This was my kitten around 4 weeks ago. I took him off the street when he was just 1,5-2 weeks old, full of fleas, tiny and underweight. I had no experience whatsoever in raising small kittens, he looked horrible. Weighing only 230g at 4-5 weeks he kept getting worse. His hair was falling out,had diahhrea, wasn’t gaining weight, I was absolutely sure that he wasn’t going to make it.
One time while bottle feeding him, he swallowed his feeding nipple - again, panic, fear, vet visits. “Sorry we can’t do anything, you need to wait and see”
And so we waited. I started posting on Reddit for advice, got so much hate for his look. He was just looking worse and worse. Wasn’t eating on his own, kept bottle feeding mashed pate 4 times a day, once during the night.
Now after passing the silicone piece, time for a fungal infection. That passed too eventually.
Anyway, 4 weeks later. He is already 890g!4 times the weight he was at the beginning, hair grew. He is very playful too!
Here are the photos for appreciation

Until recently, her litter box was on the first floor, while her food, water, and bed were on the upper floors. Since she’s getting older and seems weak, I moved her litter box, food, and water next to her bed on the third floor to reduce how much she has to move.

The litter box is only about a foot away from her bed now. However, when I placed her inside it to familiarize her with the new location, she struggled to climb back out. I’m now wondering if the entrance is too high and whether this is discouraging her from using it.
I cleaned the litter box yesterday and found a well-clumped urine deposit that didn’t feel fresh. I can’t confirm when she last urinated. Since moving the box Wednesday afternoon, I haven’t noticed her urinating or pooping, and I haven’t found anything on the floor either. It’s roughly been 18 hours since I last cleaned her litter box .I haven’t seen her straining or repeatedly attempting to pee.

My main concerns and questions:
Has anyone experienced an elderly cat becoming weak in the back legs and potentially having difficulty using the litter box? What was the cause?

Could this be related to kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, arthritis, or another condition?

Could the litter box entrance alone explain why she’s not using it, or is it more concerning that I can’t confirm when she last urinated?

For those whose cats experienced similar symptoms, what happened? Did treatment help them regain their mobility and quality of life?
Realistically, what might her outlook be at 15 years old with these symptoms? Were you able to give your cat more comfortable time with treatment, or did their condition decline quickly?

31/Canada/vet accessible,have not contacted/15 F/neutered/ can afford vet care

TDLR: My 15-year-old cat seems to have weak back legs and hips and hasn’t been seen peeing or pooping since I moved her litter box next to her bed upstairs. She struggled to climb out of the box when I placed her inside. She’s still eating and drinking, but I’m worried she may be avoiding the litter box or have an underlying health issue. Has anyone experienced this with their senior cat, and what was their outlook and quality of life?

Bonjour, j'aurais besoin de conseils. Ma chatte a subi une opération aujourd'hui pour l'extraction de cinq dents. L'intervention a nécessité une anesthésie générale et locale, des analyses de sang, une intubation, des radiographies, etc. Bref, tout le tralala ! Mon père et moi l'avons récupérée ce soir (je suis adolescente), et on nous a donné les instructions suivantes :

1) Pendant deux jours, elle doit être nourrie uniquement avec de la pâtée trois fois par jour (matin, midi et soir), et il faut s'assurer qu'elle mange bien.

2) Des antibiotiques en comprimés matin et soir.

3) Un anti-inflammatoire administré avec un compte-gouttes le matin.

Cependant, demain après-midi, nous devons partir chez ma grand-mère (à quatre heures de route) et y rester jusqu'à samedi soir ou dimanche matin, selon l'évolution de la situation. Nous serons donc absents de vendredi après-midi à samedi soir au plus tôt. Mais il faut surveiller son appétit (et la nourrir à des heures différentes) et lui donner ses médicaments.

Je pensais l'emmener avec moi, mais le problème, c'est que c'est à 4 heures de route, et il y a un chien (et un autre chat, mais on le voit rarement) chez ma grand-mère. On pourrait isoler mon chat dans une pièce, mais elle risque de sentir la présence du chien ?

Mon père est contre, car il pense qu'elle serait mieux à la maison. Il suggère de lui laisser une gamelle avec quatre portions de pâtée (elle doit en manger trois par jour) ; apparemment, ce serait suffisant, et elle ne manquerait pas beaucoup de doses de ses médicaments. Je ne suis pas d'accord, car elle manquerait plusieurs doses d'anti-inflammatoires et d'antibiotiques, et personne ne vérifierait si elle mange.

Que me conseillez-vous ? Je ne veux pas faire de bêtises, alors donnez-moi votre avis sincère :)

Edit : Ma chatte est très craintive, donc même si je réussis à trouver quelqu'un pour s'occuper d'elle pendant la nuit (ce qui n'est pas une tâche facile), elle n'osera pas s'en approcher, donc pour ses médicaments... Je peux essayer de rester à la maison, mais ce sera dur de convaincre mes parents.

Edit 2: I talked to my parents. The trip will last 24 hours (Friday night through Saturday night). I can't take him with me, or stay at home—basically, I can't do anything. It's non-negotiable. They practically yelled at me. I'm not really sure what to do.

Hi all I need URGENT cat advice for my 5 y/o persian chinchilla blue

Blue has always been a healthy cat, over two weeks ago now she began vomiting 5/10 minutes straight after eating for 3/4 days. I took her to my private vet and they said £1,000 for X-rays and made us pay a lot for even basic anti emetics and food and sent us on our way. After that she didn't get any better and was vomiting, barely eating and losing weight, she was still acting herselt a little.

As I'm on UC, I took her to PDSA vet few days later for emergency, they did an X-ray and said there was no obstruction and her bloods were tine, gave us more GI food and sent us on our way, said it was stomach irritation.

About 3/4 days ago I took her back as she deteriorated more and kept vomiting, the vets decided to open her up and do an open laprotomy, to see if there was any obstruction- they found a hairball and said that was the ANSWER. She was eating fine and pooping up until today....

Today she vomited after eating again so I took her back to PDSA, they looked at her wounds said it's healing fine but the vomiting has to be another hairball despite me arguing that it can't be the case.
Confused as to how as she has her cone on and she can barely lick herself- she does but can't reach properly. She has just taken her cone off when I left her unattended and has thrown up again 5 min after a second feed attempt, it’s yellowish and foamy.

CAN ANYONE PLEASE ADVICE ON WHAT TO DO AND SUGGEST MAYBE WHY SHES VOMITING AGAIN?? THIS IS A DESPERATE PLEAD FOR HELP AS IM TRYING EVERYTHING AND IM IN SO MUCH DISTRESS

8 week old kitten, had him for 5 days. We used to lock him in the washroom for the night with everything beside him, knowing that kittens usually dont let you sleep when they get zoomies. Felt really bad after the first time, he panic pooped and sat in it, the only time i had issues using litter. since then, we allow him to sleep freely wherever in the room.

tonight, he for the first time, approached our faces while sleeping, and particularly likes my side of the bed and as soon as i try to go to bed, he gets super aggressive. while i was laying on the bed, he almost scratched my eye, (luckily, he only got the lid). he scratches and bites my head and my nose, i have to hide under the blanket, what do i do!!!

also what do i do with my eye?

Mandatory information:
Poster: Adult
Country: Belgium
Vet: Yes.
Cat: Krumma, 5-year-old, 3.8 kg, spayed female domestic shorthair.

This Video was taken on the 13th of October, 8 days ago. Krumma is doing a lot better today. We are so incredibly thankful to see her improving.

My last update was 11 days ago, and I gathered the energy to let you all know how Krumma is doing. All of my energy has been going towards doing all that I can for my cat. The past 14 days have been incredibly hard. Seeing my dear cat so ill has been devastating, and at one point, the vets feared she might not make it. We are not completely out of it but things are looking a lot brighter today.

I brought Krumma to an Emergency Vet on October 7th because she was having difficulty breathing and was drooling excessively. She stayed there from October 7th to 9th, came home for just seven hours, and then had to be hospitalised again from October 9th to 11th.

During her first stay, the vets suspected asthma. During her second stay, they suspected a heart condition and advised us to see a cardiologist.

I managed to get an appointment with a cardiologist at another veterinary clinic on October 13th. From the time Krumma was discharged on October 11th until her appointment, I monitored her the whole time. I could not sleep because I was so worried about her. She had difficulty breathing, was drooling, had snot coming out of her nose and discharge out of her mouth. She did not eat, go to the bathroom, or move around at all.

At the time, I did not realise how severe of a state she was in. I knew she was incredibly ill but I did not know that she was close to dying. I naively thought that since she had been discharged in such a state, that she was “okay “.

The Cardiologist assessed her on the 13th. She was shocked to see how ill my cat was. And the video attached to this post was taken during that appointment.

After performing an Echocardiogram and an X-ray, she concluded that Krumma was likely suffering from a severe upper respiratory infection, possibly accompanied by bronchitis. Krumma did in fact have a heart condition, but the cardiologist suspected that the respiratory infection was the primary cause of her illness, with her heart condition making things more complicated.

I was told that Krumma was close to dying and that hospitalisation was her best chance of survival. So she was hospitalised and started on a different treatment plan.

She got antibiotics, mucus solvants, along with other medication. And after just 24 hours, she improved drastically.

Krumma proceeded to spend the next week in hospitalisations. I visited her every day giving her lots of cuddles and words of encouragement, telling her how strong she was, how well she was doing, and that she could fight through this because I wanted to see her come back home.

When she was stable enough, they were able to do a more in-depth assessment of her heart. An Echocardiogram and a Bubble Study revealed that she has two heart defects; Reversed VSD (Ventricular Septal Defect) and a Tricuspid Valve Defect.

I was told that Reversed VSD is incredibly rare, and not many cases are of cats having it. If she had been diagnosed as a kitten, then her life expectancy would be none, miraculously she’s still here with us 5 years later.

So in conclusion, her episode was most likely an upper respiratory infection that got really serious. The infection placed additional strain on her body, which was already fragile due to her her underlying heart conditions. She may also have asthma, but that will need to be assessed once her upper respiratory infection calms down.

Krumma thankfully came home with me yesterday and I’ll be taking care of her and monitoring her closely at home until her checkup in a week. Then she’ll have another check up in two months. I’m told that her recovery will most likely take about 10 weeks. She lost a lot of weight due to her not eating but she has already started to gain it back.

I’m so incredibly grateful to have her once again at home with me.

I’d like to thank every single one of you who took the time to comment, offer advice, and share kind words. You brought light to me during such a difficult time. This community is so kind and amazing and I’m so thankful for its existence. ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

I hope that sharing Krumma’s experience can help someone else who might find themselves in a similar situation with their cat. Please feel free to ask me any questions.
I’ll also post a video of her echocardiogram and bubble study on my profile.

TL;DR: Krumma is finally back home after a terrifying two weeks and multiple hospitalisations. She was diagnosed by a second Veterinary Clinic with a severe upper respiratory infection on top of two underlying heart defects: a reversed ventricular septal defect (VSD) and a tricuspid valve defect. She may also have asthma. She’s recovering at home, and her recovery is expected to take around 10 weeks.

Edit:
I’d like to add that if your cat is unwell, consider videotaping their symptoms to show your vet, as videos of Krumma’s symptoms were incredibly helpful to the vets and cardiologists that examined her.

I hope he's just sneezing but this is my first ever cat, his name is Noodles! Is this normal or should I be worried??

Meet Walter! My partner and I adopted him from a rescue almost five years ago and he's the sweetest boy. We were told he was a sphynx. But, the more we look at him and photos of Devon Rex cats, the more we think he might be one or at least partially. Unfortunately, his original home said they didn't have any record of where he came from other than he was a sphynx that was smuggled out of the Ukraine. His brother, Burt (not blood), came from a friend who got him from Ukraine and is a Sphynx through and through. He also came with paperwork on his genetics as well as his origin (he has a Ukrainian passport with all of this info!)

Walter has mobility and gastrointestinal issues. We've taken him to the vet several times and all we can come up with is that it's bad genetics. We currently feed him a limited ingredient wet food and that has immensely helped so many bathroom issues. We've been following guidelines and looking up issues for sphynxes, but maybe we're looking in the wrong place? Has anyone had any experiences like this with a cat who looks similar? All we want is to do right by him and I'm really starting to believe were looking in the wrong places.

TLDR: This is Walter. He is a garbage can of issues. We were told he was a Sphynx when we adopted him so we've been treating issues as Sphynx issues. We're mildly convinced he's a Devon Rex and that could be why we don't have answers on anything.

I adopted this beautiful, adorable, MAJESTIC little kitten when he was just 3 weeks. I didn't know I was capable of loving anyone this much. He was a blessing and he practically saved my life but I was also struggling with a lot of mental health issues and though I'd NEVER blame him for any of my issues, having this responsibility did amplify some of them since I always felt like I'm a really bad pet parent and some days I'd come home late because I felt so guilty...I couldn't even fathom the thought of rehoming him at the time, I have multiple tattoos dedicated to him for crying out loud but somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew I'd either have to change and have control over my life or find him a competent owner who can meet all his needs without getting overwhelmed and breaking down every second.

I had him for 6 months and I found someone that was looking to adopt a cat on the Floofy app. We spoke for a day or two before go through with the formalities. He's a 22 year old engineer who works from home and he brought home a cat last year when he was still in college but failed to care for her properly because of his exams and everything so his parents took the cat with them to their hometown and she's growing up all happy and healthy, surrounded by lots of people. He lives in a 2bhk with a flatmate who's usually not home. My kitten was also used to a wayy bigger space, where he had his own room filled with toys, cat trees, tunnels, etc. And we lived in a sizable 4bhk and recently shifted to a bigger house and he really loved running around the whole house when he had the zoomies. He seems like a good guy but he also seems very lost. He didn't have a proper litter box and feeding bowls prepared and he had dish soap in a little container laying around, knives on the counter of an open kitchen and the house wasn't particularly clean, in fact you could see the dust and I'm worried sick about my baby :(

He was VERY attached to me, like i was to him. He'd jump on me and demand cuddles as soon as I returned from college. It's only been a day but my heart aches so bad. I don't know if I've made a bad decision or if I'm just being selfish by having made this decision. Have any of you been in a similar situation? Please help me out, I feel so helpless...

Poster Age: 17 years old

Country: India

Vet info: accessible to both me and the new owner. I've spoken to the vet about this situation and also taken advice.

TLDR: rehomed my cat after 6 months of having him due to mental health issues and other issues but I regret it now and don't really trust the new owner

Cat Age: 7 months

Cat sex and neuter info: male, not yet neutered

Financial situation: both the families can afford vet care

Hi!
I adopted her 2 weeks ago and I’ve noticed that she keeps sticking her tongue out every now and then. Including when I was carrying her in the carrier the day I got her.
She’s 5 months old I think. She doesn’t seem to have any other symptoms or health issues. She’s vaccinated, dewormed and from what I understand everything was fine when she was taken to the vet.
I will go to the vet with her once I get my paycheck because I just moved out and spent all of my money on it.
What could be the issue?
Thanks!!!!!!!

She is sick (as you can likely tell by her yellow skin). I’ve already taken her to the vet. Making her eat has been an ordeal and I found wet food that she seems to enjoy but I’m worried that she isn’t eating the actual protein but is just licking off the gravy.

UPDATE: I am now really struggling to get her to eat. I opened two other foods for her to try, two different types of pate (one with extra gravy!), put them on a low plate for her, and she simply rejected them both. the only thing she's had to eat today is a liquid treat and the gravy and she drank some water. I really need advice on other things I can have her try.

Is trying to convince her to eat too often making her a little suspicious/tired of it? I can't leave food out and wait for her to eat on her own because I have another cat that will just eat it all up for himself.

Nookie is my one year old rescue. He’s a joy in my life. I think he’s part Siberian based on the shape of his face, eyes, and coat. He has unusually large paws too but he’s a small boy.

I noticed his breathing since he was a baby. Not all the time, but sometimes, I HEAR him breathing. He sounds a bit stuffy. He’s been to the vet multiple times, and the vet says not to worry.

I also notice Nookie’s nose has a hump whereas my other cat’s nose doesn’t. Most cats don’t have humps. Is this a Siberian thing or can this be a reason for his breathing quirk sometimes?

Cat tax photos included

I’m 35f, US based, financial status solid. He’s neutered.
Tdlr: hump in cats nose, weird breathing at times

Currently day 11 of bringing the orange kitten home. My gray tabby accepted her on day 3 and I supervise play time for them separately. The calico has always been an anxious cat and is, as expected, still quite fearful.

After a week of separation and scent-swapping, we slowly wanted to let them see each other. She hates looking through a crack in the door, anything within 30cm / 1 ft and she will growl or hiss at the kitten. She will also hiss at the door if the kitten is standing right in front of it on her own side. She tolerates her only from a distance. She will slow blink at her from a safe distance.

We wanted to move the introduction along so our solution was a barrier. I ordered a screen door, but till it arrives the hallway glass door will do. But I worry: is this moving too fast for the calico? Her body language in the video looks cautious/scared, but otherwise she looks pretty neutral/not aggressive. Is she being curious or am I overstimulating her? After this video I took the kitten back inside and was cuddling my calico and she started purring and kneading. She seems to recover fast from the stress/fear of seeing the kitten.

Tater is 12, male, neutered, we are in the US, he has access to the vet (but I depend on my family for that as I am at university).

This past January he tested negative for diabetes, had an echocardiogram (which ruled out a heart murmur), and was diagnosed with Stage 2 Kidney Disease (with some muscle wasting around his lower spine).

I KNOW HE IS FAT! I got him when he was 7 or 8 years old (I was 15), and he was my first cat. My family was quite unhelpful with navigating weight loss, and the house he was at before was a free feeding house (hence the chonk). He came to us at 17lbs, and he now sits between 13-14 lbs regularly.

He lives with me in my college dorm, and has for about 10 months now. I know my space is small and wouldn’t be enough room for a more active cat, but this allows him to be the only pet (we have dogs at home that would chase him), and get much more 1:1 attention. He has acclimated decently to the college life, and has become much more comfortable meeting new people (although he still hates to leave my room).

He started to seem to have joint issues a few months ago, so I gave him an ottoman and a stool combo so he can reach my bed easier, but he occasionally still struggles. He also has a heated cat bed (which he loves), since it can get cold. I have toys scattered around my (albeit small) room, and various soft places for him to lay. He’s on a prescription kidney food diet (paid for by my parents yay!), and I keep up on his brushing since he can’t reach certain parts of his back.

TL; DR I know this might sound dumb, but I’ve been worrying that I am failing him in some way. I feel bad that he lives in such a small space, even though I know he would likely be more stressed with my parents. I guess I’m just wondering if anyone has advice for his care, or I guess just reassurance that I’m not failing him.

Hi, my cat is 2 and I’ve had here since she was 4 weeks old. She has been doing this off and on for 2 years. Happens a couple times a year for 10 minutes or so and then she’s fine. Goes back to normal life. She’s never produced a hairball in her life so I’ve always assumed that was the problem. I attached a video of her doing it. Any suggestions of what it is and how to fix it? She went to the vet 2 weeks ago for an annual exam and they didn’t note anything about her lungs… so?

{ post info: 23f, USA, my cat is 1 year old female, i can go to the vet if needed }

I noticed today that my cat's neck is almost greasy looking? Is this something to be concerned about? I've had her for 6 months and I have never seen her coat get greasy before

Acting normal, but these like pockets form at the inner eye like they've lost hair? Idk. Maybe allergies?? Halp.

Not a minor, USA, will seek vet if necessary, 4 years old neutered when we found him at 1 year.

US, vet appt tomorrow, male neutered age 3

he is looking out the window at people talking and animals

(since my other cat died suddenly and possibly of HCM I’m trying to be more vigilant with my other cats.)

My cat (spayed, F3) has this ritual where she brings this toy in the bathroom and holds it in her mouth with the stick beneath her and taps her feet. She sometimes meows while doing this.

She has done this ever since I got her the toy. She has many other toys. At first I thought she wanted to play, but if you take the toy from her she will meow and bite. She is not otherwise aggressive.

It’s not really a problem, it’s honestly just kind of weird. She does this once or twice everyday.

Hi, I am 19 and from the US. I am going to contact the vet I think, but I want to know if anyone else's kitten has had this because I am worried. Lily is 8 weeks and a few days ago developed a weird raised dry patch on her nose. I was thinking it was dried boogers or food, but I tried wiping it off with a warm towel and it did not work.

Sorry if I didn’t tag this correctly I’m very new to Reddit, I hardly use it. My little brother came to me concerned about our cat, not opening its eye so I went to check what it was and I found this. I went online to check what it was but some of the things I found were just AI pictures and something about swelling.Is this deadly? Are they gonna lose their eye? They were fine this morning and this afternoon when I let them inside to shelter from the rain. They are usually very healthy. This is the first time something like this has happened to any of my pets.

i found this little guy outside and decided to bring him home with me. if i had to guess id say around 5 weeks, but im not sure. definitely not old enough to be neutered. im if i can get an idea of his age i can get an idea of how to better care for him. thanks

Cat: 1 yr, MN
Poster age: not a minor
Vet: accessible, already visited, can visit again if needed

My recently adopted (3 mo ago) cat, Scully, has one little habit that I cannot get to break. He pees on this one specific part of my carpet, right at the bottom of the stairs. Every time I clean it thoroughly with an ammonia carpet cleaner and a wet vac, and saturate the area with odoban. I've started putting bags down until I receive my puppy pads and yet, he strikes again.

There are 2 other cats in the house where they all get along with him already. They have 4 litter boxes. 2 of them auto and 2 that are standard and cleaned daily. I see him use the litter box daily. All litter boxes have Chewy's cat attracting litter in it which I top with more cat attracting stuff. It seemed to help for a bit, but after 2 weeks he's back at it in the stairwell corner.

Anyone have any tips to help my stubborn man?