Cat came in from a fight :(

[Custard Cream]

We have a black and white cat called Claude. He arrived about 8 months ago at our previous house as a very tame stray and after scanning him for chips, advertising him, no owners where found. I had him castrated and microchipped and he moved in.

We moved house with him about 4 months ago and kept him in as you should and all was well. About a week after he was let out he came in looking worse for wear from a fight. Turns out the next farm along has a nasty cat that doesn't take too kindly to moggies prowling his patch.

Claude has a good routine, he's in all day sleeping, then goes out at night. He comes and goes via the kitchen window and often appears around 7am.

Yesterday there was no sign of him all day and I feared the worst. However, he appeared with a meow at the window and came in. He looked awful. Claws all scuffed, covered in blood and he's missing part of his top lip. He looked totally in shock, the poor man.

So, a small clean up with some hibiscrub and attempted to look in his mouth but he yowled. I put him in his bed with a hot water bottle and a towel and he went to sleep. I double dosed him with metacam last night.

This morning I wasn't sure what I'd find, but he looked up when I came into the kitchen. He'd not touched his water or been in his litter tray. I offered him a piece of ham (his fave) which he took off me but couldn't chew. He's lapped up some milk (cow milk tho- but that's all I have) and seemed very eager for this. I'm just watching him now - he's perked up a bit, licking his lips from the milk, but it does look like his mouth is sore, I wonder if he's missing a tooth.

Anyhow, I'm boiling some rice for him and will see if he fancies that. I'll give the vet a call when they open. Don't want to take him down as he's pretty quiet here and I don't want to stress him out. Will give him another dose of metacam later on and hop he uses his litter tray.

Poor Claude - he's such a friendly boy

 

[scardycat]

Sorry to hear poor Claude has had such a bad time, it does however sound much more likely that he has been involved in an accident with a car, the scuffed claws are usually a sign of a road traffic accident. I think a trip to the vets as soon as possible is needed, especially as he hasn`t used his litter tray, he may well have internal injuries. Good luck, I hope he makes a speedy recovery.

 

[s4sugar]

It does sound like a traffic accident. Forget rice - cereals are not any use to cats - & do get him to a vet ASAP.

 

[Circe]

Sorry to say, it does sound like hes been hit by a car, maybe even broken his jaw.
I wouldn't give him any more metacam, just take him down the vet
Good luck
Kx

 

[Fransurrey]

Any news, op? Agree it sounds like a car, rather than fight. Hope he's okay.

 

[asmp]

Re: Hibiscrub - was told at a vet's talk not to put it on new wounds as it kills off the new cells which are trying to repair the wound.

Hope your poor cat is OK.

 

[AmyMay]

Sorry op he should have been straight to the vet.

 

[TheresaW]

Has he been to the vet? I agree with everyone, sounds more like a car accident than a cat fight. One of mine has always been a fighter. As Amymay says, I would have phoned emergency vet this morning.

 

[E13]

Any update? I hope the poor boy's ok

 

[Honey08]

Hope you managed to get him to the vet's and he is ok. It sounds very like one of mine last year - we think he had been slightly hit by a car and had broken a tooth, luckily in his case he hadn't broken anything else recovered pretty quickly after struggling to eat for a few days. Fingers crossed for him.x

 

[nikicb]

How is he doing? What did the vet say? It does sound like an RTA to me as well with the scuffed claws.

 

[twiggy2]

agree with others sounds like a fight with a car not a cat, also possibly sounds like he was/is in shock, i really hope he has been seen by a vet and is ok.

you really should not ever double dose with metacam it is not a safe thing to do

 

[Custard Cream]

Hi everyone - sorry for the delay in the update - I'd totally forgotten I'd posted in here, been a busy day.

Anyhow, I'm pleased to report Claude is brighter. Sorry - I should have said in my first post, I'm an ex VN, hence not rushing him straight to the vet.

I didn't take him to the vet as he is a very nervous traveller and I didn't want to stress him out anymore than he already was. I did take pictures and a video and went down to our vets and had a chat with them.

So, he's feeling much better which is probably the metacam wrking (re the double dosing - it wasn't the true meaning, was typing in a rush, he had a higher first dose for loading for the first 24hrs...believe me, I know all about metacam overdosing - anyone who remembers my naughty Italian Spinones that stole a bottle of the stuff and bought themselves a weekend bed and board with IVs will know this!).

So, overnight he just slept, he was pleased to see me this morning and sat up. He had some cat milk, lapping seems to be fine. He also cleaned his paws afterwards. Upon closer inspection of his mouth, he's lost a few teeth, including half a canine. Jaw seems fine and not wonky. He wasn't yelping when I touched it or opened his mouth. He jumped down from his windowsill, had a wee in his box and curled up next to the rayburn for the day.

Tonight he has managed a very small amount of whiskas meat, even chewing a small amount. All his limbs are fine, claws very scuffed and he's had a bit of a clean up. He's back in his bed with a hot water bottle again, sleeping it off.

More metacam in the morning and he's booked into the vets on Monday morning if I'm worried.

He's a very lucky little cat, he must have just glanced off a car, but am sure he's used up a fair few lives.

Will update again tomorrow.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

VET asap, please


does sound like an rta

 

[Custard Cream]

I agree, it prob was an RTA. I've spoken at length with my vet and we both agree he is best off sleeping the inevitable headache off for the next 24hrs. He is eating and drinking, passing urine and faeces, temp is normal, breathing and HR are normal.

Vet said they would be doing exactly the same if I took him in. We are both in agreement that he's best off at home. But thanks for everyone's well wishes.

 

[twiggy2]

VET asap, please


does sound like an rta

I agree (as already posted) poor cat.

an ex VN, thinking a cat has been fighting cos it has scuffed claws/not thinking it is an emergency when male cat does not pee overnight or cat appears 'shocky', double/high doses with metacam!!! on an empty stomach?, wants to feed a cat boiled rice, cat has hardly eaten anything for at least 24hrs by the sound of it but not seeing vet till monday.

Is this for real OP

read what you have written poor cat could possibly have a broken jaw, as you will be aware as an ex VN it is a realy common injury and can be very painful and need surgery to wire and make it stable to relieve the pain and start the healing

 

[Custard Cream]

I'm not even going to bother to reply to that.

Pls read where I posted that my vet has been consulted AT LENGTH and has seen detailed pictures and video of the cat.

The vet said he was better at home sleeping it off till Monday. He's on Metacam.

Yes, I thought he'd been in a fight as the cat at he next farm is a known fighter and my cat has come back looking fight weary before. Pls note both myself and my vet have 'seen' the cat. Posters on here have not.

Crikey I wish I hadn't bothered now.

 

[E13]

Good to have an update. Seems as if he's been lucky, only (hopefully) minor temporary injuries! Regarding the not weeing overnight/not eating for 24hours, I would think that's kind of to be expected, and I wouldn't necessarily consider that aspect an emergency situation - if he is a little in shock (obviously very in shock - consult vet asap) then he would need to stay quiet and sleep it off. I'm glad you've had a good chat with your vet; even if he's ok on Monday, it might be a good idea to take him along just to check him over? Face-to-face, so to speak.