Conference misery::feline_v1

    Personally, I don't like flea powders and sprays because you do
    have to leave it on the cat in order for it to work.  I prefer to
    treat the house first, then bathe the cat with flea shampoo before
    turning him loose in the house again.  I find it much more effective
    and more pleasant for both me and the cat.  Powders and sprays gunk
    up the fur, and cats like to be clean, so they lick it off.  I don't
    like the idea of my cats ingesting the poison.
    
    Has he been checked for worms.  The voracious appetite coupled with
    diarrhea would make me suspicious of worms.  Take a stool sample
    in to his vet and have it checked.  If he has fleas, there is a
    good chance that he could have tapeworms too, since they are carried
    by fleas, but other worms may be present also.  Better safe than
    sorry.
    
    Fleas can affect you and your family.  They will bite you too. 
    It is best to treat the environment, then treat the cat.  Be sure
    to only use flea products that say they are safe for cats, since
    many of the flea products that are safe for dogs are toxic to cats.
    
    Good luck,
    
    Jo

    I would take him into the vet, get him checked generally (if you
    haven't done already), and ask about worming.  The vet will give
    you worm tablets that are more effective than the ones you can buy
    in pet shops.
    
    There is a brand of flea spray too that you can get from the vet
    (NuvanTop, I think it's called) which is more effective than the
    powders.  Nuvan also make a product called StayKill (again obtainable
    from the vet) which treats the house, and which does work!
    
    Helen.

    Just wanted you to know that I have added Kayleigh's name to the
    Silver Lining Memorial and he will be comemorated with this
    quarter's gift.  If you don't know what the Silver Lining Memorial
    Gift is, check note 2228.
      I'm very sorry about your loss and glad that you've gotten
    another feline to share your home and heart.
       Nancy DC
    

    Thank you all for your advice. 
    We decided this morning to call the kitten Oliver. If you were to
    see him sitting beside his empty food bowl, eyes wide and pleading,
    mewing pitifully, you would understand exactly why we named him
    Oliver!
    Although he had already seen a vet at the Rescue Centre, we took
    him to see our own vet this afternoon. He was given an injection
    of antibiotics, a thorough checkup, some new medicine, and a diet
    sheet. We have to starve him for 24 hours. He is not at all happy
    about this and he's going to be even less impressed with his food
    tomorrow - Weetabix and boiled Rice!! We must gradually build up
    his protein intake.
    The vet also gave us a spray for Oliver and another for the house.
    She said the powder wasn't very effective.
    Oliver was wormed last week, but we have been advised to give him
    another tablet this week to see if it clears him up. He has been
    so hungry we've been able to put his medicine in his food during
    the week and he bolted it down so quickly I swear he couldn't taste
    it!
    I shall let you know how he gets on. Thanks again for the help and
    advice.
    Julie
    
    PS Thank you so much for adding Kayleigh's name to the Silver Lining
    Memorial. I still really miss her and this is such a lovely way
    of remembering her.

    I'm sorry to read about Kayleigh (only 10 months old) but so happy for
    Oliver.
    
    Worms sound like an excellent answer as to why Oliver is devouring his
    food.  Fleas are definitely best handled by the sprays from the Vet's.
    I have tried sprays and powders from pet stores and dept stores with no
    luck.  The only thing that works is the stuff I get from my vet.
    
    Poor Oliver, being starved for 24 LONGGGGG hours.  Is that to clean out
    his system before starting him on the new diet.  I hope you have ear
    plugs.  
    
    Good luck to you and the new member of your household.
    
    Sandi  (mom to Lightning, DejaVu, Thunder & Storm
    
    

    The diet etc. appear to have done the trick. The reason we had to
    put Oliver on this diet was to give his tummy a complete rest and
    clear-out. The day he was starved was AWFUL. I didn't know cats
    could SOUND like that!! I wish that you could all have seen him the
    next day when he was served boiled ground rice! He could hardly
    have reacted more violently to a bowl of arsenic!! He DID eat it
    eventually, though. His appetite has not diminished at all, so I
    suppose we must resign ourselves to it. He must have been a goat
    in his previous reincarnation!
    Friday was the worst day for his tummy - he couldn't dig up the
    litter in his tray fast enough, poor little love! 
    He does seem very much better now, though. His nose is now cold
    and damp and his feet aren't so hot either.
    I can only hope that his appetite will diminish with age!
    Thank you for your advice and thoughts,
    Julie

    PS. The fleas have gone too, thank Heaven!! J.

    Julie, as he grows up and his metabolism slows down, he probably
    will eat less.  Right now he's doing alot of growing.
      Glad he's doing better.
       Nancy DC

    He's growing, all right!! He must be about twice the size that he
    was when we got him - scrawny little thing he was, then. At least
    we can no longer feel his ribs.
    Julie