Poorly cat
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nick heppinstall

Original Poster:

8,931 posts

304 months

Friday 15th November 2013
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Really odd on with our cat Jake this morning.

Bit of back ground. He's a rescue cat who adopted us around 2 months ago.

He's really, really friendly. My 8 year old picks him up and carries him around like a toy.

He loves it. Just lays in her arms and purrs loud enough to be heard accross the room.

This morning she came upstairs really upset saying Jake was laying on the settee. She went to stroke his head and he hissed and growled at her. Didnt want to touch is fav toy or his food.

I went downstairs and he was sitting under the table. I went to touch his head really carefully and he hissed at me then walked into the living room.

To me he appeared to be walking a bit oddly with his back end.

We didnt touch him any further but decided to take him straight to the vets when they opened.

We put the cat box in the kitchen and he just went straight too it and climbed inside.

Just had a report back from my Mrs. The vet prodded and pulled him about and he never made a sound. Said he had a slight temp.

Said he didnt think he had been hit by a car ( my fear ) as they usually have damaged claws. He thinks Jake has been traumatised by another cat, Fox or Badger.

He said it was difficult to see if he had any cuts etc because he is all black. They are going to keep him under observation at the vets until 5pm.

I was worried he had been hit by a car and had internal injuries. His personality had changed soo much. He was almost like a feral cat. 100% change in personality.

Mobile Chicane

21,850 posts

236 months

Friday 15th November 2013
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Sounds as though he's in pain. Hopefully the vet can get to the bottom of what's causing it.

bexVN

14,690 posts

235 months

Friday 15th November 2013
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My Mum and Dads cat often got like this after a scrap with another cat. Sl temp, stiff moving, really grumpy, not wanting to be touched, a'bios and anti inflammatory and he was usually better by next day. Worried us no end first time it happened. He never got an abscess though which you'd have expected.

Hopefully it is similar for your cat and he will be a lot better after treatment in a day or two.

ali_kat

32,143 posts

245 months

Friday 15th November 2013
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To me too, it sounds like he's had a shock; mine have always got clingy when scared/hurt, but they aren't normal!

Please keep us updated & paws crossed!

nick heppinstall

Original Poster:

8,931 posts

304 months

Friday 15th November 2013
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Looking more promising now ! Vet says he's been bitten by another cat on the tail. Didn't say where but I guess if it's near the base then that would make him walk a bit funny.....

They have given him a dose of antibiotics. Mrs picking him up at 5 ish...

That's a relief !

ali_kat

32,143 posts

245 months

Friday 15th November 2013
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thumbup

nick heppinstall

Original Poster:

8,931 posts

304 months

Monday 23rd June 2014
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Bit of an update on Jake. Unfortunately it looks like he may have abandoned us. He's now not been in the house for about 10 days although I have seen him a couple of times at the end of the street.

This has been a gradual thing with him just staying away for longer and longer periods. It's a shame because he is a lovely cat and my little girl is devastated.

Of course the cat cant know the effect that going missing regularly has on our 8 year old.

We live very close to some woods so he may have decided that's the better life or it maybe that some local has been feeding him and taken him in.

I thought it strange that he could lose so many collars of every conceivable design sometimes 2 a week before we gave up.

Anyway I think i'll give him until the end of the week then cancel the pet insurance. I'm not paying £10 a month for an absent pet.....

You hear that Jake ! ? Get your arse back here or else ....

ali_kat

32,143 posts

245 months

Monday 23rd June 2014
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Sounds like he's been catnapped, put up missing posters, with pictures of your little girl crying & pictures of her & Jake together

Give someone a guilt trip

nick heppinstall

Original Poster:

8,931 posts

304 months

Monday 23rd June 2014
quotequote all
ali_kat said:
Sounds like he's been catnapped, put up missing posters, with pictures of your little girl crying & pictures of her & Jake together

Give someone a guilt trip
smile Thing is Ali I've seen him. Believe me if he doesn't want to be somewhere he won't be. If he's decided he wants to live somewhere else then that's that. No way could we ever keep that cat in.

It's very frustrating that people entice cats away from their homes. We've had all the associated costs of purchase, spaying etc and he's chipped. Not to mention about £100 worth of collars and the heartache of him just leaving home.

But .... What can you do ? I only suspect this is whats happened and it could be that he's just decided that the woods are too much fun !

bexVN

14,690 posts

235 months

Monday 23rd June 2014
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When he next comes home or when you track hom down get him in and shut him in for preferably 4-6 wks but 2-3 at least (I know he won't like it) to break the habit. I bet someone else is feeding him you need to stop them.

Hope he will make his way back but if you do all the above and he still disappears you can't really do more.

nick heppinstall

Original Poster:

8,931 posts

304 months

Monday 23rd June 2014
quotequote all
bexVN said:
When he next comes home or when you track hom down get him in and shut him in for preferably 4-6 wks but 2-3 at least (I know he won't like it) to break the habit. I bet someone else is feeding him you need to stop them.

Hope he will make his way back but if you do all the above and he still disappears you can't really do more.
Yeah if he comes back we'll give that a go...

ali_kat

32,143 posts

245 months

Monday 23rd June 2014
quotequote all
nick heppinstall said:
ali_kat said:
Sounds like he's been catnapped, put up missing posters, with pictures of your little girl crying & pictures of her & Jake together

Give someone a guilt trip
smile Thing is Ali I've seen him. Believe me if he doesn't want to be somewhere he won't be. If he's decided he wants to live somewhere else then that's that. No way could we ever keep that cat in.

It's very frustrating that people entice cats away from their homes. We've had all the associated costs of purchase, spaying etc and he's chipped. Not to mention about £100 worth of collars and the heartache of him just leaving home.

But .... What can you do ? I only suspect this is whats happened and it could be that he's just decided that the woods are too much fun !
It is, that's why I said to flyer the locality to get him home! Let them know he's YOUR cat & that your daughter issues him. They may not know he has a home.

Then, as Bex says, collar him & chip him!

bexVN

14,690 posts

235 months

Monday 23rd June 2014
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Remember it's summer so he will be out more don't disown him (or cancel ins yet) he maybe back once the weather isn't so good smile

Would be good to at least check he has someone else who will take on his care if you decide not to try and get him back.

nick heppinstall

Original Poster:

8,931 posts

304 months

Monday 23rd June 2014
quotequote all
ali_kat said:
It is, that's why I said to flyer the locality to get him home! Let them know he's YOUR cat & that your daughter issues him. They may not know he has a home.

Then, as Bex says, collar him & chip him!
He's had about 12 collars in 8 months and has been chipped from day one.

ali_kat

32,143 posts

245 months

Monday 23rd June 2014
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Put an alert on his chip, so you get notified if anyone takes him in?

nick heppinstall

Original Poster:

8,931 posts

304 months

Tuesday 24th June 2014
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Arrived home at 18:30 to find a very hungry, much thinner and wowi Jake .... I recon he just wanders too far or is getting stuck in somewhere. Looking at how much weight he's lost and how happy he was to see us I don't think he's stayed with anyone else ....

Now curled up in his fav spot until his next adventure .....

ali_kat

32,143 posts

245 months

Tuesday 24th June 2014
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thumbup

Ye of little faith!

Keep him in for a few days smile

nick heppinstall

Original Poster:

8,931 posts

304 months

Tuesday 24th June 2014
quotequote all
ali_kat said:
thumbup

Ye of little faith!

Keep him in for a few days smile
biggrin Yeah it's strange isn't it ? He must have picked up the vibes lol !!

bexVN

14,690 posts

235 months

Tuesday 24th June 2014
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Yay! Good newssmile, nice to read after a stty and long day at work!!

Now keep him in!

Patch888

701 posts

152 months

Tuesday 24th June 2014
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Glad to read there was a happy ending to your story smile