HELP! Fever, FIV, Mange?!?!?

Home The Daily Kitten Cat Chat Forum Cats & Kittens HELP! Fever, FIV, Mange?!?!?

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  • #44601
    benoni
    Participant

    Hi everyone.

    This is my first post. I have had cats all of my life and they have all been healthy. I adopted a male cat (5 years old) from a shelter in Johannesburg a year ago. We have been great friends but i thought he might want a girlfriend, so three weeks ago, I bought a female Maine Coon Kitten.

    I have a series of concerns and so I don’t know where to begin:

    1. my cat hates the kitten, but now hates me more. I thought I would give her away if he continued to be so upset. (even though this is also upsetting)

    2. She has a patch of skin behind her ear that she was scratching a lot. she had fleas. But even after she was treated she kept scratching. I figured that it was because from scratching the fleas when they wer there so much, she irritated the skin. I put some balm on, and the irritation went away. She no longer scratches, but a clump of hair is missing and the skin looks black. Someone said it might be Mange????

    3. I am now on a business trip in NAIROBI and I left both cats to be cared for by a friend (in my house). I have just heard that the kitten had a 40 degree Celcius fever, and my friend brought her to the vet. She was given antibiotics. Since I am getting information second hand, I am not 100% sure what the vet said. But she gave her an antibiotic shot and antibiotics to take by mouth for 5 days. The vet knows I have another cat and mentioned nothing about this being contageous. My friend said that the kitten was drinking stagnant water in a potted plant, and maybe got sick from that? There was also a recent drop in temperature. I am worried that she might be contageous, or have FIV, or that the fever is linked with the missing patch of fur. But I HOPE that I am wrong and that she just got a bacterial infection.

    My friend will take her back to the vet tomorrow, with a stool sample, and I asked that she be tested for FIV.

    I am really scared. I got this kitten FOR my other cat. He hates her. He hates me. Now she is ill, and now I am terrified she will also get him ill.

    What should I do?

    #656682
    ecbrown
    Participant

    Aww…I’m sorry you are having a rough time with your new kitten. I know how worrisome it can be to think that you brought a new cat into the house that could make your existing cat sick. I am far from a vet…but am dealing with ringworm now so I thought I would mention that ringworm can present as an ashy black patch (my Leo’s nose often looks black and ashy but changes…sometimes more bald, sometimes more red and raw.) I also researched other skin disorders (hoping is wasn’t ringworm but a fungal culture confirmed it was) and I can see why someone would suggest mange. Could also be an allergic reaction to the flea bites. I would definitely ask the vet about it. Best of luck….and welcome to TDK. (Oh, and once the kitty is better maybe you could reintroduce them. There is so much info out there on introducing two cats…the slow approach being best. Sorry that process has been so rough for you.)

    #656683
    Buttercup
    Participant

    Benoni,I am sorry that you are having this experience. You need to wait until your vet sees your kitten and diagnoses her. I would ask the person watching your cat to keep them separate now. Guessing what the patch of skin behind her ears would be pure speculation at this point.

    I would be very worried about the kitten. She is obviously very sick.

    As for your older cat hating the kitten,the amount of time your cats spent together was not nearly enough time to get them acclimated. In time your cat will not hate you and the kitten.

    In the meantime I would keep them separate,indoors and wait for the vets diagnosis and go from there. Please let us know what happens.

    #656684
    Skyron
    Participant

    The patch of skin that you are talking about could definitely be ringworm. I have never heard of a cat having mange though?

    As for the fever – 40 is very high. I’m suprised the vet didnt admit your kitty into their hospital; especially on a kitten, its very dangerous – my cats who have tipped the 40-scale all were admitted and had to get IV fluids & antibiotics. It also concerns me that the vet will only be seeing your kitty again in 5 days when the antibiotics are finished – a fever like that needs very close monitoring.

    And then for the fiv – you mentioned your kitten was a maine coon? Is she pure-bred? No breeder would breed a cat who is fiv +. But having her tested is a good idea any way.

    And then about your two cats who arent getting along – dont worry about it. Adult cats never have major problems adjusting to kittens – they just have to get used to the idea. When you are over the hump with your kitten, please do another post about introductions – there is a ton of things we can all suggest to help them get used to each other.

    I’m also from south africa 🙂 pretoria. If your friend would be willing to travel, i can suggest a very good vet for you?

    #656685
    Kiplings_cat
    Participant

    How old is the “kitten”? Has s/he been vaccinated yet? How is she acting? Eating/drinking? That is important, as kittens dehydrate quickly. Search the site for “tent test” to tell if cat is dehydrated.

    FIV is actually not that contagious; it can be transmitted from mother to kitten, through mating, or bite wounds. FeLV is more contagious, but still the respiratory illnesses are the ones you most worry about with casual contact or shared spaces. I’m assuming the older cat got his vaccinations at the shelter when I agree with separating your cats, and have your friend watch the older cat closely for sneezing, lack of appetite, lethargy; if any of these occur the older cat needs to get to the vet too.

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