I am a foster mom for a local shelter, and lately I have been taking on more "challenging" cases. I have had ringworm, upper respiratory, eye infections and my latest is a very skinny kitty, named Dexter. Dex was abandoned at a shelter in NY City, and my shelter has taken him, in hopes of giving him a new life and a new home.
My challenge, as I said, is to help Dex, a 1 to 2 year old kitty, who is about 5lbs. I was wondering if anyone had any advice on what I could do to help my little Dex. I am feeding him small amounts 4-5 times a day. He has dry food all the time, and I have picked up some baby food (chicken, lamb and turkey). Any other adivice? I hold him for several hours each day, as he also needs to learn that humans are his friends, and it is painful for me to feel him so skinny.
Thank you in advance, I really want him to get better.
when my cat followed me home, she was a flea infested, extremely skinny kitten, with heartworms. after getting her to the vet he told me to feed her things like chicken noodle soup, and let her drink cat milk. although i thought it was odd to feed her soup, and she was a little old for cat milk... it worked! she is very healthy and looking toward many more healthy years P.S the chicken noodle soup... don't add the water to it.
Many pet supply stored carry a product called Nutrical. It is a flavored paste with high amounts of nutrients as well as fats. I use it for puppies and my rodent rescues as a way of beefing them up. I'm pretty sure they have a cat formula as well as a canine.
In addition to cat milk, you could try adding small amounts of scrambled eggs. They have a fairly high fat content as well as high protein, and support healthy muscle building. Too much isn't good, but a smallish portion every day or two helps out in the short term.
Most meats are acceptable for cats. Canned tuna and chicken are good mix-ins for wet food, and also contain fats and proteins. Cats also tend to like them well, so they snap it up. Good for adding healthy weight as opposed to pure fat.
