Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Well, last night was from hell. About four months ago my wife and I foolishly (for lack of a better word) brought in to our house a stray kitten (didn't think about disease, etc.). Looked healthy, vibrant etc.

About 10 days ago I put flea collars on all of my cats (some were scratching once and a while and I assumed they had fleas - probably didn't). When I put the collar on this cat about 10 days ago it got a little excited as it probably never had anything around its neck before and started to bite and lick the collar constantly. This went on for about two days.

Gradually over the course of the 10 days the cat started getting lethargic, drinking lots of water and just not its usual self. I assumed it had a cold of some kind as it seemed to be getting better at times (up and down). Last night I came home from school and my wife was very upset as the cat was throwing up food, including some broth she made it. It was constantly at the water bowl. A few times I went over to it and she gave me this really sad meow.

I was hoping it would make it through the night as I was going to take it to the vet but it seems to have taken the ferry ride around 4:00 am. Very sad. Woke up around 4:00 am (waking up every couple of hours to check on it) and noticed all of my cats starring under the bed - bad feeling. So I took it outside and buried it.

Here are some of the symptoms:

whitish gums
some weight loss
lethargy
drinking lots of water
throwing up
breathing very rapidly

I called the vet and asked them what they thought. They said it could have been an allergic reaction to the collar or worse yet a disease such as FeLV. Now if it were FeLV or similiar would it have brought a healthy cat (outward appearance) down in less than 10 days? I wonder if I inadvertently poisoned it with the flea collar? Most of the vets I called told me to wait several more weeks before bringing them in for tests (my four persians). I will be devestated if they test positive. What a foolish mistake. Any help appreciated. Thanks.

Hi There,

I am so very sorry for your loss. What a heartbreaker.

Unfortunately it is impossible to say for sure what happened to your kitten. It takes a blood test to determine if a cat has FeLV. The symptoms you described could cover either possibility.

However, the fact that your kitty was fine until the flea collar was put on her makes me suspicious that it was toxic. Most over-the-counter flea products are dangerous for cats, especially kittens. Constant exposure to the toxins would cause the cat to become more and more ill. Many cats have died from these flea products. Flea collars can be especially toxic because they continue to give off poison, which doesn't kill fleas, BTW. The collars are useless.

Please take the flea collars off all of your cats. If they do have fleas, your vet can sell you something that will be safe and effective.

Now, some info on FeLV. Yes, a cat with the disease can appear totally healthy for a time and go downhill in a matter of days. They can even appear healthy for 2 - 3 years before they become ill from the virus. But it will always happen. The "good" news is that adult cats have some immunity from FeLV and will not necessarily come down with the virus if exposed to it. Many, many cats are able to fight it off totally. A few will become "healthy carriers" if exposed, able to pass on FeLV to other cats even though they appear healthy. It's supposed to be a small number that actually come down with the disease.

I know how easy it is to take a stray into your home. I have done it myself without testing beforehand in the past. But now I work as a tech in a cat hospital and am very aware of the dangers. No cat or kitten comes into my home unless they are FeLV negative.

As far as feline AIDS, most vets do not recommend testing kittens for the disease anyway. This is because if they are positive, the test may only be picking up on antibodies that the mother has. A kitten pisitive for AIDS would have to be re-tested when they are older for an accurate result. I highly doubt that this kitten had feline AIDS anyway. You wouldn't be likely to see such an acute onset of symptoms.

Please take care, and let us know the results when you have your cats tested.

Regards,
AshleyElla