You are here:

Ask the Veterinarian/malnourished kitty

Advertisement

Expert: - 3/12/2010


Question
I live rural and have several pet cats & dogs already and have all my life so yesterday when a bony, 1 eared dusty colored cat walked IN my house and started eating dog food I knew he/she had to be DESPERATE. Right now a vet visit is out of the question--I hope my own pets have no emergencies--and I would like suggestions on the best type of diet for him/her to start with so he can regain some weight/strength. I have him/her quarantined for now--for his safety and also because my toddler grandchildren are here weekdays. I keep Frontline and antibiotics but want to get some weight on him first.
Thank You,
Amie

Answer
Just feed him what your other cats are eating. Quarantining him is a good idea because you don't know if he has leukemia (which your cats can get from him) or has ever been vaccinated for rabies (which all of your pets should be, including cats).

Get him some wet cat food like friskies of you want him to gain weight faster. Once he is stronger get him neutered for sure. If his/her ear is clipped off across the top it could be that this cat was a feral cat that was trapped and neutered. Vets will clip off their ear tip so that if the cat is re-trapped it won't be opened up again for spaying.

Many of these once feral cats calm down and seek out a home months after they were trapped and neutered. Happens a lot.  

Ask the Veterinarian

All Answers

Answers by Expert:

Ask Experts

Volunteer

Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.