I think my cat got into something tonight, HELP!!?

Fresh skunk spray can smell like burnt rubber tire.

I always though it smelled like burnt coffee; the stuff that is burnt to the bottom of the carafe when I forgot to turn the machine off

If Jasmine is grooming herself, just keep an eye on her. If she eats, I would take it as a sign she will be OK. If she becomes lethargic or if she vomits, get her in to the vet.

You should take her to a vet if she is acting strange, lethargic, weak, not eating or drinking.. but I might offer an explanation in the meantime. Cats and dogs have anal glands which produce a skunky, funky smelling scent which is deposited on their poop as it slides out their anus. The smell is quite distinctive and when a cat or dog gets frightened they often end up shooting out this smelly liquid from the anal gland. It happens because of sudden, uncontrollable muscle spasms related to fear or aggression.

Just a few weeks ago when I brought my foster cat and her kittens home, my dogs scared her and she literally squirted her anal gland all over the wall. It has a really weird skunky/musty/burnt/gross smell. That could explain your cats condition and what you smelled. You said she doesn't often leave the yard, so she is probably pretty ignorant of many things and the big wide world is probably pretty frightening to her. She may have seen or heard something that scared her so bad that she released her anal gland and ran away and got out of breath.

You didn't mention any other symptoms.. Was her tail poofed up? that would be a sure sign of fear. Was she standing, sitting or laying? Did she act any different towards you? Has her behaviour changed? Is anything amiss other than the smell and her breathing? Also did her breathing return to normal? Answer those questions and I might be able to give you a better idea.

If she is breathing better now, then you should just monitor her through the night...

I am not quite sure what that rubber tire smell could be...she might have encountered something and just got that smell on her...that could be a number of things!

If you think that she might not be okay, then call the ER Vet...you could never be wrong, you know what I mean? If they check her out and say she's okay, then at least you will be content.

Good luck with Jasmine.

It could be oil

If your cat is panting please take him or her to vet immediately as they may have ruptured something internally and this could be fatal. Symptoms would be panting and distress and this would happen over thirty to sixty minutes after which time it would be fatal usually so I am hopping your cat is still ok.

Oil, however is toxic and could poison your cat, there is no harm in gently bathing your cat to remove any oil or tar , the best way to do this is to use dilute soapy water on paper towels or similar and then use paper towels or similar moistened with clean water to remove the soapy water. This is a slow process but is the least distressing for your cat , and is preferable to drenching her with water. Use a mild hand soap or ph neutral one if preferable. Neutragena shampoo is very good because it rinses out very easily but any mild soap solution will do, try to avoid using fairy liquid or similar though as these are very concentrated and take ages to remove thoroughly and the soap will need to removed from the coat because it might irritate your cats skin otherwise altohugh tates unpleaant however it will not harm her initself. I suggest mixing one part to ten parts water minimum. the more dilute the easier it is to remove off the coat. Again there is no need to soak the cat, just wring the towel out and use it slightly moistened as the oil is unlikely to have got through her coat to her skin.There will probably be patches of it where you will notice the smell after initially giving her a cats lick all over - exscuse the puun, and then just repeat this process on those patches. If you are in any doubt as to your cats health then please consult a veterinary surgeon. Even the energency ones are quite happy to give you advise over the phone rather than have ytou bring your cat out to them. So just phone and ask. Vets Now are very good for this if you have one of these in your area, but any vets offer tihs service. Hope this helps. Fencing to pre3vent further escapes can also be provided by using chain link or chicken witre type mesh supported at a 45 degree inward slope off your original fencing. There are many examples of this fencing online try www.feralcat.com/fence.html. Finally I would advise microchipping and neutering cats incase of any breakouts, although you may have already done this. It is better t o get your cat microchipped when they are out for the count during a neutering operation, many vets feel this is kindest for the cat also. however, I have had one microchipped this way and one micro chipped as he was, and he didn't seem to suffer although many vets and I feel if it is possible to chip while also having an op this is the 'nicest' option. Cats who are normally home cats are the ones who tend to get lost very easily and within a short ditance of their homes unfortunately

I'm an EMT in training, so I'd have to say if your cat is having breathing difficulty, take it to the vet ER. Smells and suspicions aside, you have to treat the actual medical problems, and difficulty breathing can be a life endangering problem. I'm really confused on why you would try to induce vomiting with salt. That makes no sense to me. That would probably make your kitty more sick. Stop the home remedies and let a pro help you out.

She might have tangled with the skunk and hid in something that smelled like a tire to get away. Cats get tramatized easily. I'd let her go until morning and see how she is. Sounds like she's just cleaning herself up after a cat fight or possibly had an escape from being hit by a car.

I would recommend calling your vet to see if it is a bad thing.

If they say they need to check her then take her immediately to the ER.

Is there any garbage of any sort in your yard? It could also be raccoons who decided to get your garbage, that she got into. If she is vomiting or having an upset stomach, i would skip calling the vet and take her to the ER.

~Hope shes okay! ♥

It's difficult to guess, but she may have fallen into something and ingested it while cleaning herself. You say that she is ok right now. Call the 24 hour clinic and give them the information. They will let you know what is best for the cat. Good luck.

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Do you REALLY think something that could be life or death for your cat should be decided by strangers on the internet that can't see this cat and aren't vets? If people say "Oh she's fine, wait till morning." and she ends up dying - what then? Are we to blame?