Aggression and vet bills!

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Runmad
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Aggression and vet bills!

Post by Runmad »

Hello,

Firstly, we’ve recently relocated down south (England) and have brought our lovable Jasper - he’s 2 and loves to go roaming. We live in a secluded area with one neighbour and plenty of space however our neighbour also has a cat. Riley is an Arabian Mau, (he was found as a feral kitten in Dubai) who is also 2 and is new to the area.
Riley has had 3 months to get to know the area before we arrived and we have had subsequent problems with aggression. Although our cat is a big cat, he is very intimidated.
Are there any tips for helping to introduce the two? We have gone around our garden and scattered used kitty litter to mark out Jaspers space but have found de-stressing odours do not work (ie. feliway etc). Add into the mix that Riley can jump up and open our front door when it’s not locked, means we barely even have a safe space for Jasper.
Any advice on helping to regain some of our outdoor space (we have a hedged off garden) would be greatly appreciated!!

Secondly, We noticed a sore on Jaspers back earlier this week - a trip to the vet found a small abscess on his back - £120 later and he was wearing the cone of shame, full of antibiotics and on pain meds with a suspected bite mark from Riley next door. He’d been healing well since then. However last night my partner picked him up and there was an explosion of watery blood and a continuous running of bloody liquid down his side - we ran him to the vets immediately for them to discover another 5inch-wide abscess on the other side of his rump hidden under his long black fur. We’re horrified, he’s stayed overnight and is awaiting surgery today.
Our vet bill is looking likely to be around £1500 as he’s going to need daily packing changes for some weeks. Unfortunately we don’t have pet insurance and we’re both full-time doctoral students. Obviously our cats care comes first and he will have whatever is needed.
Apart from the PDSA, Blue Cross, RSPCA and CP - can anybody think of any charity that could help with his emergency care? Even a small amount or a low interest loan that can be repaid?

Any advice or help here would be so appreciated!
Apologies for my long-winded post.

Thanks!
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Kay
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Re: Aggression and vet bills!

Post by Kay »

just to answer your last question for now, the charities you mention might well help with any ongoing care, but I don't think they can help out with the vet bills already incurred

some vets will sort out a payment plan themselves, but another alternative would be to get yourselves a new credit card just for this expense, one with interest free period on balance transfers, and then pay it off as you can - I keep a card just for unexpected vet bills so just I know I will never have to compromise on my cats' care because of expense
Runmad
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Re: Aggression and vet bills!

Post by Runmad »

Thanks Kay,

We’ve been scouring the internet since yesterday, we’re looking at getting a credit card if we can - we are more than willing to pay the bill, unfortunately the vets we use don’t have a payment plan process and we neither receive benefits and as research students don’t qualify as ‘working’ even though we’re paid, so it’s difficult to apply for finance because most company’s won’t accept our salaries.
It’s a great idea for the future though, we were already looking at linking pet insurance to my car insurance on Tuesday after the first vet trip to cover him for anything in the future.
I just want him back on his feet, I feel awful that we didn’t know it was there in the first place :cry:
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lilynmitz
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Re: Aggression and vet bills!

Post by lilynmitz »

I would suggest you have a very friendly word with your neighbours and explain what’s been going on. Make it very clear from the outset that you’re not blaming them for what has happened, it’s just what cats do, but if they’re cat lovers they will probably sympathise. They’re probably completely unaware of the mayhem their little puss is causing. They may be willing to come to a timetable arrangement for when the cats are let out to minimise the risk of future conflicts. Meanwhile, make sure you keep the door locked to stop the intrusions into your cat’s safe space. Otherwise, can you build an enclosure outside your back door so that your puss can at least go outside without getting attacked?
Sniper1
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Re: Aggression and vet bills!

Post by Sniper1 »

I would definitely be speaking to your neighbour its hard to control what cats do but as a matter of common decency we all should take some responsibility for any problems they cause as your cat is coming into contact with a fighter make sure his leukemia jabs stay up to date as for the vet bills the credit card would have been my suggestion I doubt you will get much vet bill help elsewhere if you don't qualify for PDSA but an abscess although unpleasant is rarely an emergency and should not require that kind of hospitalization or expense of course many vets will offer that and let you pay but there's a lot you can do yourself to clip the fur away and keep the wound flushed out
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Mayday21
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Re: Aggression and vet bills!

Post by Mayday21 »

Hi Runmad that sounds very exie nearly $3000 in Australian $ ... I’d really be talking to your vet re making fortnighly payments they’re usually understanding. Here we have a company, Vetcare, offered through vets which draws up contracts for vet bills & they’re cheaper than credit cards albeit the interest free ones. And a word to your neighbours wouldn’t be untoward. I see he likes roaming but would Jasper cope with being indoors? My 4 are. Are you able to put up an outdoor cat enclosure/run? Good luck... keep us posted. Vivian
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fjm
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Re: Aggression and vet bills!

Post by fjm »

I had a similar problem when neighbours moved in with a very beautiful, very determined young male Bengal, who was determined to take over the entire estate. Poor Pippin suffered most, repeatedly beaten up and a whole series of abscesses as a result; Tilly, I swear, got her own back by setting the dogs on the intruder. They are not allowed to chase cats, and I particularly did not want them chasing this cat as he could have injured them badly, but somehow Tilly would get them to do it anyway, then kissed noses with them and came home rubbing up against them.

I would ask the neighbours if you could agree some sort of time share - one house lets their cat out mornings, one afternoons and evenings. Making some small, high escape platforms around your garden might help - the right size for one cat to perch on. Keep your cat in at night if you can - that seemed to be when the worst battles took place round here. A water pistol may discourage the intruder from your garden if used in such a way he doesn't associate it with a human being present, and netting round the bottom of the hedge may also help a little. But if one cat is used to considering an area as his territory and another cat moves in determined to take over, it can be very hard to avoid battles. Peace descended here when the new family decided their cat would be happier with a relative. Other cats have arrived since, but they are less belligerent, and so far there have been no injuries.
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Lilith
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Re: Aggression and vet bills!

Post by Lilith »

Sniper1 wrote: make sure his leukemia jabs stay up to date as for the vet bills the credit card would have been my suggestion I doubt you will get much vet bill help elsewhere if you don't qualify for PDSA but an abscess although unpleasant is rarely an emergency and should not require that kind of hospitalization or expense of course many vets will offer that and let you pay but there's a lot you can do yourself to clip the fur away and keep the wound flushed out
Hi, Sniper, that brings back some memories - I remember doing this in the 1980s - over 20 years on encountered a snotty little vet, wet behind the ears, who claimed not to know what a 'hot fomentation' was, but that's what a lot of people did and vets relied on owners doing much more nursing than nowadays. I had a lot of cats, neutered, but they roamed and sometimes fought; one evening (OF COURSE the vets were closed; sod's law) I was sitting there with my ginger tom (I've nearly always had a ginger tom) on my knee, purring, and wondered what that funny bump was behind his ear, but not for long ... gently placed a thumb each side of it - and a jet of pus SHOT out and hit me on the shoulder!

He never stopped purring. Yuck, the smell, got us mopped up and started the daily bathings of warm saline (teaspoonful salt per pint of water) and gentle emptying of any residual pus. On a small abscess this can work pretty well; bigger ones did have to go to the vet for antibiotics; this one did. 'Did we lance this?' asked my vet. ''No,' I said, 'I did.' He never turned a hair; he trusted the owners. Whereas nowadays they treat the whole thing as a big deal and charge you a big price.

If your cat will let you, Runmad, it's a useful skill to acquire but of course if you feel out of your depth, vet, always. I do sympathise, I remember when there were no savings in the bank and my heart sank at the prospect of a vet visit. Agree with the advice of credit card and sorting things out with neighbours too - all the very very best, please let us know how you go on :)
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