Traumatised Cat, High Temperature

Question
Hi,

Our little girl cat was found slumped in the garden today. We took her to the vet where she was found to have a 41 degree temperature (Celcius...sorry I'm from Australia, would be 105.8 Farenheit, apparently normal for cats is about 100), had a small amount of blood coming from her bottom, was shaking and traumatised and could barely move. She doesn't appear to have been hit by a car, the vet said that she was possibly attacked by a human or cat, but she doesn't know. I'm not sure what the above symptoms mean but we are trying to figure out what is wrong with her, as I have never seen her so sick, so traumatised or depressed before. She is not bleeding externally and the vet cannot pick exactly what the matter is. I have to give her antibiotics starting tomorrow also. I am very worried...especially if a person did something to her that lives near here....but do these symptoms sound like a 'human' perpetrator? I know you might only be speculating on her symptoms but could you offer some insight into what it could be? Thanks, xo

Answer
Oh Laura, I'm so sorry to hear this. It really doesn't look good. It sounds to me as though it might have been a fall of some sort -- perhaps she was up a tree and something scared her and she fell. . . Is your vet sure that she is not bleeding internally?  If not, then I would think it is more liking some kind of bizarre infection or possibly a reaction to something that she ate. Could she have eated a rat or mouse that had been poisoned?  Or some sort of poisonous insect? Or a spider bite?  I could see any of those things producing these symptoms. Has your vet given her subcutaneous fluids? That is something we usually do here for a fever that high, it helps cool down the body. If he hasn't done it you might want to ask about it.

Keep me posted and I will cross my fingers for you and your kitty

iris