Sick Siamese kitty

[Sweet Freedom]

So there's a stray kitty that lives in my mother's neighborhood (she can't be socialized, local shelter tried for months, but it appears she was abused.) She looks ill. A couple weeks ago, mom saw her and thought her fur was thinning. She saw her again a couple days ago, the kitty's fur is definitely thinned and the color has changed. (She looked bad enough it brought mom to tears -- mom never cries.)

Anyway, we're working on getting the local shelter to set a trap for her and take her in for a check-up, but until then, does anyone have any thoughts as to what this could be? I'm stumped by the fur color change.

BTW: a neighbor saw her kill a pigeon recently. I don't know if she can catch anything from them.

Thanks!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Could be a dietary deficiency, but

Siamese cat fur can also change color naturally. They typically get darker as they get older.

http://www.cat-world.com.au/Black.htm

I hope you can catch her and get her properly looked after.

[Sweet Freedom]

3. Thank you for the link; I'll check it out. /end

[spooky3]

2. Possibly the cumulative effects of having to live outside. Please keep

trying to get her rescued and adopted. Thanks for everything you are doing!

[Sweet Freedom]

4. Perhaps, but it's not been a slow progression.

This was sudden. A month ago, she was fat and her coat was beautiful.

I'm going to try to get to her this weekend so I can see firsthand what is going on.

Unfortunately, she won't be adopted. The shelter already spent months trying to socialize her, to no avail. She was fixed and given shots, so at least she won't be having kittens. She's now the neighborhood cat. My mom is the only person she will come up to, but she won't even let mom touch her (and they've known each other for at least 3 years.) The shelter thought she had been abused and she's just doesn't trust people. :(

[roody]

5. She may just be feral. Some cats will never trust people.

She may have a disease. Maybe she already had leukemia when she got her shots. Diabetes comes to mind also.

[Sweet Freedom]

6. I believe she belonged to someone who lived there,

but they moved and left her behind. :(

Good point about the pre-existing disease. I really hope it's nothing that serious. Poor kitty.

[spooky3]

7. I don't mean to second guess you as you know more about the situation

obviously, but rather to offer some other alternatives. Living outdoors is not a good option for most cats - disease, predators, weather, etc. greatly shorten their life expectancies, particularly in urban areas.

Some kitties can't get socialized in a shelter but learn to relax and trust in a foster care where they don't have to deal with as many different people and animals.

She sounds like an abandoned pet to me, which suggests to me that given the right environment she may be able to be a pet again, though it won't be easy. Can't say I've seen too many wild Siamese.

[badgerpup]

8. Tapeworms will make a cat skinny...

Will probably affect the coat too..

They'll be easy to treat, once she's been caught.

A few years ago my Esme started losing weight...she's my big solid girl and she got pretty bony. I was worried about her. Didn't think she did all that much hunting, but gave her a Cestex (tapeworm medicine) just to rule it out...and sure enough, she got plump and solid again.

They all get it now, 3-4X a year as a prophylactic.