What's the best way to medicate a large colony of cats with URIs?

Reducing stress is an important part of the treatment, because a major cause of upper respiratory infections like this is a Herpes virus that is brought out by stress. Try to identify any stressors in the household and do your best to eliminate them. You can also buy a cat pheromone product like Feliway at the pet store, which also helps to reduce stress. If they are very congested, then you can do a steam bath at home. Below is a link to an article that explains this and has helpful info about cat upper respiratory disease. http://www.wikihow.com/Help-Your-Cat-Breathe-Easier Outbreaks like this are common amongst cat colonies. Make sure you continue treatment past the resolution of clinical signs (coughing, sneezing, discharge, etc.) and give the medication as prescribed. With good care, these outbreaks clear-up within the population over a month or so. I know it's tough to look at them like this, but stick with it and they should get better eventually. I hope that helps and all gets sorted soon.

Since there are still symptoms of the infection then he needs to be rechecked for further treatment. Some cats need pulse therapy medicine to help keep it under control. Also a lot of upper respiratory infections in cats are viral induced and take time to fully resolve. They do make anti virals you can add to the food to help clear the infection also

The jury is still undecided if Vitamin C really helps pets or not. Cats synthesize their own vitamin C naturally. Likely the best measures you can take are to support over-all health. Make sure they are eating a high quality cat food. Deworm them if possible. Many cats respond well to Lysine for herpes infections. Adults take 500mg twice daily. This can be found in a fish flavored powder, gel and treat form. Also giving them an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for cats will help with natural inflammation control. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I'm very sorry your kitty is sick. Respiratory infections are very common in kitties and almost all are caused by a virus, not a bacterial infection. Therefore, we do not recommend antibiotics if we are dealing with an upper respiratory infection. There are several things you can do at home though. To help with nasal and sinus congestion symptoms, I recommend using the shower to fill your bathroom with as much warm steamed air as possible and then place your kitty in the room for 10-15 minutes at a time. You can do this several times a day, the goal is to help humidify the air and allow your kitty's nasal passages to drain and clear some. You can also purchase over-the-counter treats or a gel formula containing the amino acid supplement L-lysine made for cats. These can sometimes help clear a viral infection. Follow the label instructions to know how much and how often to give to your kitty. If your kitty stops eating or drinking, you will need to have it examined by your veterinarian to avoid complications such as dehydration.

Hello, There is nothing over the counter I would recommend giving to a feral animal. A lot of respiratory disease in cats is viral based, but even with secondary infections, dosing the antibiotics correctly in an outdoor cat is very difficult and would likely result in antibiotic resistance and a worse infection. There are long acting injectable antibiotics, but Oreo would need to be able to be trapped or handled to be assessed by a vet for the need for antibiotics and to receive the injection. I hope this is helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If Bud appears to be suffering from an upper respiratory infection (nasal discharge, sneezing, eye discharge), then there is an injectable antibiotic injection (convenia) that lasts for two weeks and frequently is helpful for these infections in cats that are difficult to give oral medications to. It would require him to be seen by a veterinarian and have an accurate weight. If possible, I would have him evaluated by a veterinarian and discuss convenia as a possible treatment option. Good luck!

It may take 7-10 days for the condition to resolve. As long as he is still eating, breathing normal, and has normal energy then continue the medications as directed and monitor his condition. If he has a viral infection then it will need to just run it's course as the antibiotics will only treat a bacterial infection. If he stops eating, becomes lethargic, or has any breathing issues then he should be rechecked by a vet.