Kitteh is really sick

[Seshat]

Yellow indicates jaundice in humans. Emaciation to that point, and unwillingness to eat, indicates severe illness. Or starvation to the point where hunger is no longer felt.

I'm afraid I'm with K'Z'K on this one - you've likely waited too long.

This is not something I'd consider treatable with stuff from the pet store. This sounds to me like 'get thee to a vet'.

[zombiequeen]

Thanks guys.
Before church this morning, Hubby went to pet Spiggit, and he said that he's still playful and his gums weren't yellow. I think it was something he ate because he likes to eat mice and he sometimes gnaws on acorns...is that a bad thing? What would make his gums a little yellow but then go away?
Mum and I just sat down and talked about him because we were both outside petting him. She's going to the store today, she'll get him the expensive worming medicine in case it's worms (checked his litterbox and didn't find any, but we'll do that just in case) and she's going to get some chicken and eggs for him, and some weight-gaining food. We'll be leaving here in a few minutes to do that.
Quick question: are eggs better raw or cooked? Mum remembers being told by the vet years ago that eggs helped them gain weight for winter, but she doesn't remember how to prepare them.
We checked him all over, he's not sick, he's not touchy about his belly, and his gums and eyes aren't yellow at all.
She isn't giving him bologna anymore. She didn't realize that it was making him lose weight, and now she's going to make him some food that'll be better.
Sorry I freaked out guys, I just am really worried about him.
Something else ate the salmon patties that were in his dish, now I'm afraid it was the neighbor's cat.

EDIT: the only thing he won't eat is canned food. He is eating kibble as he always does, so it's not his appetite we're worried about. I know he eats chicken and eggs, so we're going to try giving him that as treats.

[teh_blumchenkinder]

So, so glad to hear Spiggit's doing better, even if it's just an eesny little bit.
An animal suddenly losing that much weight is a sign of something. Get him to the vet as soon as possible anyway, especially since this has happened before. It isn't good for him.
Maybe he has a tapeworm? ... Check his stools. DO NOT touch them...
It's completely understandable that you'd be upset, so don't worry about us thinking you're a freak-- 'cuz you aren't!
EDIT: it might have very well been a mouse that had eaten poison, and then gave it to Spiggit-- or one of the many, many diseases that mice carry.

[MaggieTheCat]

One of my cats is an indoor/outdoor cat and lives with my parents out in the country, and eats all manner of rodents, birds, etc. He's never gotten severely ill from them (I think a couple times he's maybe had an upset stomach and vomited after eating them, but that's it.) But, he's also up to date on his shots, and I'm not sure what kinds of diseases can be passed to a cat from a dead rodent.

As far as eggs, my cats like cooked eggs a lot, when I'm willing to share. They'll eat scrambled, but I usually scramble mine with a bit of butter and sometimes cheese so they don't get much if any of that when I prepare them that way. They also like hard boiled, which is easier to make without adding anything that might upset a cat's stomach.

Really glad to hear he's doing okay.

[zombiequeen]

Thanks guys.
We got back from the store, got some roundworm medicine and gave it to him. Also we bought him Friskies indoor delights cat food, which when I gave him a little handful, he ate right up. I mixed a handful into his other cat food and we'll mix them together. Mum thinks the protein and greens will help his digestion and help him gain weight.
I'll hopefully be able to call a vet's office tomorrow and I'll ask them what I need to do.

[AriGriffin]

I fed my cats http://www.diamondpet.com/products/d...r_cat_formula/
It is about $20 for a huge bag at my local feed and seed store. Their site has a 'where to buy' feature that is very helpful in finding a nearby place that sells their products. That food does not contain soy, corn, or wheat- stuff that is tough for a cat's body to process. My cat kept having UTI problems back when I fed her the Walmart Indoor dry food. Since switching to Diamond per my vet's advise, she hasn't had a UTI since and it has been a few years.
My vet said that the content of the 'grocery store' brands was akin to feeding a human a bacon cheeseburger with a mound of greasy fries and a milkshake to wash it down with at every meal. Not healthy and tough on the body to process.

[zombiequeen]

I fed my cats http://www.diamondpet.com/products/d...r_cat_formula/

I think that's a kind we tried feeding Spiggit before, and he wouldn't eat it. He's picky. I'll ask mum though, maybe I'm thinking of a different brand.
Is it too soon to give him a hard-boiled egg? We've given him small treats all day, so maybe wait until tomorrow?
And...his ears and gums turned yellow again. This morning they were pink, I checked before going to town with mum and they were pink. Now they're yellow? It's been like five hours since we went to town, would he get jaundice or something that quickly?

[AriGriffin]

Take him to a vet ASAP. Call or e-mail the groups I wrote about earlier. They are there to help and if they are no longer providing financial assistance, they should be able to help point you to a group that is. Take him even if you have to surrender him. My vet will take in sick strays/surrenders; treat them; and will place them for adoption to good pet parents- she makes sure they will treat the animal properly. They have a fishbowl for donations on the receptionist's desk next to a board that has photos and stories of the pets that are undergoing treatment or are ready to be adopted. One of the many reasons why I love my vet.

"...A yellow cat [eyes, gums, or skin] can also mean there is an immune mediated disease of the blood, but could also be a result of various infectious, viral and parasitic diseases, such as feline leukemia virus, FIV, FIP, toxoplasmosis, and haemobartonella. Many cats with diseases called cholangiohepatitis or triaditis (inflammation of the liver, intestines and pancreas) can also present this way. Cats with the fatty liver disease called hepatic lipidosis can also develop signs of jaundice. Most of these conditions need immediate workup and treatment from your veterinarian and can also help to differentiate the above conditions from abdominal cancer..."
-from http://blog.petmeds.com/ask-the-vet/...ce-in-dog-cat/

He will not get better on his own. He needs to see a vet. Send an e-mail to the groups if you haven't already and then take him first thing tomorrow morning to a vet. Check around for a vet online- some have websites or reviews.

[zombiequeen]

If I had money to take him to the vet, I would do it in a heartbeat, even if I had to surrender him. Unfortunately, he's not even my cat. I mean, I could take him to a shelter and give him up, and tell mum he just disappeared but she would just get another cat. I'm not sure what to do here, I mean mum doesn't think anything's wrong with him. I guess if he isn't ok tomorrow then I'll talk to hubby about giving him up.

[AriGriffin]

Then show your Mom these:

http://www.manhattancats.com/Articles/jaundice.html

http://www.petplace.com/cats/jaundic...ats/page1.aspx

http://www.vetinfo.com/jaundice-in-cats.html

The cat is sick and needs to go to the vet. Again, the places I listed earlier are there to help pay for emergency veterinary treatment for pets of people with low incomes or are experiencing financial hardship. You might have to show documentation of said hardship, but if it means the cat getting the medical help it needs, then it is worth it. Tell your Mom that there are organizations that will help pay for Emergency treatment if she can't afford it.

[K'Z'K]

If you can't get your mother to get the poor cat to a vet, you at least need to stop assisting in the neglect. Stop mucking around with over-the-counter meds for conditions he may not have and experimenting with foods that may make things worse. You have no idea what's wrong with him, and do not seem to get it: Spiggit needs real medical care, not eggs.

AriGriffin has given you some excellent advice and information. That list of things that may cause jaundice is far from exhaustive, and it doesn't cover the things that cause weight loss (which may be as simple as parasites or may be something much worse) or anemia (which I'm assuming from the "white gums" comment in the OP and also has a long list of potential causes). And surrendering is free.

Since I apparently was not harsh enough before: this cat is seriously ill and you are contributing to neglect and possibly abuse by not getting him the care he needs (which may end up being euthanasia). Stop going to the store and getting different foods. Stop claiming he's "not sick" if he perks up a bit. Stop deciding that 'it was the bologna, so Friskies will fix him!' You are utterly unqualified to do anything for this cat beyond taking him to someone who can help him. You don't know what the hell is wrong with him. Your mother does know something is wrong with him, though she's in denial about how bad it is--as are you. Stop enabling her and tell her the truth: Spiggit is very sick and needs to see a doctor.

I woke up early today thinking about this case, and it's really bothering me. The cat's condition yes, but also the refusal to get it: he needs to see a vet. Having a bit more energy does not mean he's better. The longer this goes on the worse it will get, and the more this cat will suffer needlessly.

I get the lack of money. We had to euthanize a probably-treatable patient last night for that reason. It sucks. But ignoring the problem in hopes it will go away sucks more. All that money you're spending on foods and whatnot could probably pay for an exam, maybe even some real meds.

What you need to do--what any vet will tell you over the phone--is to take him to a vet. They cannot diagnose (or prescribe) remotely any more than I can.

[Again, I am not a vet, and the above is based on descriptions of what's going on combined with my experience as an emergency/critical care tech. I'm really hoping the descriptions are overblown and he's really not that sick--I'd love for it to be worms and bad lighting--but only a veterinarian can determine that by examining him.]

-K'Z'K

[teh_blumchenkinder]

...
As harsh as K'Z'K is... s/he's right. Not only has Spiggit lost weight like this before, it might happen again-- if it doesn't kill him right now. He's a lovely kitty, I can tell from here, and please, even if it's a small/microloan from a local bank or credit union, there is monetary help out there.
Give him hugs an' pettins' from a strange girl on the interwebs, plz. (ie teh)

[AdminAssistant]

I agree with K'Z'K. Surrendering might be the best thing, since your mom doesn't seem to actually care about the kitty that much.

[zombiequeen]

Like I said before, I'm going to talk to hubby about a way to sneak him to a shelter. I know this is the only way to get him help, I'm just really upset because I don't have money to help him, and this seems like an easy way out. I mean, telling mum he must have ran off or got attacked by something in the woods (luckily we live in the country, there's woods on all sides of us) and must have died is the only way I can see. I just don't want to lie to her, and if I tell her, "Yeah, he was really sick, so we took him to a shelter/surrendered him to a vet" she'll kick us out of the house and we'll be homeless.
I'm angry at the situation we are in, and the one Spiggit is in, but tonight, we'll figure out a way to get him help. I just have to find a shelter that is far enough away from here that she won't find him there, and that is only emergency euthanize.
I would have brought him in already if I could drive.
I mean, this cat is the world to me, and knowing that I can't help him anymore is just kind of devastating. I haven't slept the past three nights worrying about this so it's really hard.
I know I shouldn't be taking all this personally, because it is really great advice. I don't qualify for most of those help things, and I don't want to wait the up to three weeks for their help.

[zombiequeen]

I thought I'd show you guys a picture of Spiggit from a month ago...this is how thin he normally gets.


I can't find him now to get another picture of him...so I think it's the worst right now... he's probably half this thin...and he lost it in about a week from when we treated him and started giving him bologna.
If he shows up when Hubby gets home, we'll find a place to take him. I don't want to abandon him...but I know right now he'll get what he needs if we do.