I'm happy to report that Sophie Stinky Toes' appetite is back!!

[Siwsan]

I've been struggling to get her to eat for about 1 1/2 weeks, putting it down to stress over the kittens being in the den. I took her to the vet and he said it could be stress, or it could be something more serious. So, he prescribed Mirataz, an appetite triggering medication, to rub in her ear, every morning. The vet said to give in a few days, but bring her back in if it doesn't work.

Within a few days I started noticing an uptick in her eating. This morning she's cleaned up an entire serving of wet food. (I've been giving her some of the kitten's wet food, and letting her slick the cans clean of any gravy, which she really seemed to like.) And she's developed a taste for 'Sheba' and 'Crave', which Ollie's happens to have at a really good price.

So, I'm feeling a little less anxious about her. Now to watch and see if her weight starts to pick up. I'm putting the kittens up in the play room for 3 or 4 hours in the morning, to give Sophie some special attention time (when she's not sleeping). And, of course, the kittens are put there for the night. Unfortunately, Sophie isn't ready for attention until around 2:30 in the morning, but that's OK.

She's 14 so I know health issues could start cropping up. I just want her to be comfortable with a good quality of life. Hopefully we are getting back on track. By Friday we will be down to 2 kittens so she will probably feel a little less overwhelmed by the energy.

[Polly Hennessey]

1. I would put Sophie's problems down to stress. You must admit

a houseful of kittens would be a bit overwhelming to a senior lady. I have a 15 year old cat, Millie. So far she is healthy. She was found wandering the streets by my dog walker. Guess who ended up with her. She has always been quite secure about her place in the universe, not much fazes her. I have always had large dogs. Millie puts them in place immediately. They walk around her.

I also want to say you are the most loving, conscientious, patient person with your cats. When I lived in Las Vegas our neighborhood had a feral cat problem. Some of us took on the task of spay, trap, release. After a few years, we were able to control the colony. We always had a fairly healthy colony. I ended up with two, Pumpkin Pie and Smokey Joe. When there were kittens we found homes for them. Some neighbors were not happy about feral cats and many times we would be at HOA meetings fighting for car’s rights. Even had County Commissioners attend to explain how effective spay, trap, release programs were. ❤️

[Siwsan]

3. I've found a place in Flint that I'm going to contact, as soon as things 'settle down'

TNRing the ferals will make a big difference in this 'territory'. I've seen some other cats wandering in other parts of the neighborhood but I don't know if they are feral or just outdoor pets.

I love my little feral family and will keep feeding them for as long as they stay.

I have a plan to turn my 3 season room into a cat room. I've just been storing things in it while I try to get a handle on a whole lot of paperwork from my mom and aunt that needs to be shredded.

It's right off of the den and while it isn't heated, early Spring and late Autumn temps can be warmed with a hot oil space heater. During the Winter I'd just move any cat furniture back into the den, or maybe even the small bedroom/office.

And thank you for the compliment. These lovely felines bring me a whole lot of joy, happiness and laughter. Ok, a few tears, too, but that's just how life works.

[niyad]

2. Yayyyyy. That is very nciuraging news!

[Siwsan]

4. She's also much more active and no longer 'hiding' in the laundry tub.

That's one big tip that it's likely kitten stress causing her issues.

She's looking a bit shabby but hopefully, now that the EXTREME stress grooming seems to have stopped, she's soon be that sleek beauty she was, before.

If not, it's back to the vet for some blood tests.

[SheltieLover]

5. Yaaaaaay!

Ty for sharing!

[piddyprints]

6. That's great news!

We used that same medicine on one of our 14-year-old kitties just a few months ago. It only took a few days to work, but then her tummy couldn’t hold very big meals all at once, so we fed her smaller meals throughout the day. She’s back to normal now.

Yay for Sophie!