Some dirtbag dropped off a sick kitten by our barn on Sunday night. I found him, brought him in and checked him out. He had yucky runny eyes, and from what I found in the archives, he probably had a URI. DH took him to the Vet on Monday afternoon (I should have went too) Doc verified that he had a URI and put him on amoxicillin, 1 1/2 cc's 3 times a day, he also has a bad ear mite problem, and is wormy. A side note, I think I may have the best priced Vet anywhere- exam, medication, rabies, distemper, plus 2 other shots that I can't remember and the bill was $29.00) We have ear mite solution, and I have some kitten wormer left from the kitten we rescued 6 months ago (no expiration date on the bottle) My question is: DH never asked Doc when we should deworm him, now or after finishing the amoxicillin? I feel the poor little bugger has enough going on and we should wait until he's finished his meds, is this a good idea?

He's a cute little yellow guy about 3 months old, I've never had a more loveable cat. He also was never litter trained (he pooped on my oldest daughter's bed-she wasn't thrilled) so we put him in the dog crate with a litter pan--and he's using it like a champ now. Today, I'll move the pan out of the crate and let him out more I've got my fingers crossed that there won't be anymore accidents. The other cats (3) hate his guts but the dogs (4) have adopted him as their own.

Thanks for your help.

Stacy in NY

-- Stacy (KincoraFarm@aol.com), December 19, 2001

Answers

Dirtbag is putting it kindly! In the past month we've had two cats dropped off. The first was a pretty longhaired white kitten with blue eyes. Oh it was so sick. It had icky eyes, a cut across it's face and was very dirty to show it had the diarrhea. I figured it was a goner. The little stinker is doing just fine. It's eating, drinking, cleaning itself and even playing. The second was a beautiful orange and white one. We could tell it was a house cat immediately. My DD took it as they have a mouse problem in the house. (Old farmhouse.) It has made them a wonderful pet. As for the medication question, I'd phone the vet's office and ask their advice.

-- Ardie/Wi (ardie54965@hotmail.com), December 19, 2001.

You should probably call the vet with this question. Thanks for taking care of this kitten. It is horrible what some people will do. One of our old neighbors moved and left behind 3 kittens and an open can of cat food! Our vet was able to get one of them adopted and we kept the other 2 - Hop-A-Long(bad leg) and Cassidy. Our other cats were not thrilled with them at first but now they all sleep together around the woodstove. Good luck!

-- Cindy in NY (cjpopeck@worldnet.att.net), December 19, 2001.

I would worm kitty now. Ask the vet for pyrantel or stongid...it's cheap, safe, and effective, but you can only get it from the vet. Also, did you have a fecal done? If kitty has something besides roundworm, you'll need Panacur rather than pyrantel. If kitty is just kind of pathetic and seems hungry but won't eat, or if he cries a lot and seems frail, he may have coccidia, and that will mean you need the drug Albon. And, if you try all this stuff and he still doesn't get better, you'll want to check him for giardia, which will require a nasty medicine that I can hardly pronounce..starts with an M. Make sure he has a really warm bed, and feed him whatever he'll eat. The little siamese we took in a couple weeks ago was sick and pitiful and wanted nothing to do with the canned food, but went nuts for the hummus my husband was eating. So we fixed her a plate of her own, and she gobbled it down. Of course, with any new kitty, especially a sick one, you really should get him checked for Feline Leukemia. If he has it, you won't even want to bother with all the other stuff, and you'll want to have him put to sleep before he breaks everyone's heart.

-- Shannon at Grateful Acres Animal Sanctuary (gratacres@aol.com), December 19, 2001.

Trapper John (my youngest is a M*A*S*H nut, Trapper joins Henry and Loretta the hamsters and Nurse Kelly the half grown kitten) is doing very well. He's more perky, and his eyes look much, much better. He sleeps on a pillow by the woodstove, and I think he's very glad he landed here at Kincora Farm. I hope the dirtbag that dumped him gets what is coming to him.

Stacy in NY

-- Stacy (KincoraFarm@aol.com), December 19, 2001.

The only problem I can see about not worming Trapper is that the other animals in your house are now exposed to worms. When you finally worm him, you should probably do all the others too.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), December 19, 2001.

I dewormed Trapper John today, I also dewormed Satchmo, Oreo, and Kelly. Should I deworm the dogs now, as well?

Satchmo, almost 3 year old neutered male, seems to have accepted Trapper, but his brother, Oreo, has not. Kelly still hisses but not as often as before.

Trapper is using the litter pan like a trooper, and he's slowly gaining weight.

Thanks for your help.

Stacy in NY

-- Stacy (KincoraFarm@aol.com), December 20, 2001.

Woo Hoo!!! Good for you!!! My mom lives out in a rural area, and so far she's gotten Woody, a beautiful tortiseshell kitten left out in the road - Thank God my stepdad has 20/20 vision; Emily, a grey and white cat who was a drop-off across the road (The family there has two chows - NOT a good mix!), and Joybells, a wonderful black doggie that Mom found in the ditch near their mailbox, starving and half- froze. My greatest kudos to anyone who opens their hearts and pocketbooks to these innocent animals. I'll be rooting for you, and keep on keeping on!

-- Connie L (MykellSilver@aol.com), December 24, 2001.