Making tracks!

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Fran Bragg - 26 Jan 2007 17:56 GMT

Hi All,
We are in the final stages of building an attached garage. Yesterday they
poured the turncourt very early in the morning. They opened the door to the
basement, not realizing the cats were in there out of the cold, and spooked
the barn cat. She took off right across the concrete and of course left
some tracks. It looks like the concrete could have actually closed over her
feet as she ran so I'm sure her paws were well laden. The workers tried to
entice her back to clean it off, but she was having none of it. When I got
home, I also tried to catch her but no good. I set out some food in our
live trap and finally caught her that way. Her feet were clean. I have to
assume she ingested whatever concrete was on there! The vet we called
didn't seem to think this was an emergency and while concrete isn't exactly
on the list of approved diets, she didn't feel it would do much good to try
and force it back up. So we are in wait and see mode. So far, she has been
fine. I haven't kept her up, she went back to the barn where she feels safe
and seems to be eating fine.

Has this ever happened to anyone else?
TIA!
Fran

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Spot - 26 Jan 2007 22:15 GMT

While the vet wasn't concerned I still think I would have kept her confined
for a couple days till you were sure she was passing everything ok.

Celeste

> Hi All,
> We are in the final stages of building an attached garage. Yesterday they
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> TIA!
> Fran

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Lynne - 26 Jan 2007 22:45 GMT

> While the vet wasn't concerned I still think I would have kept her
> confined for a couple days till you were sure she was passing
> everything ok.

I agree.

Feed her some canned pumpkin for the next 3-4 days to help keep things
moving. (Just the pumpkin, not the pumpkin pie mix.) It's naturally sweet
and she may gobble it up.

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Lynne

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Fran Bragg - 27 Jan 2007 01:04 GMT

>> While the vet wasn't concerned I still think I would have kept her
>> confined for a couple days till you were sure she was passing
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> sweet
> and she may gobble it up.

Thanks! I'll put some out for her. I've got her in the basement now. She
is partly feral. Or half-tame, however you want to phrase it. I can't keep
her in the house with my other dog and cat. She can be aggressive. She
barely tolerates the family to touch her and when she's uncomfortable or
fearful, you have to handle her with gloves. (Like vet visits) I've got a
litter box down there, we'll see if she'll use it. Her appetite is good,
she is bright and came running up when I put food out at the normal time.
Hopefully all is well! My concern is with liver or kidney damage. I've got
a big bowl of water set out and she eats canned food so hopefully I've got
enough liquids running through her to flush toxins. How long should I
monitor her do you think? She isn't happy locked in the basement and is
quite vocal about it, which of course sets off the dog upstairs! If it
weren't so cold, I would enclose her in the feed room at the barn instead,
since she likes it better out there, but it's below freezing and she is used
to staying in the basement by the furnace on cold nights. (Cold is kind of
relative since I'm in GA! It's cold to ME!)
Fran

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Lynne - 27 Jan 2007 01:36 GMT

on Sat, 27 Jan 2007 01:04:59 GMT, "Fran Bragg" <fobragg@alltel.net>
wrote:

> Thanks! I'll put some out for her. I've got her in the basement now.
> She is partly feral. Or half-tame, however you want to phrase it. I
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> to staying in the basement by the furnace on cold nights. (Cold is
> kind of relative since I'm in GA! It's cold to ME!)

With wet cement, I don't know... it seems like that has a unique risk,
that it could harden while inside her (but maybe not?). Hopefully her
digestive tract is well lubricated enough that it will keep moving.

I have had 2 animals ingest things they shouldn't. The pumpkin was
recommended by the vet to keep things moving, and I watched them both
very carefully for 5 days, then I relaxed. They both had some
constipation the 2nd day, but then things got moving again and they were
both fine. One was a tiny 4 week old kitten who swallowed a latex teat,
and just last month my dog snatched a couple of cooked chicken legs at a
party. I was very tense and watching every BM (and in constant contact
with my vet), but everything turned out okay. So I think that if you
keep her inside for a week and she keeps eating and having bowel
movements, she will be safely out of the woods. I suggest the extra days
because the cement concerns me, but I have no real basis to explain why.

If she vomits or acts lethargic, get her to the vet immediately
(emergency hospital if after hours--do not delay) and have her checked
for an obstruction. Chances are good that she will be okay, but keep a
close eye on her. Let us know how she does, okay?

Did you leave the paw prints in the cement? :)

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Lynne

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Buddy's Mom - 27 Jan 2007 01:38 GMT

I have never had a cat that would eat pumpkin.

> on Sat, 27 Jan 2007 01:04:59 GMT, "Fran Bragg" <fobr...@alltel.net>
> wrote:
[quoted text clipped - 40 lines]
> --
> Lynne- Hide quoted text -- Show quoted text -

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Lynne - 27 Jan 2007 01:40 GMT

> I have never had a cat that would eat pumpkin.

Mine both love it, so does the dog! But my cats also like apples and
applesauce, and one drinks my OJ if I let him, so maybe they are weird.

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Lynne

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William Hamblen - 27 Jan 2007 03:22 GMT

>With wet cement, I don't know... it seems like that has a unique risk,
>that it could harden while inside her (but maybe not?). Hopefully her
>digestive tract is well lubricated enough that it will keep moving.

Stomach acids would attack the portland cement component of concrete,
which is what holds it together. I had a kitten run the length of a
slab of wet concrete. Why it didn't just jump onto the grass I'll
never know. It suffered no ill effects.

Bud

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The night is just the shadow of the Earth.

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Lynne - 27 Jan 2007 03:58 GMT

on Sat, 27 Jan 2007 03:22:20 GMT, William Hamblen <wrhamblen@comcast.net>
wrote:

> Stomach acids would attack the portland cement component of concrete,
> which is what holds it together. I had a kitten run the length of a
> slab of wet concrete. Why it didn't just jump onto the grass I'll
> never know. It suffered no ill effects.

That's wonderful! I hope the same is true for the OP's cat. I think it
would depend on how much concrete the kitty injests whether or not it
collects in a large mass, but again, I'm just speculating.

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Lynne

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