Best thing to feed starved cat?

[mandelyn]

Hi, and welcome to Mandy's home for lost and decrepid animals! Geeze.

Yesterday I went into the basement (outside door) to get some wood, and I see this black thing scurry off. I paused, thinking it was a coon. "Meooow". Dang, it's a cat.

We don't do cats in this house... once we had a tom cat that wouldn't leave, and twice I've rescued kittens when I was living in Kentucky.. but my dad is just not a cat guy. So I shoo it away, and it wouldn't leave. I pick it up, and notice how gosh darn skinny it is.

I set it down, and it walks sideways, like there's a major defect in the spine or rear right hip... can't tell. So I call the SPCA, they won't pick up cats, you can only drop them off. Well I know what happens when decrepid cats get dropped off at the SPCA, if it's not a cute and cuddly or exceptionally pretty cat, they go straight on back to the "bad" room. This cat is cuddly... but it's not cute, or pretty.

Just an average run of the mill black cat that can't walk straight. Who needs a lot of feedings to look better. So of course I fed it. Now it thinks it lives here.

Named it Bones, but I put out 6 emails to local cat rescues, so I haven't commited myself to buying cat food yet. We gave it a box with a blanket in it, and I caught my dad giving it scrambled eggs for breakfast (same guy that HATES cats). Also caught the cat in his lap last night. So she's sucking up to the right person. I don't have any say-so, I can only feed it.

But if I don't hear back from these rescues, what's the best thing to feed a grossly starved cat?

I mean, you can wrap your hand around her spine, count every rib and vertabrae. The name Bones is really quite fitting. Plus she's all black and it's close to Halloween.

And how do I know for sure if she's a she? I'm really a dog person, and know next to nothing about cats.

She's super friendly and came with a flea collar. I think she got injured or has a nerve/neorological issue and was dropped off at the park next door, or she got dropped off and then injured. She's not showing pain... it's like she's just crooked.

If she finds an indoor home after we fix her or a rescue takes her, she'll be the best house cat ever because she can't jump on counter tops.

We don't have the money for a vet visit... we can only offer care. Last time I vetted a rescue cat it was $120. I just hope she's smart enough to stay out of the back yard and to avoid the dogs. She approached the little rescue dog when his head was sticking through the fence, and she promptly swatted him. That won't fly if she finds herself up against one of the Shepherds.

Ugh. That gives me two rescues here now.

 

[PurpleChicken]

I'd just get it some decent quality canned food and mix in some cat kibble too. Don't let it eat too much at first. Let it's system adjust. Plenty of fresh water too.

A little canned tuna in water probably won't hurt but stay away from dairy.

Now I'm going back to pretending I know nothing about cats and hate them again.

 

[Imp]

Only 2 rescues, I'm up to 7.

Feed the cat anything it will eat, not too much at one time. Some cats are naturally skinny. Better yet have your dad feed it.

(see a theme here?)
It may be a lost pet if it was wearing a collar. Try advertising, flyers etc.
If it's getting around fine the walking may be an old injury, although I would strongly reccomend a vet check.

Good luck
Imp

 

[mandelyn]

Yeah I've been feeding it little bits of food quite often, it's the first starved cat I've had, but not the first starved animal. I figured starved ir starved across the various species. I keep trying to tell it we don't like cats and we just feel sorry for it, but Bones insists on being held anyways. She'll roll on her back in your lap for belly rubs.

Perhaps trying to appear dog like so we like her more? LOL

Stupid thing. There's 15 houses on this street and she picked ours. The neighbors are cat people, why didn't she go there?

She is sweet though, I'll give her that.

 

[jerseygirl1]

Picture??

 

[Evermore Ranch]

if he likes scrambled eggs they are actually pretty good for him Or her. They are high in protein and easy on the tummy. like everyone is saying go slow. We ran a shelter for years and the other thing I would be getting on right now would be getting a good wormer in him as soon as he is strong enough to handle it.

 

[CHIC]

Dry kitten food would probably do the trick- extra nutrience and fat.

 

[cruzinTbird]

Try kitten food, and if you can find some canned green Tripe (pee-U! it stinks!) I have found this to put weight on dogs and cats when they are ill.

 

[Beekissed]

You will probably want to de-worm this cat or all the nutrition in the world won't put on the weight. Raw eggs in his/her food is also a good and quick way to add some much needed protein. You can also sprinkle some nutritional yeast on the food for some added protein, if raw eggs aren't palatable or are too rich for this animal.

I rescued a cat like this and the de-worming once and then again in another week was the turn around point for this cat. He is now a glossy little porch ornament that haunts the feed bowl!