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We are at the end of our rope and need help.
My grandma received a cat through one of those senior people and animal match-up programs. Basically, the idea was that she would care for and house the animal and the program would pay for his medical expenses (and I think food too, but she buys it anyway). There are several issues going on and we are desperate for any help you can offer.
The cat has attacked her, quite viciously and without any obvious triggers. It attacked her for the 4th time two days ago and left her with bite and scratch marks all on her arm. She didn't need stitches but it left my grandmother shaking and scared, to the point that she called my mother crying. My grandma thinks the attacks happen because the cat wants something and she isn't giving him it but she admits that she can't seem to figure out when it will happen and he seems to attack her at random.
The cat has eating issues that have never been resolved. He frequently throws up 5-10 minutes after a meal, and has chronic diarrhea. She has tried slowing him down while he is eating (and he does seem to gobble a little but nothing that extreme), and at one point the vet prescribed him antibiotics for a gut infection. He has also been fed a variety of different foods with no luck. My grandma now feels obligated to feed him very small amounts multiple times throughout the day, and is still frequently cleaning up vomit and occasionally diarrhea (keep in mind her apartment is virtually all carpet).
This cat also has hygiene issues. He doesn't bathe himself very much and seems to always have crusty gross bits (I am assuming litter and fecal matter/urine) stuck to his hindquarters and tail. He is a long-haired cat (though not of the super bushy variety, if that makes sense).
His hygiene issues in conjunction with his chronic vomiting and diarrhea is now making me concerned for my grandmother's health. She is getting older and her eyesight isn't as good, it's difficult for her to clean up his messes so frequently and he lays all over her bed and couches with the crusty bits stuck to him. I am at the point where I feel like it is quite unsanitary and yet nothing we do seems to curb the upset stomach or initiate some self cleaning routines.
My grandmother is quite certain that the program will not pay for any more vet visits to diagnose these problems but she is miserable. She loves the cat but lives in constant fear of the next time he gets 'upset' and attacks her, and he really is an unhygienic animal. We are in a really awkward situation where we don't really own or have rights over the animal (as he technically belongs to the program) but we are living with him and I feel that the challenges with this cat are really wearing on my grandmother. I am posting this in the hopes that someone may have experienced similar symptoms or have lived with some of these issues and can offer insight. I know my grandmother loves him but the work and fear is overwhelming her. If there is some medical tests we can do to figure this out I may be able to scrounge the money together to do it but they have already done quite a bit of diagnostics on him in regards to his tummy issues and nothing changed for the better. She has had him for 3 or 4 years now and while she loves him dearly, she is getting really tired of the work and the attacks.
Help?
My grandma received a cat through one of those senior people and animal match-up programs. Basically, the idea was that she would care for and house the animal and the program would pay for his medical expenses (and I think food too, but she buys it anyway). There are several issues going on and we are desperate for any help you can offer.
The cat has attacked her, quite viciously and without any obvious triggers. It attacked her for the 4th time two days ago and left her with bite and scratch marks all on her arm. She didn't need stitches but it left my grandmother shaking and scared, to the point that she called my mother crying. My grandma thinks the attacks happen because the cat wants something and she isn't giving him it but she admits that she can't seem to figure out when it will happen and he seems to attack her at random.
The cat has eating issues that have never been resolved. He frequently throws up 5-10 minutes after a meal, and has chronic diarrhea. She has tried slowing him down while he is eating (and he does seem to gobble a little but nothing that extreme), and at one point the vet prescribed him antibiotics for a gut infection. He has also been fed a variety of different foods with no luck. My grandma now feels obligated to feed him very small amounts multiple times throughout the day, and is still frequently cleaning up vomit and occasionally diarrhea (keep in mind her apartment is virtually all carpet).
This cat also has hygiene issues. He doesn't bathe himself very much and seems to always have crusty gross bits (I am assuming litter and fecal matter/urine) stuck to his hindquarters and tail. He is a long-haired cat (though not of the super bushy variety, if that makes sense).
His hygiene issues in conjunction with his chronic vomiting and diarrhea is now making me concerned for my grandmother's health. She is getting older and her eyesight isn't as good, it's difficult for her to clean up his messes so frequently and he lays all over her bed and couches with the crusty bits stuck to him. I am at the point where I feel like it is quite unsanitary and yet nothing we do seems to curb the upset stomach or initiate some self cleaning routines.
My grandmother is quite certain that the program will not pay for any more vet visits to diagnose these problems but she is miserable. She loves the cat but lives in constant fear of the next time he gets 'upset' and attacks her, and he really is an unhygienic animal. We are in a really awkward situation where we don't really own or have rights over the animal (as he technically belongs to the program) but we are living with him and I feel that the challenges with this cat are really wearing on my grandmother. I am posting this in the hopes that someone may have experienced similar symptoms or have lived with some of these issues and can offer insight. I know my grandmother loves him but the work and fear is overwhelming her. If there is some medical tests we can do to figure this out I may be able to scrounge the money together to do it but they have already done quite a bit of diagnostics on him in regards to his tummy issues and nothing changed for the better. She has had him for 3 or 4 years now and while she loves him dearly, she is getting really tired of the work and the attacks.
Help?