Sick cats and foul mouthed birds

Dear Dr. Forsythe: My cat stopped eating a few days ago and now it isn’t drinking either.  I think she has a fever.  I don’t have any money to pay vet bills, so what do you recommend?  I don’t want her to die, but there is no way I can handle a big financial burden now, either.  – Cat Mom

Dear Cat Mom: Unfortunately, when a cat gets sick enough to stop eating and drinking and has a fever over 104, that makes for a very sick pet.  I wish there were some quick and easy remedy or solid advice to give you, but there just isn’t.

The list of possible causes for a “fever of unknown origin” can range from a simple infection that has gotten very bad and requires antibiotics, to something like pancreatitits or a serious viral disease, or possibly even cancer.

Without diagnostics, such as blood tests, and possibly radiographs, the only option is for your veterinarian to simply dispense antibiotics and say a prayer that it helps.  If you truly cannot afford to have this done, then all you can do is monitor your cat at home, try to give fluids through an eye dropper and hope that she pulls through.

I had a client with a seriously sick, febrile cat in a similar situation, who declined treatment last week and instead took her cat home to consult with a pet psychic that she trusts more than any veterinarian.  No doubt, her pet is either on the other side of rainbow bridge by now, or feeling much better.  My personal advice?  Try to at least finance an office visit with a vet you trust and opt for whatever care you can arrange.  Your kitty’s life is probably depending on it.  Good luck and thanks for writing. – Dr. Forsythe

Dear Dr. Forsythe: My wife inherited an African grey parrot after her mother passed away.  It was quite a shock when the will was read because everyone thought “Irving” would go live with her brother in New York.  Well, being the sentimental daughter she is, my wife took the bird – mess and all.

The trouble with Irving is that he has a foul mouth and swears like a drunken sailor.  We didn’t know this before, since we rarely travelled to my mother-in-law’s apartment on the east coast – she always came here.  And, we suspect her brother, who always “birdsat,” may have taught Irving his colorful vocabulary.  The problem is, we have two young children and feel like Irving, the foul mouthed parrot, is more than we bargained for.  I knew birds were dirty, I just didn’t know they had dirty mouths, too!  What should we do? – Bird Brained Son In Law

Dear Son in Law: It seems to me like your wife’s uncle is a few feathers short of a flight.  Why on earth did he teach Irving to swear?  I suggest you speak to him and see if Irving would be happier living with him.  After all, birds of a feather.  – Dr. Forsythe