1.  As I try to see through my bloodshot eyes on the way home from the
emergency vets minus a Huge chunk of change with every single fert in the
front seat and the back seat in their carriers I think I will take the
time now to give a possible warning before I collapse.
 
The female cat I recently saved at the shelter got a thorough checkup at
the vets.  Everything looked great.  Awhile back, a vet informed me
specifically that new ferts should be isolated for at least one month from
the other ferts.  So I do isolate ferts for one month.  But no one said a
thing about a cat.
 
Three days after being isolated, the little feline dashed out of her room.
She was an instant hit with the ferts who were eager to meet her in the
adjoining room.  It was an accident.  But it went well.
 
I captured a dying male feral cat about a year ago.  He weighed under 9
pounds when I first took him to the vets.  He is now a 15 pound moose.  I
thought my cranky old wild man saw the female cat from his sunning position
on the porch and was O.K. with the tiny cat.  I could not believe my luck.
I was thrilled to pieces.  I figured it would be months before he would
meet the newcomer.  But there was no need to wait.  He was mellow as could
be.  Gloriosky!!!
 
I was wrong.  He had not seen her.  He almost had a heart attack when he
came in from the porch.  I think that he was frozen and speechless with
fury.  His fur flew up.  I snatched her before he could touch her.  He
leapt up at me full force to attack her--or me.  I screamed and dropped her
and she dashed for her room.  I scrambled ahead of my male cat and slammed
the door just in time.  Man, I was scared.
 
But this determined little girl is such a flirtatious charmer that she
wooed Cat with her womanly wiles very quickly.  She is crazy about the big
lug.  Between the flirting and following him around and sitting by him and
rolling on her back and lightly touching him and allowing him to sit on her
and chew on her to show her who is boss--Cat is already fond of this little
animal that was almost put to death.
 
But despite that thorough check up at the vets before I brought Blue home,
about 7 days ago, the little cat started sneezing and sniffling.  I let it
continue for 3 days, then brought her in to the vet.  *******It is common
for animals at shelters to get upper respiratory infections and pass them
along.  The vet said.  She must have just been beginning an infection when
I brought her home****
 
About 4 days ago, Cat-the ferocious one- got sick terrible sneezing and
loud snuffling.  I ran him to the vet.  He has a fever and upper
respiratory infection.  He is now on antibiotics I have to stuff pills
passed his black curled lips and gigantic flesh tearing teeth that have
already sunk into me.
 
Two days ago, the ferts got sick.  All the ferts.  Sneezing until they can
barely breath, snot and yuch in my face.  Every single one is really sick.
I could not take off of work.  But they had to go to the vets.  So I had to
go emergency.  The cost was unbelievable.  But my Ferts go from sick to
almost dead a little too fast for me.  Poor Chewy with his bad lungs is the
worst off.  I can hear them all sniffling and sneezing from another room.
Aside from ECE they have never all been like this.  It is truly
distressing.  They all have fevers.  I have to syringe feed all of them.
I have no time for this.  I have no choice.
 
I am not a vet.  But it sure appears that ferts Can get sick from cats.  It
would be terribly coincidental that they all got sick with the same
symptoms at the same time.
 
If there are any vets out there-CAN FERTS GET SICK FROM CATS?  Should I
have kept Blue away from ferts for a month?
 
I hope that someone out there has an answer to save others from this
dreadful situation.
 
2.  It is time for all the fert shots in Aug.  I Called around to places
here that said that they see ferrets.  They are all using Galaxy-whatever
that is.  Only two vets in entire phone book of area are using Fervac D
and Imrab 3.
 
Just because someone says they see ferts does not mean they really do.  The
place I took the cats to said they see ferts.  But when ferts got sick and
I called for an appointment-they suddenly said they didn't see ferts.
 
Be careful out there.
[Posted in FML issue 2752]