Cats not feeling well/sneezing a lot

Question

Furry Children   QUESTION: I have 3 fixed cats indoors that seem to have colds, sneezing, laying around more than usual, they are eating but at times throwing up small amounts of undigested food, and I feed about 20 stray Feral cats outside.  2 of the younger ones outside have had cold in their eyes & noses, sneezing.  Could I have brought this in to my indoor cats on my hands or shoes.  I feel terrible, I don't have the $ 4 a vet I am a care giver to my Mother.  My cat was a stray and taking her Temp is impossible.  Help, what can I do to make them feel better, and prevent this from happening again.  Thank You.

ANSWER: Robin,

Unfortunately if you didnt take the appropriate hygienic precautions after handling and caring for stray or feral cats its quite possible that youve brought a viral or bacterial infection into your home and to your resident cats. The concern about upper respiratory symptoms is that they may indicate distemper which is often fatal in younger cats. I would suggest that you try obtaining a loan for vet care through Care Credit, they routinely provide financing in situations like this. Theres really not much that can be done at home until a diagnosis is made by a veterinarian other than keeping the eyes and nasal passages clear of discharge to prevent any bacterial infections from developing due to the discharges staying near the eyes or nose too long. You can accomplish this by using cotton balls moistened with warm water. If I had an idea of where you were writing from Id be able to provide you with a list of organizations in your area that might be willing to help you out with the cost of vet care. I keep an ever growing list of resources for Canada and the US that may be willing to offer help to low income pet parents, however due to the sheer volume of organizations its not practical for me to list all of them each time someone asks for help.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I apologize, I live in Colonial Beach VA.  Also, I do wash my hands after going outside to feed the Feral Cats, there is only 1 that will let me touch it, the cold in his eye & nose has cleared but still sneezes occasionally .  Indoor cats have all had their shots, eating & drinking better.  I also have a 13 yr old small dog, could symptoms be passed to him?
Thank you again

Answer
Robin,

Sadly there aren't many local rescues or organizations that advertise offering subsidized vet care in your area. I have included the names of a couple of low cost spay/neuter clinics and rescues because they may know of organizations willing to help out with the costs of vet care.


Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Services
Regional low-cost spay-neuter options include:

Prevent-A-Litter (PAL), Richmond, Virginia: 804-359-6369

Virginia Kincheloe Spay/Neuter Clinic, Fredericksburg, Virginia: 540-507-7461

Lucky Ones, Charlotte Hall, Maryland: 301-884-2850

Well Pet Clinic, Lexington Park, Maryland: 301-866-0303

Wendys Feline Friends
1228 Holly Vista Dr
Colonial Beach, VA 22443
Phone: (804)224-1079


The following is a list of general organizations that offer help throughout the US, hopefully one will consider extending a helping hand to you.

Care Credit often extends credit to pet parents in need of assistance with veterinary fees, however this service is financing rather than subsidy so any assistance must be repaid according to the agreement between you and Care Credit.

IMOM Inc., www.IMOM.org

Help-A-Pet, www.help-a-pet.org

The Pet Fund, www.thepetfund.com

Good Sam Fund, www.goodsamfund.org

United Animal Nations LifeLine Fund, www.uan.org

Angels for Animals, www.angels4animals.org

Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance Program, www.fveap.org

Feline Outreach, www.felineoutreach.org

Cats in Crisis, http://www.catsincrisis.org

I do hope that you are able to find some help with veterinary costs for your cats. I would also encourage you to consider speaking with the closest chapter of Alley Cat Allies to help you get the feral cats that you care for spayed/neutered, health checked and vaccinated to reduce health concerns and control the colony's population. As far as I know there is a small likelihood that the dog would be affected by the viral/bacterial infection that the cats are sick with. You would have to confirm that for sure with a vet because some things are transmissable between species.