# Things I noticed about the new kitten



## amz_raptor (Mar 20, 2008)

So I just got a young female kitten, I was told she was about 4 months old. She needed a home. Her previous owner seemed to have about 5+ cats and they seemed to go outdoor too.

She seems to have a sort of eye redness accompanied by a white/greenish discharge, doesn't itch her eyes, but I can see the ingratiating membrane bit swallow and red too. Her eyesight seems fine but I noticed her hearing appeared to be bit different than my older cat. When i scratch a box above her she would keep searching for over a min for the source of the noise but never succeed in finding it unless she spots the movement. I don't know if this is because she's young or it can actually indicate some hearing weakness. I also noticed a lot of fleas in her fur which I don't know how to deal with yet. The cat is playful, eats her kitten dry food, but I still didn't see her drink water off the bowl nor pee/poop so far.

I am taking her to the vet in about 6-8 hrs from now (unless someone tells me I should go now to the hospital because it's an emergency)
So here's are questions that I need answers for until I can go to the vet:
- Should I be cleaning the discharge or just stay away from the eyes because it can cause more irritation?
- Should I be giving her a no-soap water bath to help reduce the fleas? (I know ..its not very healthy to give a cat a bath)
- Abit off-topic, the litterbox is the closed one with a door that can be pushed in and out. I put her inside and saw her come out on her own a couple of times...should I be using this for a kitten or just remove the top half?


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

You should be getting her spayed.


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## amz_raptor (Mar 20, 2008)

marie73 said:


> You should be getting her spayed.


hmm won't you recommend I get the above concerns off the list first  ?


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## LakotaWolf (Aug 10, 2012)

amz_raptor said:


> hmm won't you recommend I get the above concerns off the list first  ?


No. 

Get her spayed. You'll be adding more concerns to the list if you ignore the repeated advice you have received here.


Other than that, feed her wet food. Cats should not eat dry food. Kibble is not good for cats.

If you're having concerns about the litter box, remove the door flap. This may make it seem more hospitable to her. Would you want to open the bathroom door by ramming your forehead into it?

Your vet will be able to tell you the best way to deal with her fleas. Your vet will also probably tell you to have her spayed.


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## minikin44 (Aug 25, 2012)

When my kitten was having diarrhea and I had to wash him, my vet suggested just using water, as soaps will dry out a cat's skin. You should be fine using water and a flea comb to try to get rid of some of the fleas. The vet will probably give you ointment for her eye (it sounds like maybe an eye infection?). With the litterbox, is she big enough to climb into it without too much trouble? Some cats I've had love the hood, and some hate it... I'm not sure that there's any rhyme/reason to it. They are their own individual selves just like we humans are.  Oh, and I agree, set a date for her to be spayed. It's kinder to her to do it young, as the young ones heal faster/easier than older cats.


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## scottd (Jun 28, 2011)

I have some organic pet shampoo. It detergent-free. Just oils and other good stuff. You might try finding it. I bathed Tina in it because she got something sticky on her back a couple weeks ago. I think it's called GrowKids Pet Shampoo with a picture of a cat and dog on it.

Your vet can suggest something for fleas but you can get Frontline Plus or Advantage II over the counter now. I'd suggest the latter. It's rather safe.


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## cinderflower (Apr 22, 2012)

LakotaWolf said:


> Would you want to open the bathroom door by ramming your forehead into it?


judging by the posts i've read, that's how he does it.


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## scottd (Jun 28, 2011)

I would suggest you get the cat spayed as well.


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## Arianwen (Jun 3, 2012)

Sounds as if you have your hands full!

You've probably been to the vet by now but the tooth comb was a good idea. My vet prefers, with very young kittens, to use an alchohol based flea treatment but your kitten is mature enough for other treatments and I am sure you vet could advise you. Similarly, you will probably be given drops or ointment for the eyes. If you have to wash or wipe them a very mild saline solution is useful.

While you are there, please make an appointment for spaying. Some cats are fertile at that age and it only takes one incident to end up with a pregnant cat who may be too small to deliver without a Caersarean (even without the problems of the extra kittens).


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## my5kitties (Sep 13, 2005)

I do not believe in spaying pregnant female cats. However, when we took in Momo, she was only 5 months old and *7 weeks pregnant*. Momo was a tiny girl and we knew that if we allowed her to give birth to her kittens, she and her kittens would have more than likely died. Momo was stray kitten who went into heat early for her to have been as far along as she was. As much as I did not like the idea, we had her spayed. The vet told us that we did the right thing because Momo had a small pelvic region and her 6 kittens were big. There was no way she, or the kittens, would have survived.

Please, spay your kitten. If you love her, then do the right thing.


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## amz_raptor (Mar 20, 2008)

I will let get fixed ASAP,

Now on the Update,
No I didn't get to the vet yet because they closed on Saturday at 12:00 pm which was a surprise for me to know that at 12:02 pm. They are also closed on Sunday and Monday is labor day!  
Planning to go on Tuesday 7:30AM.

Meanwhile, here's what's going on:
The poor girl had so much fleas that If you flip her on her back you can see them running to hide through her fur from over 8 feet. So I had to give her a bath twice yesterday. Her eyes got better since I started using a saline mixture cleaner but I can't tell what kind of problem it is. Now the disgusting news is that I first noticed a tiny tapeworm segment on its anus this morning and it was moving! I removed it with a tissue and it dried up and looked exactly like a cucumber seed. Later tonight, I noticed that the litter box smelled REALLY bad after she went in to use it. I cleaned it right away and I saw long attached segments from the horrible tapeworms! I rushed to get a tapeworm med and I got one but it was pills. Struggled till I gave up to put this HUGE half pill into this tiny throat with no luck. I know the technique but she seems to be more resistant every time I failed. I decided to leave that for the vet.

So the questions now, till I reach the vet...
-What more do I do about the fleas, I use a spray on the furniture & and carpets too but I can't keep giving baths?
-What can I do meanwhile about those nasty alien-like tapeworms. I understand their intermediate host are fleas and I have to break the cycle to ensure no re-infestation occurs, I wash my hands everytime I handle the kitty or her litter box, can anyone in the house hold get tapeworms EXCEPT through eating infected fleas?


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## jadis (Jul 9, 2011)

Get to the vet as soon as you can on Tuesday. Get capstar, a pill that will kill fleas that are on the kitten with in a couple of hours, then start a monthly flea preventative. If the kitten stays indoors and you have no other pets that go out, you can stop this after a few months or when you no longer see any signs of fleas. Get the kitten wormed also, tell the vet you saw tape segments. I have dealt with this before and they clear up easily. The eye discharge definitely needs to be treated by the vet, just do whatever they recommend, and make an appointment for her to be spayed. An unspayed female will spray and mark like a male in my experience, and spaying will stop/prevent many litterbox problems.


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## artiesmom (Jul 4, 2012)

Your poor baby is really sick, between the fleas, eye infection, worms....poor thing..
Yes, get her to a vet asap..not that she is severely suffering, but she is not happy..and to keep the fleas at bay from your house..
If it was me, I would take her to a vet/hospital which is open on holidays..You do not want to mix medications on your own.
I am worried about her eye..
Good luck and bless you for taking her in..I can't imagine the rest of the cats in that house!!


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

Confine her to one room, until all the fleas are gone....bathroom is preferable as it's easier to clean.
Make a vet appt. ASAP.
Better to leave the eyes alone, so vet can see how bad the infection is.
Clean up the tapeworms as you see them.
The vet will likely give you medication for the eyes, and shots for the fleas and medication for the tapeworms. 

Wash your hands thoroughly and make sure you don't have fleas on your clothes, better to deal with her with few clothes on!

She may need a couple of doses of the medication for tapeworms to get rid of them as she sounds like she has a heavy infestation.

Give her as much to eat as she wants....preferably_ canned _cat food, high in protein. Dry food especially with grains is not as good for her as a no grain food (no corn, rice, soy, barley). Basically cats are meat eaters. 

Give us an update on your little girl....she's having a rough start there.


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## amz_raptor (Mar 20, 2008)

Thanks for all the responses, over the night her eyes got really better she actually started getting on places where I didn't want her to go, at first I thought she was just well-trained but silly me. Found a vet open on labor day and got an appointment for 4:30! :yellbounce tapeworms better watch out and go down the hole while u still can with you out-of-date tape-like gross structure (ewwww... almost threw up there)


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## minikin44 (Aug 25, 2012)

You're safe from the tapeworms thankfully  For the pills, there are these treats called pill-pockets that have a little hole in there where you stick the pill and then mush the treat closed over it. My cats seem to take the pills pretty easily that way, as long as they can't taste them. I'm glad your little girl is going in to the vet, though. She can't be comfortable with all of these issues. As artiesmom said, I can't imagine how bad off the other animals in that person's home must be... poor things!!


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## Mom of 4 (Jul 29, 2006)

And please be extremely careful with over-the-counter medications (oral and topical). Many of them are dangerous for our pets.


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## amz_raptor (Mar 20, 2008)

Here's the update after the vet visit,
Cleaned ears, eyes, gave Capstar pill for fleas, Praziquantel pill for tapeworms, oral liquid of a whip/round worm dewormer, applied Frontline for flea protection, and also she got her first shot of vaccine.

She's been an awesome girl kitty, she took it rather well and didn't throw up any pills after we got back too (knocking on wood!) she's also active which while the vet said she will be lethargic today and maybe not eat at all but she's playful and eating. She should be pooping semi-live tapeworms within the next 2 days but I think my vet got it all wrong (meh...she should be digesting them ...sorry i am nerd, I study what isn't my major too ) 

So what I have to do is just vacuum the carpets replace the litter box after 2 days and then spray the furniture for fleas. I also got an anti-heartworm chewable thingy called Heartgard that I can slip into her food. I just feel sorry that I haven't picked a name for her and the receipt says that her name as NONAME.


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## kty78 (Mar 18, 2012)

Awww.... Well I hope little Noname feels better soon. I'm glad to hear you have decided to have her spayed. It's the best thing you can do for her.... that and feed her good food. I think it's fine to wait until you see her personality before you name her. Nothing wrong with that. I adopted mine already named but I kind of wish I had changed their names. If they had names I hated I would have, but their names are fine so I figured I'd leave well enough alone. Occasionally I run across a name and wish I had used it.


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## amz_raptor (Mar 20, 2008)

Another update:
I vacuumed the carpets and replaced the whole litter box today & I found 6-7 semi-alive roundworms, they looked like earthworms which means for me they are "ascaris". I called the vet and she said that's not abnormal and this can last for 48 hours after the liquid called Strongid-T. 
-Are they are easy to get them taken care of? 
-Also the pneumonia-like symptoms could mean that the larvae have moved to the lungs? If so will that be treated with that drug too?


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## minikin44 (Aug 25, 2012)

Roundworms cycle through the bloodstream and so you may have to do two rounds of dewormer for them... the vet will want to check a stool sample next time you bring her in. What are her pneumonia-like symptoms? Kittens are prone to URIs (upper respiratory infections)... my kitten has been sneezing for a week and a half... at first I thought it was from his intranasal vaccine, because the vet said that could cause sneezing, but now he has a goopy eye, so I have to take him in for treatment for a URI. Fun times... Cats can get lungworm but I think it's a lot more likely that your kitty has a URI too. If so, the vet will probably give antibiotics for it. I can let you know tomorrow what my vet does for Bear.


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## amz_raptor (Mar 20, 2008)

She does have URI and/or the roundworms have something to do with it. Her eyes are still abit red but not as bad as they used to be. I think based on the fact that she's getting better with the URI, the vet decided to not do anything about that. I am still washing her eyes regularly with the saline solution aka eye cleaner. Yes let me know how it goes with Bear .


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## amz_raptor (Mar 20, 2008)

Oh and does anyone know a roundworm dewormer that isn't a pill that I can use in two weeks myself? That Strongid-T liquid or something like it? Where can I get it? my google searches are giving me ones labeled for horses.....


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## minikin44 (Aug 25, 2012)

The only wormers I've given my cats have been from the vet. I've heard scary things about some of the store-bought treatments for parasites. I was looking for preventatives when Bear was wormy, though, and ran across this about diatomaceous earth:

http://www.catforum.com/forum/56-feral-cats/153228-treating-round-worms-feral-colony.html

I haven't tried it yet but it sounds good to me...


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Do not buy pet meds over the counter. If you want a liquid call the vet and explain that. They will get you a liquid.


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## amz_raptor (Mar 20, 2008)

MowMow said:


> Do not buy pet meds over the counter. If you want a liquid call the vet and explain that. They will get you a liquid.


It's funny that whenever I think of prescription vs. over the counter, I always remember that is the main reason the dog mafia are happily selling pet drugs ....the ones that play poker 

http://www.petsafetyservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/pets_playing_poker.jpg

what do you guys think of this? I don't think it's an over the counter but that's cheaper than a vet follow up visit..

Amazon.com: Pyrantel 50mg 16oz: Pet Supplies

It is the active ingredient in Strongid T


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## minikin44 (Aug 25, 2012)

*well...*

Personally I'd be worried about getting the dosage right... she's a tiny kitten and it's hard to tell how much she'd need. Do you have a bottle from the vet from the first dosage or did they give it at the office?


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## amz_raptor (Mar 20, 2008)

They just used a needless syringe to give her the liquid. It was a fairly small dosage and the instructions say 2.5 to 5 mg per pound, Toka (her name now!) is 2 pounds so from that drug it should be somewhere between 5 to 10 mg. This means it is 1/10 to 2/10 of a mL.


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## jadis (Jul 9, 2011)

Considering her condition with the uri, different kinds of worms, and fleas, I'd take her back to the vet for the second deworming. If I remember correctly from the last time I had a kitten, the vet visit for the second deworming didn't cost much.


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## LakotaWolf (Aug 10, 2012)

I don't know if you've tried this little addition to the "pill trick" for giving cats pills -

Coat the pill with unsalted butter. Let kitty lick at a little bit of the butter on your fingers before you attempt to pill her. The buttery pill will slide down the throat WAY easier than a dry pill ;}

When does the vet think she'll be healthy and old enough for a spaying?


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## Jacq (May 17, 2012)

Amz_raptor... one of the reviews for that med on amazon says this:



> I ordered this product because I have a litter of 10 puppies and needed to worm them. The label says: "Less than 25 pounds or under 2 years old, Do not use unless directed by a physician."


If your cat is two pounds, you're taking a huge risk in giving her an OD. Please reconsider :/

(this thread makes me chuckle a bit, since the "free" cats are always the most expensive. I'm sure you would have spend much less money getting a s/n cat from the shelter.)


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

.... you made a commitment to care for this kitten. YOu wanted it, now stop taking shortcuts and trying to save a few bucks. Take her back to the vet for a second worming and ask for stuff that you can use easily.



Jacq said:


> (this thread makes me chuckle a bit, since the "free" cats are always the most expensive. I'm sure you would have spend much less money getting a s/n cat from the shelter.)


Yes. You would have paid a modest adoption fee and it would have INCLUDED spay/neuter, shots, a free vet checkup, and the kitten would have been wormed at the shelter. Mine also included flea treatments while they were there so once I got them home and knew they were flea free (and indoor only) I could stop the treatments and have never seen a flea....


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## Jacq (May 17, 2012)

When we adopted Io we had to take her back to the rescue 3 weeks later for her (free) final round of kitten boosters. They also gave her a once-over, and had noted in her file she was sneezing when she left, so they paid extra attention to that to see if she needed an antibiotic as well.

She also came spayed, with a microchip, $25 gift certificate to globalpetfoods, and a pet licence. Best $150 I ever spent.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Yar, MowMow was a 30.00 adoption fee with all I mentioned above and Book was 25.00 since he was in the rescue for so long(3 months longer than his litter mates was his penalty for being a black kitten).


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## minikin44 (Aug 25, 2012)

*so true...*



Jacq said:


> (this thread makes me chuckle a bit, since the "free" cats are always the most expensive. I'm sure you would have spend much less money getting a s/n cat from the shelter.)


You're definitely right... Bear was "free" (from a feral colony) and has been very expensive... but if I hadn't taken him in he almost certainly would have died from his medical issues, and he's worth it!  Next time, though, maybe I'll stick to the shelter haha...

Amz_raptor, I have to say I agree with other people that getting your vet to de-worm your kitty again is the safest, and actually probably cheapest if you consider the cost of the solution, the shipping and handling, and the syringe you'd have to buy... besides, sometimes monetary sacrifices must be made for our babies!


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## coyt (Jul 15, 2012)

I second what everyone else is saying. Do NOT get over the counter medication for parasites. Some of them are poisons that can really harm your cat. 
Call the vet and go back for a second deworming. Usually this is done 2 weeks after the first dosage.


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## minikin44 (Aug 25, 2012)

For the URI, the vet gave Bear an antibiotic shot and ointment for her eye... I imagine your vet will to the same for your little girl.


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## Luvmyfurbabies (Jun 25, 2012)

Honestly, I would take the kitty to the vet for this. It sounds like your kitty has started off with some serious issue to begin with and when you bring her back they will be able to monitor her progress, plus you will start to establish a relationship with your vet which is equally important.
There's many things in life you can cut corners on but a living thing that dependson you for it's well being just can't be one of them.
Best of luck with your new baby.


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## amz_raptor (Mar 20, 2008)

LakotaWolf said:


> When does the vet think she'll be healthy and old enough for a spaying?


The vet told me in about 2 months and she said she's about 17weeks old now.

As for the advise about the deworming at the vet, I am taking this advise. Although, I keep wondering where vets get their supplies from. The weird thing is that the vet said that she won't be needing another dose of deworming anyway.

The reason I got her for free was because I really wanted a non-neutered male but she won't let out non-spayed animals ....yea I ended up with a female lol. Things don't always turn out the way we want. I also didn't want worms nor fleas but hey I got them for FREE!......... So I am trying to be happy about it. Either way, its my punishment for not understanding n/s (ing) animals well enough. We do intervene in every way. Even helping out sick animals is considered human intervention that is against the natural selection itself. So we have to take measures to ensure that our feelings don't harm us in the long run.


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## Jacq (May 17, 2012)

I'm glad to see you're willing to listen and not shutting down. We can be pretty harsh.

The thing with the medications is... your vet went to school for many years, and does this every day. I know it sounds obvious, but medicine (even animal medicine) is more than just sticking needles in things and charging outrageous prices. Dosages can be tricky and you're paying for their experience more than just drugs.

If someone is a breeder, or has had animals for many many years, or has lots of animals, absolutely I think it's appropriate to cut corners and buy meds online. My own family does most of their animal medical care themselves, but they own a few thousand cattle, 20-odd horses, lots of smaller livestock and "pet" animals, and bred black labs for a few years. The vet that comes out 3x a year has shown them how to do it and they've done a lot of self-education. They've lost animals due to inappropriate medication, too, but as cruel as it sounds, they can afford the learning experience (emotionally as well as financially).

^^^ That huge long paragraph is basically saying if you've got one little companion, it's better to just let the vet make sure she's got the best chance and best care that she deserves.


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## scottd (Jun 28, 2011)

There's nothing wrong with asking for a prescription and going to a human pharmacy to get it filled. A considerable amount of the medication used is made for humans and regular pharmacies usually charge less for the same exact thing.

Instead of buying Heartguard Plus at the vet's office today, we got a prescription and will get it filled for less online. The online pharmacy we use is fully licensed and accredited.


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## amz_raptor (Mar 20, 2008)

Update:
Toka's eye is only symptomatically improving because I am using the eye cleanser but If I don't use it ....her eyes can almost totally plugged with mucus! So I have made an appointment at the vet tomorrow to get her eyes seriously checked. I bet it will require an anti-biotic treatment! They also asked for a stool sample to check for adult worm signs. I hope she's clear from all these troubles so I can let her sleep on my bed like she wants!


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## scottd (Jun 28, 2011)

Are you going to get the cat spayed?


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## scottd (Jun 28, 2011)

By the way, Columbia requires a license for any cat/dog over 3 months of age.


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## amz_raptor (Mar 20, 2008)

scottd said:


> Are you going to get the cat spayed?


She's going to be spayed at 6mo of age, she's now 17-18weeks according to the vet



scottd said:


> By the way, Columbia requires a license for any cat/dog over 3 months of age.


I didn't know this but thanks for telling me! I just looked on city website:
"*WHEN TO LICENSE *
Every year. It's most convenient to license when you get your pets rabies inoculation. Ask your vet for a license application."

which will be in 3weeks for now.


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## minikin44 (Aug 25, 2012)

Some places only require licenses for dogs. I'm sure your vet will know whether or not you'll need one.


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## jadis (Jul 9, 2011)

I'm glad you're getting her eyes rechecked. She will be feeling great in no time .


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## coyt (Jul 15, 2012)

Poor kitty.. is that her in your avatar? If so, she looks cute! 

Also I'm glad to hear you will get her spayed. There are some vets that can even do it earlier, just so you know. But 6 mos. should be fine I think


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## Ragdoll_Joy (Jul 13, 2012)

Yah she looks adorable!!!


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## amz_raptor (Mar 20, 2008)

coyt said:


> Poor kitty.. is that her in your avatar? If so, she looks cute! :grin:
> 
> Also I'm glad to hear you will get her spayed. There are some vets that can even do it earlier, just so you know. But 6 mos. should be fine I think


Yep she is the one in the avatar? I'll put both of my kitties in the signature soonish.

So I went to a nearby vet since someone mentioned it is important to build a rs with my vet.... and they actually seem much more experienced & about the same price. Her eyes are now being treated with a local anti-biotic 3 times a day for 10 days. I got a stool sample which they looked over and found some roundworm eggs, which says nothing new and will be de-wormed again a week from now. The interesting news is that they also found Coccidia protozoa which is why her stool is extremely smelly... She's being treated using a liquid suspension 1ml/day(I think it contains some Sulfa-drug). The vet was telling me they can run some tests to see if the cat has FIV or Feline Leukemia but those were a bit pricy and I wasn't sure how to feel towards the fact that I could receive positive results!  .. I did discuss some things about the pet license and spaying and now I am aware of what to do and when so that's good.

The funny news now is the cat is officially terrified of the main door because she was blown away by the big storm that passed by Missouri today. I entered the door....she was waiting in front and the wind blew her up almost 2 feet in the air and landed inside the trash can. Now, she runs under the toilet whenever someone opens the door. So I am curious what escape plan she has in mid if she's not planning on using the door to the apartment!


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## minikin44 (Aug 25, 2012)

I'm glad you have a better vet now. Bear also had coccidia but the meds cleared it up just fine; the roundworms were actually the more stubborn parasite. I feel bad but I can't help laughing when I imagine poor little Toka being blown into the trash can! I'd have loved to have seen the expression on her face! It's like Dorothy's house being carried away in the Wizard of Oz...


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## amz_raptor (Mar 20, 2008)

I went for another dewormer yesterday & and I was inspecting her stool for any adult worms. She defecated twice since we got back & I checked it using small food plastic bags. The vet said if I did see any adult worms this means she will need a third deworming. So far I don't see anything (I know I can miss) the cops also.... didn't see any....yea... the cops. I have to share this story because it is really funny...

So imagine examining a small plastic bag that contains greenish; weird looking stuff carefully before throwing it into the trash bin outside and suddenly a wild cop appeared! He asked me what is it I am looking at...I honestly panicked for no reason at all and then I responded with a faint voice "Worms!" ... He didn't understand that I am looking for worms in poop and asked me if he can look at the bag. I happily handed him the plastic bag. He QUICKLY opens it and puts his hand in it. I yelled NOOOOOOOOO!!! he gives me a more suspicious look before he smells it. I tried to stop him but every word I said made it sound more suspicious. Then I say this: "For your own sake, don't smell it!" he actually panics and puts his hand on his gun.. the very hand he placed in the bag.. and instead he just puts his nose in the bag takes a nice inhale then throws up on the floor. It was really funny afterwards! 

More about Toka, she seemed to have full anal glads which the vet emptied yesterday. I thought it was bad farts but It was too nasty to be farts. She added about 600grams during this last week which hopefully means the roundworms and all the nasty parasites have been exterminated! I got her a nice pink safety collar instead of the low-price black one. She is more active and playful than before. I somehow took a fairly unhealthy and sick kitten home and I put all my efforts into making her get better and ready for spaying next month! Thank you all for the responses, each made a difference!


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## minikin44 (Aug 25, 2012)

I'm glad she's doing so well now! Haha the cop story is too funny... I guess that's what he gets for not letting you explain...


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