Editor’s Note: We’re resuming our posts about cats and kittens rescued by Project MEOW, the West Philly-based volunteer-run organization. This post is about “Gloria” who was found starving and near death. The post also provides information on how to treat a starving cat if someone finds one.
Gloria was starving and near death when she was found (Photo courtesy of Project MEOW).
When she was found by a contractor at a construction site at 45th and Market in August, Gloria was so skinny she could turn sideways and vanish. Barely three and a half pounds, this young calico cat came into her foster home with eye infections, a wobbly gait, and no appetite at all. Her caring and dedicated foster dad, realizing the dangers of overfeeding a starving cat, patiently fed her kitten formula and Urgent Care food through a syringe until she had gained several ounces and could eat regular cat food again.
Now healthier and mobile, Gloria still walked with a funky step. X-Rays at Philadelphia Animal Hospital showed a long-ago broken leg and dislocated kneecap, partially healed, and fixable only through extremely expensive orthopedic surgery. She can still move around fine, luckily, so right now her foster dad is trying to determine how much pain her injury is causing her. That will decide whether amputation might be the right path for this kitty. Once Project MEOW decides how best to handle her injuries and she is spayed, Gloria will be available for adoption. After all of her pain and suffering, we are hoping to find Gloria a safe home where she can continue recuperating and get all of the love she deserves.
Because Project MEOW fosters are well-informed on cat care, her foster dad knew the best way to care for her. It is possible to seriously injure or kill a starving cat if you overfeed it. If you find a starving cat like Gloria, avoid what is known as Refeeding Syndrome by feeding it very small amounts of high protein wet food, instead of dry food, which is often high in carbohydrates.
You can also add additional nutrients to the wet food using very small amounts of fish oil or Brewer’s Yeast. The best thing to do, however, is take an emaciated stray to your local vet, PAWS, the low-cost Spayed Club Clinic, or contact us at Project MEOW for advice. We hope that every starving stray can find the care and love that Gloria received!
– Allyson Church, Project MEOW volunteer
August 13th, 2019 at 4:50 pm
We found a cat in a drain with a very heavy flea infestation, weighing 1.3 kilo. She was diagnosed with mycoplasma. 3 weeks later she’s 2 kilo but had 3 fevers requiring treatment and just developed colitis. Her sight is not very good but she just spent the weekend at the vet who started using adrocil which I’m convinced gas blinded her completely? She will only ear chicken and fish. What else could I give her?
April 8th, 2021 at 7:50 am
We found a cat at our new house. It looks like a stray. Currently if you try to run your hand down any part of the cat you can feel the bone and very little skin or fat. You can even see the outline of her spine without needing to pet her. We gave her all we could last night which is a bowl of Tuna. What is best for me to start her out with and for how long? I want to give this cat a safe place and give it the food it needs to survive. I hate seeing animals in danger.
May 9th, 2021 at 10:47 am
How much kitten formula should you start to give a starving cat without over feeding him?
August 20th, 2021 at 6:39 am
Hi. I want to report care staff who have neglected a neighbour’s cat. The neighbour lives in the same supported-living building as me, where we all have our own flats. She is currently in hospital due to illness. I only found out that her cat is only being fed when certain members of support staff are on shift, which makes it so selective and unsettling. I can’t sleep well knowing that this poor cat isn’t getting fed. I know the cat isn’t my responsibility, but I was promised that they would let me look after it. Yet after five days I’ve heard nothing from the supported-living staff about it, which goes to show how uncaring they are. It doesn’t surprise me though. I started to pick up on how it really was when I first moved in. Everything is always great AT FIRST, but then after a few weeks, you start to see cracks in their methods. At least if the cat dies from starvation then I won’t be the one getting into a heap of bother for neglecting it. I know full well that if I got the go-ahead to look after it, I really would. Yet some of the supported-living workers are just very blah. Apart from the odd one or two. It’s just a nightmare. If this cat dies before it’s owner comes home, I will be feeling guilty for knowing that it’s not getting fed. It only feels morally right that I rescue it and feed it. If I don’t get to, who will? The staff sure aren’t. And in any case, supported-living staff can be just as bad as care home staff.