Furball Desperation

[Tan]

Hi cheeky and    to Purrs.

So glad to hear he is ok. 

What's his name? Love to hear more about him and your other babes 

[cheekykitty]

Thanks Guys

Not long after I posted the original message, it got serious ..... he was having severe trouble breathing, so I took him to the vet immediately and before getting your replies.

The vet took a good look at him and smiled (me in tears).  He said there was nothing to worry about, gave him an anti-inflammatory injection and katalax (which he licked off my finger quite happily I am pleased to say)!

The vet explained that it started off as an irritation (caused by none other than ............ fur), which got worse over time.  I explained that I had administered some olive oil which seemed to make him perk up a lot, which was my reason for not bringing him in straight away and was told that I did the right thing.  After asking whether anything was caught in his throat/stomach or blocking his airways, his answer was 100% No

Thanks Again and Happy Weekend to you all

[Ela]

I agree that a vet visit or a phone call to your vet would be a good idea.

I agree 100%, a timely visit to the vet could save you worry and the cat suffering.

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I agree that a vet visit or a phone call to your vet would be a good idea.  Just talking to the vet on the phone might bring forth some suggestions and your vet is the best person to say whether this is something that will probably resolve in time or something that needs veterinary intervention.

For the record, my Magpie used to have a similar problem although not as bad.  When he has a furball he would go off his food (not totally - he would eat but couldn't manage it all - presumably the furball in his stomach was making him feel full) and vomit a few times - over several days - unable to bring up anything until eventually he either vomited it up or it passed out the other end. 

[Rosella moggy]

To summarise, your cat is eating very little, is hardly moving and no longer tolerates petting. Whilst I appreciate your reluctance to go to your local vet, I really think your cat needs a vet viist this morning if possible. Try and insist on seeing the most senior vet on duty or have you friends that might recommend a vet even if not so local to you? He may have eaten a foreign body that's got stuck. Could be anything. I really wouldn't wait. Sorry if that's not what you wanted to hear. I do know what it feels like to lose trust in a vet but we can't do without them and must try to find the best one we can for times like these.

[cheekykitty]

Hi All

I am new to this forum and in desperate need of some advice.  I have 3 cats and my 2 year old tom seems to be having problems bringing up a furball.  I have never seen him bring one up before (unlike my 8 year old tom, who is constantly extracting them), and it seems to be stuck!

He has lost his appetite but still eats a little kitten food, and has had no problem going to the toilet.  His eyes are watery (clear water) and he regurgitates from time to time, bringing nothing up.  This has been going on for a few days now.  I gave him some olive oil, and he seemed to perk up a lot for a little while, but he has gone back down to hardly any movement again and won't tolerate any petting (which is understandable).

I am almost 100% sure this is the problem, as he hardly ever goes out since he has been neutured.  And like I said, I've never seen him bring up a furball in his life.

I have read a few of the other threads on preventing furballs, and to be honest, I had no clue you could buy products such as katalax etc etc. to help prevent this problem.  My older cat has never had a problem, so have never really thought about furballs being difficult for cats to bring up ...... until now.

Does anyone have any advice or suggestions on how to help my poor little man extract this furball without resorting to the vet? (I don't very much like or agree with my local vets practice and have been wrongly informed on a couple of occassions, once resulting in the death of a much loved family member!)

Thank You