r/GavrocheTheCat

One of the things the vet noted on the first appointment, the first day when I scooped him up from my garden, was that this cat was severely dehydrated! He got subcutaneous fluids that day and from day one I tried everything to push fluids and make him drink as much as possible.

I remember on the first day he did a poop that was absolutely rock solid and the poor cat was crying when doing it. But then 48 hours later his bowels didn’t move again and I was starting to get very concerned. His stomach was getting very round and hard and I couldn’t feel any peristalsis when listening or rubbing his stomach with my hand. The good sign was that he was still eating, purring, peeing and didn’t show any signs of pain. It was a bank holiday weekend and his vets would be closed for another 2 or 3 days. I was ready to go to emergency vets if anything declined but wanted to make sure I tried everything they would suggest anyway to avoid paying a huge emergency bill. I should also note that he was on a course of oral antibiotics and metacam which could slow his digestion as well.

Reddit people were so much of a help recommending pumpkin, probiotics, lactulose and I got on everything! After 24 hours or so Gavroche managed to go to the toilet although it did take him a struggle. Since then we carried on with the routine: small meals, probiotics, laxative, hydration, belly massage post meals. But it would still take him at least 48 hours between bowel movements. His stomach was still quite distended and sometimes I would hear some popping and gurgling when rubbing it but it still wasn’t active enough. I was very scared (and still am sometimes) of megacolon but the vets had never mentioned it and I try to calm myself down remembering that first day we met he did go to the toilet himself without any laxatives etc.

Last time I took him to the vets they said they could still feel a buildup in his intestines and told me to double his laxatives until he produces 3 lose stools before reducing. It’s been a couple of weeks now since we doubled it and only now you can tell that his waist is getting snatched lol! Even on the high dose he only goes to the toilet once in 24 hours and they give him quite a bit of bloating but the intestines are definitely moving and gurgling a lot better.

We’ve now developed this whole routine where every evening, me and my husband gather in his room on the floor, we share what happened during the day, watch all the reels we want to share with each other lol, whilst I rub Gavroche’s stomach (he usually farts loads as well lol!). He communicates wanting me to rub his belly so well! Sometimes he stands up really quick, starts making his way to the toilet, changes his mind, turns around and flops on his side for more rubs until he feels ready to try again lol. Sometimes it happens really quick, sometimes it takes a couple of hours but once it’s done, we clean the evidence, feed him another dinner and put him to bed for the night.

I also think that his broken pelvis (it got fractured and healed years ago but there’s a big lump on his bone) could also be a reason he has to put more work into using the toilet than anything else. But I always look for a silver lining and am glad that he didn’t lose control of his elimination function or walking. We’re getting tons better at managing his issue and he’s getting better every day so I’m sure we’ll find a way to make this boy completely comfortable. Whether it sorts itself out on its own or we keep managing it, we’re on the right track!

I wish I managed to snap him fast asleep but he has to come and say hello once he sees a camera directed to him lol

Gavvy’s had his ears cleaned up following lickies-lix treat for being so good and patient boy 🖤

We’ve became an influencers for the day and made you a little video 🖤. We hope you all enjoy it!
If you’d like to contribute to his upcoming treatments here’s his GoFundMe https://gofund.me/26d99c835

After the post where I told the story of Gavroche’s room door opening whilst I was at work and him having an interaction with my two cats, quite a few people commented asking why he is not neutered. I have mentioned it a few times but I understand not everyone might come across it in the Reddit jungle so I thought I would answer it properly here in a separate post.

Short answer: he is not neutered YET because of vet advice, and he should have his neutering op in around 3 weeks.

Full answer: when Gavroche was found in my garden he was severely riddled with infections. We just got rid of the infections in his eyes and ears with antibiotic drops and he had a 29 day course for his flu which improved the symptoms drastically, but he is still sniffly and sneezy (I was told cat flu symptoms linger for a while and he is on lysine now to help him build his immunity back up). The vet also says the sniffliness might be caused by an infection in his teeth and nose polyps, which he will be able to have a look at when Gavroche gets his dental done. He had his first round of vaccinations almost 3 weeks ago and will go for his second round in 1.5 to 2 weeks. Because his immune system is under so much stress recovering from everything, the vet wants to play it safe and only neuter him two weeks after the second round of jabs. His reasoning is that he wants Gavroche to be strong enough to heal properly with no peri or post operative complications, and I absolutely trust him and will not argue with the plan.

Gavroche has already been through so much and has done so well. Yes, it is sad not being able to introduce him to the other cats yet and it does make him frustrated smelling the females outside the window, but neutering is not an emergency treatment and waiting a few more weeks is a small inconvenience for him compared to what he was going through as a stray on the streets or what would happen if he doesn’t heal properly post surgery. We have already done 1.5 months of improvement with no set backs and I am not about to rush anything or compromise his health by going against vet advice now.

Here are some pictures of us this morning enjoying cuddles. He is my sticking plaster and always wants to have contact. He is the most easy going cat and I am so lucky to have his trust. Thank you for following our journey and please let me know if you have any questions about him and his recovery, I am happy to answer everything and also receive advice! 🖤

A few nights a week I sleep in Gavroche’s room to keep him company. My other cats like sleeping in my bed with me so I couldn’t do it every night as I can tell they get worried, and I’m doing my best to divide my attention between them all. When me and Gavroche have a sleepover, Rocky and Lollipop get lots of playtime and engagement during the day to make up for it. The first couple of weeks sleeping with Gavroche wasn’t very peaceful and sometimes I would end up moving back to my bedroom in the early hours because of his howling at the window. But once he settled in it’s just the best. It reminds me of when Lollipop was a baby kitten and would want to sleep around my neck, constantly purring. Gavroche always wants to feel that contact too. He sleeps on my stomach and if I’m on my side he curls up next to my shoulder and pushes his little body into me. He likes to be hugged and he’s always purring. Once he’s awake he pushes his face into mine and comes in for kisses. It’s such a lovely way to wake up. He is such a loving boy, I can’t believe how lucky I am to have found him!

So yesterday I got home from work, and to make it worse I had guests with me, and the second I opened the front door I was hit with that horrible skunky smell of Gavroche’s pee, absolutely terribly strong. Like for about a week or so after I first got him, his pee smelled awful like that, and then it settled into normal cat pee smell. But he still releases that skunky smell in stressful situations or when he’s let into a different room, so I’m assuming it’s spraying because he’s unneutered.

Both of my resident cats, Rocky and Lollipop, came to meet me and seemed okay, but there were two puddles of wee on the downstairs tiles. I went upstairs and Gavroche’s room was open. The latch is a bit dodgy so I’ve been putting a tea towel between the door to stop it swinging open, but I was rushing to work in the morning and must not have secured it properly and it got opened by crosswind.

Gavroche was back inside his room looking a bit timid.
The whole upstairs smelled of wee and it’s all carpeted so I couldn’t even see where it was. There was also a poop under the chair in the bedroom and I know it was Lollipop’s by the shape of it (yes, this is how sad I am) which is very unlike them as they never go outside the litter tray. There was also some loose fur in one of the corners and loads of claw sheaths, so they’ve definitely been fighting. I suspect it was Rocky and Gavroche, because Rocky has a scratch on his nose and Gavroche has one on his nose and one behind his ear. No other injuries I can see in any of them.

I feel like I messed up. I’ve been trying so hard not to mess up this introduction because I’ve had problems before when Rocky was first introduced, Lollipop became really territorial and it completely destroyed his relationship with Teddy, my other cat at the time. We ended up having to keep them fully separated in a two-bedroom flat until eventually we moved out and Teddy stayed with my friend he’d gotten very attached to. The space was limited and that probably didn’t help, but even with advice from a cat behaviour specialist, nothing worked between Lollipop and Teddy. So I’m really anxious this is gonna happen again and I was desperate to keep them completely separate until Gavroche is neutered.

Today I’m going to shampoo, soda crystal, and vinegar the carpets to try and get as much of the smell out as possible and hopefully stop anyone marking on top of it. But if anyone has advice on what to do now to start from the beginning, I’d really appreciate it. This morning they all seemed their usual. Eating, drinking, toileting, purring etc. I just feel terrible that this happened..

First pic - Rocky
Second pic - Lollipop

Pictures: day I found him (April 1st) → Yesterday

Hello, this is Gavroche. A little black cat I found in my garden after saying “no more kittens.” But the cat distribution system knew better and decided for me that a third black cat is exactly what I need. And they were right.

I saw this little dude around for a couple of weeks and thought he was just one of the neighbourhood cats passing through, so I never took a close look — but on the 1st of April I looked out the window and saw this little thing lying in the wet grass, my neighbour’s cat walking around trying to threaten him, and he just wouldn’t move. I scooped him up and took him straight to the vets, and felt awful that I hadn’t done it sooner, because the vet confirmed he probably had about a week left if nobody had helped him.

We’ve had 4 vet visits since April 1st, so here’s a summary of what’s happened:

1st visit — confirmed he is an unneutered, unchipped male, around 5 years old. Diagnosed with cat flu and an eye infection. Doxycycline (28-day course), Metacam and chloramphenicol prescribed, subcutaneous fluids given. Severe periodontal disease confirmed.

2nd visit — ear swab done, infection and polyps confirmed. The polyps are occluding his ear cavity. Ear wash and antibiotics prescribed, worming tablet given, bloods taken for FeLV and FIV testing (later confirmed both negative).

3rd visit — microchip and first round of vaccinations given. Discussed neutering and dental treatment (starting 2 weeks after the second vaccination round) — estimated at £800 for both. They also noticed he possibly has a broken and healed pelvis, which would explain why he doesn’t want to jump.

4th visit — took Gavroche to Animal Trust vets for more affordable treatment options. The plan is: second vaccination round at the original vets (as they use different vaccines), then 2 weeks later — neutering, followed by getting on the list for dental work. He may need two procedures, as the vet also wants to take X-rays — the polyps in his ears might be occluding his nasal cavity and would need removing. These vets have a flat fee of £410 for 90 minutes of anaesthetic time, and the vet said he’ll do as much as he can within that, but we may need to come back for a second procedure.
He is still a snotty boy even after the antibiotics treatment and it could be caused by his infected mouth and possible polyps in his nasal cavity.
The vet has also noticed his colon is still quite backed up so he instructed us to double up his laxatives and start giving him daily metacam once he had 3 loose poops.

So far we’ve spent around £1,000 (all accounted with receipts) on everything mentioned above, plus his gastrointestinal diet and supplements for his joints and constipation and flu. The majority has been covered by GoFundMe donations. Right now I have more time than money, and I’m ready to give him everything I’ve got — but I’m not in a position to cover his upcoming surgeries on my own, and that’s a hard place to be.

I am looking to raise money for his dental work and removal of the polyps so he can live comfortably and pain-free. I am so grateful for any donation to his GoFundMe, and there is also the option to pay directly to Animal Trust towards his upcoming treatments if you’d prefer.

I post regular updates on his health and share receipts both on Reddit and on the GoFundMe — he is just improving so well and has a good chance to make a full recovery.
I genuinely can’t wait for him to get back on his feet fully and join my other two black kitties!

I am happy to answer any questions or provide with the receipts, name of vet practices etc.

Thank you in advance!

https://gofund.me/4865a7af5

Sorry it’s been quite long since our last update. I was busy with Gavroche unrelated stuff but things been good!

It’s been 41 days since Gavroche moved into our home!

On Saturday we saw a vet at Animal Trust hospital and he was absolutely amazing. The reason we moved to Animal Trust is because they offer much more affordable care — their dental treatment has a £400-something flat fee for a 90-minute procedure, which is a couple of hundred pounds less than what our original vets charge (and that’s for a basic dental without any extractions). That said, the vet wanted to see Gavroche first before proceeding with any treatments.
He did a proper top-to-bottom check-up and said it feels like his bowel still isn’t fully cleared out, so he’s doubled his laxatives. Gavroche is also still quite snotty, and the vet thinks this might actually be connected to his dental issues and ear infection — he may have some polyps growing between his nose and mouth that are causing it. He wants to take X-rays during the dental procedure to check whether anything needs to be removed. The X-rays won’t add any extra cost but will take time, so the full dental might not be completable in one session — but he’ll prioritise whatever will relieve the most discomfort and pain first.
The plan going forward is: second set of vaccines in a couple of weeks, then another couple of weeks for his immune system to recover, then neutering, and then onto the waiting list for the dental. He’s also been prescribed Metacam as an ongoing prescription to keep him comfortable in the meantime, but the vet wants his bowel cleared first as Metacam can slow things down further.
Overall though, he is such a happy, cuddly boy. He’s gaining weight, his fur quality is improving loads, his appetite is great, and he’s taking his lysine and probiotics really well. I just can’t wait to get his teeth sorted and his neutering done so he can roam freely around the house and finally meet the other cats!