This is the second time now that my cat has been lethargic after a mouse kill in the same week. I'm worried someone has put poison out and the mouse has ingested it and inturn my cat is getting dosed. Does this sound like behaviour after poisoning? My cat doesn't eat the mice. She does seems to recover after hours of sleeping.
My other cat went missing one month ago and this is completely out of character and she wears a collar with her name engraved on it with our phone number. No one has reported her and I have called all the shelters, pounds, radio stations, etc. Is it true that cat's go away to die? If she ate a poisoned mouse would she have gone off?
Lethargic Cat - after mouse kill
Re: Lethargic Cat - after mouse kill
The most obvious: Keep Your Cats SAFELY INDOORS-ONLY!
There are no current studies to refute or confirm whether or not a cat eating a rodenticide-poisoned mouse will affect the cat or to what extent. The bottom line is this: rodenticides are toxic to all animals, and if a cat eats a mouse who's ingested it, there is a certain likelihood the toxin will pass onto the cat, even though the amount of toxin might be low (or it might not be so low, it might be enough to kill). Why would you even want to consider the risk?
Collars and tags don't protect your cat from the outdoors. Collars can get entangled on things and strangle the pet; collars can be removed by other people, and collars can magically get lost by the pet. Microchipping is a better option, but it is only purposeful if the pet is taken to a vet or shelter who utilizes the scanner that identifies the microchip.
Hope you understand now. The ONLY way to protect your pets is STRICTLY INDOORS.
Back to your question. If your kitty is lethargic, why aren't you getting her to a VET? Regardless if a toxin or not, one does not sit around and wait to see if it passes. Get her to a vet immediately! You don't know WHAT is causing her lethargy, it could be anything, don't automatically assume it is from a mouse, or just because she recovered last time she will again!
There are no current studies to refute or confirm whether or not a cat eating a rodenticide-poisoned mouse will affect the cat or to what extent. The bottom line is this: rodenticides are toxic to all animals, and if a cat eats a mouse who's ingested it, there is a certain likelihood the toxin will pass onto the cat, even though the amount of toxin might be low (or it might not be so low, it might be enough to kill). Why would you even want to consider the risk?
Collars and tags don't protect your cat from the outdoors. Collars can get entangled on things and strangle the pet; collars can be removed by other people, and collars can magically get lost by the pet. Microchipping is a better option, but it is only purposeful if the pet is taken to a vet or shelter who utilizes the scanner that identifies the microchip.
Hope you understand now. The ONLY way to protect your pets is STRICTLY INDOORS.
Back to your question. If your kitty is lethargic, why aren't you getting her to a VET? Regardless if a toxin or not, one does not sit around and wait to see if it passes. Get her to a vet immediately! You don't know WHAT is causing her lethargy, it could be anything, don't automatically assume it is from a mouse, or just because she recovered last time she will again!
..........Traci
Re: Lethargic Cat - after mouse kill
I got home and she is fine. If I could keep the cats indoors happily I would, but my small one sprays if she is under stress or upset. Letting her outside makes her happy and she sprays outside and not in the house anymore.
I have quick release (elasticized) collars on them to reduce the likelihood of strangling. I am not a stranger to owning cats. My last cat I had for 15 years and she lived a long and happy indoor/outdoor life. The cat who recently went missing I've had for 6 years, I adopted her as a stray and she stuck around. It is completely out of character for her to go missing. I have cried non stop for 4 weeks. I am more than upset to have lost her and don't appreciate the criticism.
The only thing that is different is new neighbours in the neighbourhood. They have not fully moved in so I have not had a chance to chat with them.
As for your question about going to the vet. I would and I have taken all my pets to the vet, if necessary.
I am not sure why I keep coming back to this forum. It seems that my simple questions are always answered with negativity. Perhaps you should find out a persons whole situation before jumping down their throat.
I have quick release (elasticized) collars on them to reduce the likelihood of strangling. I am not a stranger to owning cats. My last cat I had for 15 years and she lived a long and happy indoor/outdoor life. The cat who recently went missing I've had for 6 years, I adopted her as a stray and she stuck around. It is completely out of character for her to go missing. I have cried non stop for 4 weeks. I am more than upset to have lost her and don't appreciate the criticism.
The only thing that is different is new neighbours in the neighbourhood. They have not fully moved in so I have not had a chance to chat with them.
As for your question about going to the vet. I would and I have taken all my pets to the vet, if necessary.
I am not sure why I keep coming back to this forum. It seems that my simple questions are always answered with negativity. Perhaps you should find out a persons whole situation before jumping down their throat.
Re: Lethargic Cat - after mouse kill
If I sound like a broken record it is because all to frequently, these posts are the same. One can easily acclimate a cat strictly indoors when one is totally committed to it, meaning, the owner must expect to be patient, and create an indoor safe and entertaining environment. It works, it's as simple as that, and.....not only does it work, but it allows the cat a longer, healthier, and happier life, as opposed to a rather short life due to hit by car, getting lost, suffering weather hazards, attacked by dogs, developing preventable diseases, taken to animal shelters, abused by people, or worse, killed by whatever hazard. I'd be willing to bet we have over a hundred posts (try the search function) here that are all the same, we advocate for INDOORS ONLY, always have, always will, and it's a fact that cats live longer, healthier and happier when they are safely indoors.
I've seen more and assisted in more surgeries and treatment than I can stand, of all of the above. Every single incident could have and SHOULD have been prevented by the owner. Cats can't talk, they can't look both ways before crossing the street and they can't cry for or knock on a door to have someone help them find their way back home. They are virtually DEFENSELESS when outdoors. Responsibility begins with the OWNER.
Quick-release collars are useless when the cat goes missing, and isn't microchipped. Of course, every single owner thinks it's completely out of character for their cat to go missing. Fact is, the cat doesn't think that way. The cat doesn't know how to get out of a bad situation, or find his/her way back home, can't surgically repair themselves due to a car or dog or anything else, shall I go on?
Sorry you don't look at it the way most of us do. Your cats can't speak, you have to be their voice, and if you can't be proactive for their safety, then don't expect me or anyone here to sugar-coat the problem for you. Sugar-coating and all the sweetness in the world does not change the fact that owners must be responsible for the safety and health of their cats.
As for taking your cat to the vet when she's ill, what exactly about lethargy doesn't demand a vet visit? A wait and see approach is not always the best for the cat, it is ALWAYS better to be safe than sorry.
I've seen more and assisted in more surgeries and treatment than I can stand, of all of the above. Every single incident could have and SHOULD have been prevented by the owner. Cats can't talk, they can't look both ways before crossing the street and they can't cry for or knock on a door to have someone help them find their way back home. They are virtually DEFENSELESS when outdoors. Responsibility begins with the OWNER.
Quick-release collars are useless when the cat goes missing, and isn't microchipped. Of course, every single owner thinks it's completely out of character for their cat to go missing. Fact is, the cat doesn't think that way. The cat doesn't know how to get out of a bad situation, or find his/her way back home, can't surgically repair themselves due to a car or dog or anything else, shall I go on?
Sorry you don't look at it the way most of us do. Your cats can't speak, you have to be their voice, and if you can't be proactive for their safety, then don't expect me or anyone here to sugar-coat the problem for you. Sugar-coating and all the sweetness in the world does not change the fact that owners must be responsible for the safety and health of their cats.
As for taking your cat to the vet when she's ill, what exactly about lethargy doesn't demand a vet visit? A wait and see approach is not always the best for the cat, it is ALWAYS better to be safe than sorry.
..........Traci