What is wrong with the stray cat I found?

Hi! I found a stray male kitten 3 days ago, and he is about 4 or 5 months old. He had a lot of fleas on him, so I gave him a bath with flea shampoo, and I have not seen any on him at all. This next problem is gross........he had a lot of diarrhea that first night, but then the next day it was solid. Then the next day it was back to diarrhea, and it was a real rusty color. Also, his eyes are yucky, so I have been putting eye drops in, but they aren't clearing up. I am taking him to the vet in 2 days, but I just wondered if anyone has ever had this happen to their cat, stray or otherwise. He is going to get the aids and leukemia test done, of course, plus all the needed shots. I would appreciate your answers, because I hope it isn't anything serious, especially since I have another cat. I am keeping them apart until I know for sure that the stray is okay. Thanks for your help!

Hey, you are doing everything just right. The sooner the little one gets to the vet the better. Worming, distemper shot, etc. will help get him started on the road to good health for the rest of his life. You will probably also get some ointment for his eyes.

Best of luck to the little guy. He has obviously found an excellent home!

I'm guessing that if he was a stray he probably has internal parasites and most likely not a very good diet, which is causing him to be sick. While you're waiting on the vet, keep him hydrated (no milk!) Please note also that feline leukemia is contagious so if he has it, he could pass it on to your other cat, so I would keep them seperate if possible.

I am an emergency vet tech and most stray babies come in this way. They typically have worms or giardia (a parasite) and need to be put on medication to clear it up. The runny eyes (usually with sneezing) is most likely an upper respiratory infection which is highly transmittable to your other kitty (so wash your hands thoroughly before you touch the other one!). If the kitten had fleas and is lethargic or weak he probably has flea anemia which may need to be corrected with IV fluids or he may be okay if he is recovering well without fleas on him. Be sure he continues to eat and drink well. Good luck with him!

A tape worm is probably what's causing the "poop fluctuations" - when I adopted my cat she had one, she had also been a stray prior to being at the shelter. They get them from eating rodents, etc.... Mention it to the vet, they'll just give him a pill to kill the worm - Don't worry it doesn't come out whole, you can't even see it. They're going to want to do a fecal test, so you'll need to bring in a stool sample that is less than 6 hours old. They'll do a 1 year rabies shot if his temperature isn't too high, a distemper Vaccination, a flea/tick preventative, they'll check his teeth, and check for an Upper Respiratory Infection. All of these need to be done. You might also consider getting him micro chipped, in case he gets outside. And you're probably going to want to get him neutered - if he's not already. Hope this helps!

He might have internal parasites, which are easily treatable. That's what I'm guessing.

That's really nice of you to take in a stray kitten. Who knows where he'd be if you didn't rescue him.

Great job getting rid of the fleas and giving him eye drops, you're on the ball! I'm sure that the vets will be able to tell you why your little fur ball has the runs.

Good luck!!!! (^-. -^) <-------I created a kitty! I'm a genius!

If he was a stray then he probably has internal parasites which the vet will take care of when you go see him. See if you can get an earlier appointment with the vet. Try calling other vet clinics in the area and see if they can see you today. Regardless, you鈥檙e doing the right thing by taking the cat to see the vet. I鈥檓 sure everything will be fine.