A Cat in need of help

Aim: This cat needs urgent veterinary help. Ran away when frightened by a loud noise from a neighbour in August. Has come back ill.

She is an abandoned cat, very nervous and frightened by humans. Just harmlessly moving an arm had her running away. She crossed my path in 2018. When she chose to sit outside, waiting for my backdoor to open in the mornings. Having put a camera outside I learned that she was eating food left out fo hedgehogs. Therefore  I began to give her something to eat in the mornings, before she disappeared. My cat, who was approaching 20, had to be put down in early 2019. I gave all her food and equipment to the local cat shelter. They asked me if I wanted another cat but declined. 

A month later, I returned from putting some bird feeders in the garden, pushed the backdoor open to find her in my kitchen. Was it a windy day? The door must have been blown open to let her in. I discovered that she had left a deposit in my front room. I returned to feeding her. There was a cat house in the garden already. Another cat house was acquired with bedding, she started using that in the winter. Though she was free to go where she wanted, except in my house. That's because I'd promised my cat that there would be no more cats in this house. She started to get closer to me but it took a long time for her to let me touch her. She wouldn't left me give her flea treatment. The bedding was sprayed. she managed to rid, herself and was seemingly proud of her independence. Life went on, she became accustomed to the garden, walking around on the fence and railings. a neighbour's shed roof and beyond.

Wet start to this year, she was miserable. Brighter in July, two separate hegehogs visiting. One much smaller than the other. Presumably female, she would make herself scarce if the larger one turned up.

The cat started scratching again at this time, still wouldn't let me examine. No sign of the hedgehogs scratching. If she has caught anything, not from them. Hot in August, she was acting erratically. keeping to herself. A large sudden bang from the garden of a next door neighbour, late one evening. Had her running in alarm. Before getting to the back gate, she turned round to look at me. Then she rapidly disappeared under the gate, as if believing the noise came from me. No return to normal, though she was caught on the hedgehog camera, during her first week away. The next week, on walking outside, heard a fair bit of cat hissing. Made me think that she was finding herself unwelcome, whilst looking for food.

Then nothing, was somebody feeding her or could she have died? It felt strange not having her around, weeks passed nothing. Then out of the blue, in the gloom of a late September evening, she emerged, looking thin and dirty but very calm, from the bottom of the garden. Strangely, the tip of her tongue, was poking out of her mouth, which I did not pay enough attention. I gave her some food again in smaller amounts than usual. After about five days she began asking for more, plonking her bum firmly down, in her usual feeding spot. Unlike before she was happy to allow me to remove bits of garden from her coat. 

This last weekend (Oct 12), her tongue was not sticking out. Initially thought that was good. In the evening I noticed red on the right side of her mouth. I noticed her scratching her face. She wouldn't let me examine. She wouldn't eat her biscuit. Leaving the biscuit outside for longer, I came inside. A few minutes later, on hearing a scuffling noise near the back door. Thinking it might be a rat and with the cat food outside, took a quick look outside. Discovered the cat with a bird in her mouth, she took off with it and fled like a demonic creature. Brought her dish inside and left her to it.

Sunday morning blood and drool hanging from her mouth, tongue out. Obviously a problem, quite possibly parasitic. Made some enquiries about help, not very helpful. Am not particularly wealthy. Have lived without heating the last 3 winters. Losing the fuel allowance this winter a blow. Need some help with vets, spent £31 on a carrier. Will need some Vet's bill help.

This project successfully funded on 11th November 2024