I am fostering one of my former colony cats. My friend is now feeding the colony, which was hers to begin with but since I moved out of the county and live 35 miles away, she has had to take back the care of the 7 colonies with which I was helping her.
Desi, the cat I am now fostering has lost a lot of weight. My friend took him to the vet and the cat has tested positive for FeLv. His PCV test is at 10 and the vet doesn't hold out much hope for long term survival. In addition, the vet felt a small mass near the cat's liver. However, what's puzzling is that Desi is still eating, still grooming, his fur is shiny like a healthy cat. His eyes were clear and bright last night but had a little gunk on one cheek this morning. But they are still wide and bright and he doesn't seem to be in any discomfort or pain. One thing though is that he's weak. He walks slowly and sits down after a few steps but then he gets up, rubs against me and then sits again. His belly is large but i can feel his backbone when I stroke him. When I knew him as a street cat, he was plump and active and mischievous. I have known him since he was a half grown kitten. He was one of many black cats born to a black feral mom cat in the colony but he was friendly to me and my rescue partner. When we got them neutered, we did not test them for anything because we don't have money for that. Desi is about 4 years old. The colony hangs out at an office park. I'm wondering if there's any way short of a transfusion to deal with his anemia. I'm giving him Nutra Ved vitamins daily, .5 cc. twice a day. I can't afford the transfusion and with a leukemia positive cat I don't feel it would be wise or that any vet would be willing to do that. Spay and Neuter your cats and dogs and your weird relatives and nasty neighbors too!
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