Aug 11
7
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I adopted these two little lovelies (cats) in May from an animal rescue group in NYC. Sangha is an applehead siamese and Ariele is (we believe) a bengal mix. Actually All bengals are mixes of the Asian leopard cat with a domestic tabby.
Well I was told he (Sangha) had an upper respiratory infection, but nothing too serious. He also had no fur around his eyes. I was told this was due to the respiratory infection and his needing eye drops. I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach, but just fell in love upon seeing his photo online. They said he was on medication and in 2 weeks I should be able to adopt him.
One week later I get a call saying they are both fine and ready to go. In his online photo he said to be an 8 pound cat. Well, after getting him home he seemed to be interested in food but would not eat. He also seemed very thin compared to the original online photo I had seen. I could feel all the vertebrae in his back and see ribs.
Normally it can take a few days for a new adoptee to de-stress and get comfortable enough in their new surroundings to feel at home and begin to eat. I called the rescue and asked exactly what type/brand cat food they had been giving him. I was given a list.
I brought these brands and flavors, but after 2 days he still would not eat. I called the rescue again. This time I was told, well he hadn’t exactly been eating there either, they had been syringe feeding him! That was a huge piece of info not to tell me!
I immediately called my vet and brought him in later that day. Was was not 8 pounds as I had been told, but down to 6 pounds! A HUGE % of body weight to lose for a cat. The vet looked in his mouth and it was a mess. Bloodly with open ulcers covering his tongue.
Normally I like to go all natural, but he was now very lethargic and the outlook was not good. He was diagnosed with FCV and FHV. And that fur loss around the eyes, ringworm (a fungal infection of the skin). He recieved a strong anti viral injection, and I was sent home with cans of very soft food that I would be forcing into him by way of a syringe 3x’s a day. The vet said it would likely take at least 1 to 1 1/2 months for his mouth to clear up to the point of him being able to eat on his own, if he survived.
I went right to work on giving him at least an hour of Reiki a day. Within 2 weeks we began eating normally on his own. However his ringworm had gotten a bit out of control and he now had almost no fur on his head or face at all.
I began wiping him down daily with diluted apple cider vinegar. After about 4 weeks his fur has begun to regrow. I also now give both kitties an all natural, organic raw food diet that I prepare.
So to see the two of them playing, so full of life couldn’t make me happier!
