Help! My Kitty's Sick!

Brad: Are there no emergency rooms in your area? Please start making some calls; the constant coughing is a bad sign--you must get him to a vet immediately. Immediately! Do not wait until Monday.
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[Edited last by Jack Briggs on November 17, 2001 at 03:40 PM]

 

Check to see if there is an emergency clinic that will treat him. They are generally open on weekends. If not, you could try your local Humane Society for advice--they also may be open on weekends.
Is Kitty eating? If so, that's a good sign that it's nothing serious.
By the symptoms you are describing, I would offer 2 possible diagnoses, though I point out I'm not a vet, just a cat-lover:
- Hairball - Make sure Kitty has plenty of water. If you can find a pet store that has some, buy him some grass to chew on--it helps to expell the offending wad.
- Common cold - Yeah, cats can get it too. Ditto on the water thing. The grass won't hurt--he probably won't touch it if he doesn't feel like it.
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"Imagine all the people, living life in peace..." - Imagine by John Lennon

 

Does he seem to be getting enough oxygen? Check his gums to see if they are a nice pink or a not-so-nice blueish color. That's what I would worry strongly about with a constant cough.
If you can't find an emergency room, still call around to see if any vets are on-call for the weekend.
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My DVDs
"Some people think I'm over-prepared, paranoid...maybe even a little crazy. But they never met any pre-Cambrian life forms, did they?"

 

Pink gums are a good sign. But please call some vets' offices now. Log off HTF, get on the phone, and get the little tiger to a doc. Then check back in with us re the results.
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That's the very least a cat deserves. But get thee to a telephone now, kind sir.
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You've done well. (Though I would take him in now. BTW, have there been any changes in your environment? Have repainted? Excessive pollution in the air?)
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quote: My wife and I have been horribly sick for two weeks.[/quote]
Well, that could explain it right there. Kitty can catch certain minor germs from people.
Since that is looking like a likely cause, I second Jack's advice...take him in now...he may need an antibiotic as well.
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"Imagine all the people, living life in peace..." - Imagine by John Lennon
[Edited last by Rain on November 17, 2001 at 04:28 PM]

 

quote: Like they couldn't catch what we have and we can't catch what they have.[/quote]
I think that is true for anything serious. For example, a person couldn't get HIV from an FIV+ cat.
However, I was once told my a vet that minor germs, such as colds, etc. can be transmitted from human to kitty. Likely, though, the effect will not be exactly the same.

 

There's not a lot of things that cross species boundaries, but when they do it gets pretty rough for all those concerned. Rabies of course can cross, and so can toxoplasmosis, but I can't recall any others that go between human and feline folks. Vets I've talked so have said that the various 'colds' can't cross.
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My DVDs
"Some people think I'm over-prepared, paranoid...maybe even a little crazy. But they never met any pre-Cambrian life forms, did they?"
[Edited last by Julie K on November 17, 2001 at 04:34 PM]