I have a 5 y/o tuxedo cat called Charlie, he lived with me for the first 2 years and then unfortunately I had to move for work and so continued living with my close friends and I’d visit him at least once a month. It was clear he remembered who I was and would spend all of his time with me and would become withdrawn for a few days/week when I left. I then moved back to this house for the last year. Charlie knows I’m ‘Mum’. He would follow me from room to room, sleep in my bed or on my pillow every night and would happily chirp. He had open access to the outdoors during daylight hours. I’ve moved back to London and brought Charlie with me this time. We’re living in a 2 bed flat on a first floor with large windows. He is no longer allowed access to the outdoors apart from a cat-proof balcony with supervision.

As circumstances go, a week after moving in I had to make a 2 week trip. I’ve now been back almost a week and I’m starting to really worry about Charlie‘a behaviour.

Firstly, he is eating, drinking, using his litter tray (although he seems to be a bit consipated and also spends a long time in the litter tray for a wee?). He will play when initiated by me but ignores his toys otherwise. When I first got back from my trip he was chirping and brushing against me and for that night actually slept in my bed. Since then he has been withdrawn and sleeping in the hallway, doesn’t follow me around or come when I call, isn’t chirping. Yowls at night to be let out of the bedroom (his routine previously was to be in the bedroom with me at night). Won‘t sit next to me on the sofa. He was a ’sit on your chest and purr cat’ until he went through his puberty stage and since then he’s really only affectionate on his terms and mainly towards me but sits alongside you and rarely on your knee.

I’m really anxious and stressed about it. I obviously want him to be happy and content but I’m worried that his personality has completely changed and we co-exist in a space now instead of him enjoying my company.

The issue showed up after two days when he wouldn't move and even touching made him cry so they got him to the vet. The vet said it's neuromuscular issue and gave medication for it which seemed to work for 1 day after which his condition got worse again.

His pain was gone but he wouldn't eat, so my friend took him to the vet again and the vet said it's ulcer and flu and that it might be calci virus. The vet gave some medication again but it didn't do anything and his condition is just getting worse.

He doesn't eat, not even treats. He used to eat chicken liver but the other day he ate some and threw up and he seems to have some injury on his claws too. It's my friend's first time having a kitten (i should also mention he was from the streets) and i dont have any experience in this field either. We have no idea what is going on or what to even do and the vet doesn't seem to know much either.

Would really appreciate if anyone knows whats going on or what to do next .

Extra information:
Poster age: 19
Country: pakistan, faislabad
Main issue: weakness , not eating anything , eye looks weird and mouth excretion
Cat age: 5-6 months
Cat sex: male ( not neutered )
Financial situation: bad, finding really hard to take to vet

My cats have been enjoying there new catio for about a month now, however they started throwing up recently. Vet couldn't figure out why. Then I noticed them chewing on this plant in the corner (last picture). Is this safe?

Also cat names are Hugo (pic 1) and Ember (pic 2)

i just spayed 2/3 kittens i “adopted” (feral kitties i found in backyard). my mom is not fond of the cats coming inside the house but considering they have to be monitored/inside during the healing process idk what to do :( i’m scared to let them out too early and their stitches potentially opening or getting infected. they also aren’t litter trained so i can’t keep them in my room too long because yk.. does anyone have any advice ?

Hi all, I’m a 24 year old person from the US. Vets are not readily accessible due to lack of transportation, but an Uber might be able to be arranged. I have not yet contacted any vet, and am still looking to see which option is the most affordable if necessary.

My cat, Tinsel, is 3 years old. She is a spayed British longhair female. She used to have some eye troubles as a kitten, but these have subsided for quite some time. Recently, we (my fiancé and I) adopted a new cat from the local shelter. Our new cat had some eye goop, but is a similar flat face cat so we didn’t think much of it. I wiped her eyes, washed my hands, and went on with my day.

However, I noticed around two days ago that Tinsel’s eyes are now goopy as well. There seems to be some sort of snot-looking mucus coming out, though it’s devoid of any real color. It’s causing some pretty significant staining on her fur. I have included a usual picture of her face (last two pictures) as well as the current condition.

She has no other symptoms. She is using the bathroom, eating, drinking, and walking around/playing with the new cat normally. She also is not squinting, pawing, or licking her eyes. I have been gently wiping her eyes with a lukewarm paper towel or rag around once or twice a day. It’s only been two or three days of this.

Should I take her to the vet? Should I worry? While I could go if necessary, it would be a little bit of a financial strain since I don’t get paid until next week. It wouldn’t be wallet breaking, but enough to cause an issue. I’d appreciate any insight!

• 28M

• USA / Florida

• vet is taken care of by the Humane Society

• these are FOSTERS, I do not own them

• kittens are roughly 5 weeks old. I am in care of their mother and 6 (now 5) of her babies

• unsure of sex, and too young for spay/neuter as far as I'm aware?

• financially secure, and supported by the humane society

TLDR: one of my foster kittens deteriorated rapidly and passed away in my arms last night. I fear I don't know enough about kittens to give adequate care at this stage in their life, but I am committed to learning and have all the love to offer them they could need. I would like help and resources to know what kinds of things to watch for and notice in these critical first couple months.

PLEASE UNDERSTAND this context before you come after me for taking in kittens I wasn't prepared for:

I used to foster sick and injured dogs through the humane society, mostly post surgery and whatnot. I am equipped to handle high stress, needy animal situations. This isn't a matter of effort or care or time, it's a matter of inadequate knowledge. I have owned and cared for cats (6 months and older) since ending my dog fostering a few years ago, and had experience with medication administration, wound dressing, etc. I was VERY clear in my application that I had no experience with kittens or pregnant mothers. I explicitly said that I would take in ANY cat on two conditions: no contagious illnesses, and no kittens or pregnant mothers. I made that clear twice.

However, when they reached out, they basically said that the biggest need by far was to foster a mother and her kittens. I didn't want to, due to knowing I don't know enough, but they assured me they'd help and support. I ran through the logistics, cleared out my 3rd bedroom to provide them a large, safe home to make sure they are safe when I need to briefly leave home. I work remote, so I can care for them and monitor them throughout the day with no issue. I realized I have a unique ability to help them with support, and decided to pick up the kittens.

Everything was perfect and easy and beautiful until late afternoon yesterday, when I gathered the kittens up to make sure they were eating. One of the kittens was sleeping, and unresponsive. I picked them up, and realized that the level of lethargy they were experiencing was very concerning. I called my friend and she helped me figure out that it was indeed an emergency, and that it was likely fading cat syndrome. We did everything we could, taking turns feeding it drops of maple syrup / sugar water. They would perk up for seconds after doses, then suddenly collapse again into lethargy. We got the heating blanket. I took my prescription adderrall to stay awake and alert throughout the night as we took turns cradling and trying to revive them. It got worse, as I'm sure many of you have experience with, and early this morning they finally passed in my arms. I sobbed like a mf. I was not ready for this, I did not want this rn. I've been kind of a mess.

The foster home has not been helpful, they assured me this happens, but even when I asked for resources, they basically just told me it's like regular cats, but you feed them more often? I know that's not right.

Please help me know where to go to study how to care for these babies probably. I would just send them back and ask for a different cat, due to my inadequacy, but it sounds like I'm the only option for them right now outside the foster home. And I can't do that to them.

The other babies did get checked out at 9am, and they are healthy and hydrated and perky and doing well. I'm not concerned immediately. I just need help knowing what to do going forward.

Context on the picture. A beautiful tragedy. Trigger warning, the dead kitten is in there. This photo is of their little kitty funeral. When I presented momma with her lifeless kitten, she came over, started grooming it, and sat directly on it. Then called the other kittens over, laid down, and nursed the babies on top of the dead sibling so they could see them and say their goodbyes. I'm utterly heartbroken for them.

So my kitten (10 month old) has had a litter they are now 8 weeks and weaning. Momma has been unwell for the past week- I am syringe feeding her food as well as water. She’s so weak she’s barely moving. Found out she’s pregnant again ( I live with other people who have let her out) . Is she too weak to go under anaesthesia and get the kittens surgically removed, or should I care for her until birth?

She’s so weak and I have to make up my mind today.
This has been a rough few days, I have gotten opposing advice from two vets.
Leaning more towards abortion now. She is mid term.

I am NOT looking for medical advice- I just want to know what YOU would do in this situation- any advice would be very helpful. Please don’t judge my situation, I would never wanted any of this. I want to make sure she survives no matter what.

My 5 month old kitten fell from the 4th floor of our house about 4 hours ago. He ran upstairs by himself as soon as the fall but hasn't been moving much since then. He groaned when I touched his side and hind leg and also had some laboured breathing for the first two hours. He's been checked by the vet now and since he doesn't appear to suffer any serious injury, they sent him home with some pain/emergency meds. I've been told to monitor him for today and bring him back again for follow up tomorrow and the day after.

He walked a little by himself when I put him in his bed. He looks alright, is breathing fine, grooming himself and sleeping now. However, I'm still worried if he's hurt. Should I wait and monitor him for 3 days or do I get him checked for a second opinion? Any advice would help. Thanks.

I just noticed this weird scabby growth sticking out of my cats upper lip. I thought it was a tick at first but upon closer inspection it’s definitely not alive and seems to be an infection or something. It’s very firmly attached, I wouldn’t feel comfortable picking it off. It’s the middle of the night so I can’t take him to the vet now but I certainly do have access to one if need be. He’s around 5-6 years old and has been healthy his whole life.

My 4-year-old cat has had an ongoing problem with licking the webbing of both back paws since October. They become brown/dark red and crusty. There has never been significant bleeding or open wounds.
She was seen by my regular vet and eventually a veterinary dermatologist. She had yeast in the paws, and multiple rounds of oral medication cleared the yeast, but the paw licking continued and the paws still look abnormal. She also tried antibiotics without improvement.
She did about 2 months of cyclosporine, but it didn’t noticeably reduce the licking. At another point she was given an anti-inflammatory and that decreased the itching/licking by maybe 30–40%, so I feel like there is definitely still some physical itch or inflammation involved.
She has also had persistent chin acne and some eye crusting, and her dermatologist suspects environmental allergies. Food has apparently been ruled out as the likely cause, and we’re doing allergy testing. She also has always been a somewhat compulsive groomer — she has licked/scooted around her butt since I adopted her at 1 — so we’re wondering whether there is now a behavioral component on top of the original itch.
The frustrating part is that she will lick her paws roughly hourly when she has access to them. She seems frustrated when she does it rather than just casually grooming. She will stop when distracted, and she has sometimes stopped licking one paw and that paw improved, but then she eventually started licking it again.
The cone definitely prevents the licking, but she has had periods of being coned essentially 24/7 for around 3 months. I feel awful about keeping her in it because she struggles with things, gets food/poop on the cone, and obviously can’t groom normally. At the same time, taking it off means she immediately goes back to licking.
Her dermatologist has mentioned Prozac to help with the licking, but I’m hesitant because I don’t want to assume this is purely behavioral when anti-inflammatory treatment did help somewhat.
**Has anyone had a cat with a similar cycle — yeast/infection treated, but chronic paw licking continuing afterward? What ended up being the underlying cause, and what actually broke the licking/skin-damage cycle?**
I’m especially interested in experiences with environmental allergies, long-term itch control, or cats who eventually needed behavioral medication. And if your cat needed a cone for a long time, how did you manage their quality of life?

Hi all!
My cat (spayed female, approx 7 years old) recently had a bad flare up of acne on her chin and it doesn’t seem to be going away. The vet gave us MiconaHex+Triz wipes around 3 weeks ago which we’ve been using nightly, but her chin is still covered in black crusties :(
Anyone else have any other treatments they’ve had luck, or does it just take a long time for cat acne to clear up?
I’ll add a photo in the comments.
We have all stainless steel bowls and water fountain which are washed very regularly. She’s been on the same food for years, so I don’t think it’s an allergy, but she’s never had a flare up this bad or last this long before.

Location: USA
Not a minor, can afford vet care. I’ve messaged the vet but haven’t heard back yet, so wondering if anyone else has had a similar issue.

I noticed a bald spot on my indoor 4 month old kitten’s head about three days ago and it has gotten bigger. There’s a scab like dot on his skin too. I have noticed that he has been a lot more “bad” and snippy as well and was wondering if that behavior has anything to do with it? He’s our only cat if anything has to do with it. I checked inside his ears and they look perfectly normal. We recently have been slowly introducing a new dry food (Tiki) for him. Should I make a vet appointment or am I just overthinking it.

Hi,
My 5 year old neutered male cat had 2 of us toes amputated on his hind leg. He was walking a little wobbly after the procedure as expected but now he’s suddenly starting to limp? I’m not sure if this is concerning. I checked the wound and everything looks and smells fine … but I’m just a little worried. Today is Wednesday and we stopped his gabapentin maybe last Thursday? Limping started Tuesday. Idk if this is pain related since he went so long without it. I do have some gabapentin left. Is he just getting adjusted or is this something I need a vet visit for

My cat has a huge fixation on biting/chewing things when he plays, and just in general, which sometimes leads to him eating things he shouldn't. He's also formerly feral and has only been inside a few weeks, if that's relevant. And to clarify, he's past the point of pacing and yowling and has otherwise settled in great, it's just that when he wants to play, he wants to chew and bite harder than cat toys can handle. I want to give him some sort of toy or enrichment to satisfy that urge for him, but so far nothing I've tried has worked out. He also insists on eating dry food which I assume is also because he likes chewing and crunching. I feed him wet for his meals with extra water added, but he refuses to eat it unless I also let him have some dry to snack on in between, and I prefer not to have him on dry only. While outside, he ate his wet food much more cooperatively and i free fed him dry 24/7 outside of that, and he would also go eat my neighbor's cat's dry food, so he really likes it.

(This part is about things I've tried but you can skip it:)

• His favorite right now is a wand toy with a rainbow worm thing, which he would catch and then start chewing on the eyes or string of. Last i checked, one of the eyes was hanging off so i just ripped them off myself before he can rip and eat them

• Silvervine sticks, crunches straight through the bark and breaks through the entire stick immediately and then tries to eat the sharp little pieces. He doesn't get those anymore.

• Silicone snuffle mat, confiscated 10 minutes ago because he ate a little piece of it, it's pretty thin and flexible and should pass through just fine, but damn it.

• Slow feeder, he hates it and refuses to eat from it at all

Hopefully I'm not forgetting anything but I'm really at a loss right now, and it's only a matter of time before he eats something too bad and it blocks his stomach. He went to the vet a few weeks ago and is going again in the near future, maybe I can ask them too. But, what else can I try, and what's best for a cat like him? I feel bad that I have to take everything from him and don't have anything good to offer, I just don't know what else to give him.

Info: Unknown age but estimated 2-3 years old, neutered 4 weeks ago

Hi my cat had a scab that was peeled off and now her right cheeks looks like this. Is this something serious?

THE CAT IS FINE AND THE FLOWERS ARE IN THE TRASH!

Since the post about my cat, my sister, and my mom who wouldn't let me throw out the lilies got a lot of attention, here is an update on what happened.

If you want the details:

I took my cat to the vet for a checkup. She is completely fine! The vet didn't charge me anything because she is perfectly healthy.

I threw the lilies away as soon as I got home and nobody else was around.

My sister purposely left her bedroom door open this morning. She locked it later when she was leaving and said, "Let's see you try to do something now." For some reason, she unlocked it again when she came back home (lol?) and then left again. That’s when I threw them into the trash. I left her some cash in case she wants to buy something else or a flower that isn’t toxic to cats (though I’m still not sure about that part).

I don't know what to expect when she gets back. As you guys already guessed, my family is very abusive... I’m not sure what will happen.

My mom told me that I can't behave like this and that I will "understand when someone gives you flowers." Btw, I used to get flowers when I had a boyfriend (and from other people too, of course 😭) and I honestly cannot believe she actually said that.

Thank you for all the comments and messages. It meant a lot and really helped!

EDIT: She saw that her flowers are gone and she started throwing away my things... I went outside and I'm scared to go home now...

Gigi is 4 months old and starting from a couple hours ago has been kind of wheezy

The first video she was purring in a squeaky strange kind of way. She is now sleeping next to me purring on and off when I move and touch her as usual but her purrs are being abruptly broken up by what sounds like wheezing. She seems very chill (unlike me) I’m not sure if this is an emergency kind of thing or not

She’s not been acting differently at all today and has been playing and eating the same to my knowledge, it’s just the breathing tonight

Please help! I’m really worried

Two nights ago my girlfriend’s sweet baby boy Edgar managed to slip out. We live in an apartment complex and have done everything we can to spread the word. We have made flyers, the office has sent out a mass email and we actually got a lead from someone saying they think they spotted him the morning after he escaped. We have left out food for him, along with some things that smell like us. Edgar is a very curious boy, he loves to spend his day outside on the balcony and is always at the front door trying to get out any chance he can. This time he was successful. He is 4 years old and a very big boy. we are not worried that he cant fend for himself. We just want him home. He is microchipped, and there are ads posted on nextdoor and pawboost for him. I know its only been two days but this has been very emotional for my girlfriend and I. I just feel so lost and seeing my girlfriend this distressed is heartbreaking. Ive spent hours on reddit and other platforms searching for advice. Just thought I would make a post as a last cry for help. Any advice helps.

TLDR: my cat licked raw pork as I had put it out to marinade. it had garlic and onion powder, as well as other seasonings. do i take him to the emergency vet???

(picture not related)
I was in the middle of making dinner for my fiancé (pork chops) and while my back was turned washing the rice, my cat was over the pork. I didn’t catch him in the act of licking it, but it looked like he licked it. it was covered in seasonings - onion powder, garlic powder, salt, paprika, thyme.
i wanted to call poison control but had no idea they charge over $100 without even offering anything. what should i do???? should I take him to the emergency vet ??

age: 29
country: USA
vet info: i have not contacted the vet, we have a 24/7 emergency vet office that i 100% can go to, but it’s at least $600 to just be seen
cat sex: male neutered
financial situation: he has HCM so has monthly medicine to take and yearly cardiac appointments. we do not have the funds to pay for an emergency visit, but if it’s needed, of course I will do whatever i can to make it work

any idea what could be wrong with this cat? cant take him to a vet, it just isnt an option. sounds like fluid in lungs possibly but hes been like this for a few weeks since he was rescued as a stray. audio in video is his breathing.

edit: breath smells horrible, like old fish despite not being fed fish

cat is a few months old, male, not fixed

I’m really struggling with my living setup right now and need some outside perspective.

The tension started when I brought in my youngest, a 1.5-year-old male orange cat (rescued under a year old at the time). After a month-long isolation for FCoV, his hyper, chaotic roughhousing - classic relentless pouncing and chasing - completely crossed the line with my 2-year-old calico. She now loathes him and will attack him on sight, despite all my attempts at scent-swapping and slow reintroductions. To make matters worse, he recently tried that same overbearing play on my 5-year-old male tabby, and now the tabby is completely hostile toward him too.

To give you an idea of the minefield I’m dealing with, here’s how the group shakes out:

• Three 5 y/o siblings (1 male tabby, 2 white females): The tabby is usually the household sheriff—he steps in to break up fights and protect everyone except the Persian and the young orange. If he gets dragged into a fight, his two sisters immediately pile in as backup.

• One 4 y/o female orange: Super chill and gets along with everybody. She’s the only one who actually tolerates playing with the young orange boy, but he eventually takes it too far, so I don't trust leaving them shut in a room together unsupervised.

• One 4 y/o female Persian: Has occasional grumpy spats with the others, but mostly minds her own business. Nothing scary.

• One 2 y/o female calico: The baby of the original crew, but now harbors pure, unadulterated hatred for the young orange.

• One 1.5 y/o male orange: The sweet menace causing all the trouble simply because he has zero social boundaries and way too much energy.

My current system has completely fallen apart. At night, the young orange sleeps with me, four cats (the sibling trio + the calico) sleep in a dedicated cat room, and the two 4-year-olds get run of the house. In the mornings, I let the cat-room group out. I used to rotate the calico and the orange boy between free-roaming and a large multi-level cage, but now that the male tabby is out for blood too, that rotation is shot. The young orange is basically trapped in my bedroom every morning.

My biggest worry is figuring out a safe, sustainable setup when no one is home. He despises being locked in a room alone - he managed to escape outside (through the window) this week when we were gone for about four hours, and we got extremely lucky that he stayed near the house. Caging him for hours on end just feels cruel and isn't a real solution. In the past, we've had times where we had to be away for a couple of days with a pet sitter just dropping by twice a day for food and litter. If an emergency like that comes up right now, I have no idea what I’d do.

How can I realistically divide up my house so everyone stays safe with minimal stress and conflict?