vet today for the initial dose. Hopefully, in a couple of days, she will start feeling better. We repeat in two weeks, and then test again to see if the kidney numbers are back in line.
So this rescue is proving to be anything but simple. Another hard case, different from the previous three, which each had their own issues. But we’re kind of committed, for good or ill.
We have a name under consideration, trying it on to see how it sounds, how it feels, and how it fits. The jury is still out.
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Ian: we have two cats, one of which was a stray my daughter spent a lot of time enticing him as a kitten, about three months old, to come into her home. We adopted the second kitty from HHS both thriving and well except for the first one being treated for irritable bowel and pancreatitis (both treatable with diet and meds). Heartwarming to read about your rescues. Good luck and best wishes from another kitty parent.
Our rescue from the street, one-eyed FIV+ black kitty Bruno, was loaded with hooks and did fine after deworming.The street is hard on the critters, but I’m sure yours will prevail. Vet costs have skyrocketed over the years, which makes adoption out of reach for many. You guys are to be commended for your generosity and open hearts.
I’ll agree totally with Stanford Masui and Marnie and just add GANBATTE, Ian and Meda!! Once this sweet kitty kicks the worms and is back on track, she’ll be a loving addition to Da Gang!
As Marnie said, my heart goes out to you both for your generosity and open hearts. Hoping for the best for all concerned…
Bailey is a beautiful and unique name.
Rooting for the kitty!