OT: Charlie (FIV+ in MA) needs help and a home

[Lernermichelle]

I am writing to see if anyone has any ideas.  I go to the local shelter, where my positives came from, twice a day to take care of Lamby, a disabled sheep who lives in the feral cat yard (she is very popular among the cats and has convinced a number of them to trust us too!).  At this shelter, the ferals are put into a large yard, with access to the hay loft of a barn.  The shelter also puts non-feral cats out there who can not be adopted, sometimes because they are FIV+ (I do not agree with mixing in this way, but at least they do not kill any of them). A cat who was brought there about 6 months ago, Charlie, was diabetic. Since I am in the yard twice a day anyway, I agreed to give him his shots. Luckily, his diabetes went away, at least for now, and he no longer needs insulin. HOWEVER...   Charlie is a huge, long-haired black cat, extremely beautiful and cuddly and mellow and sort of looks like a bear, normally.  A few weeks ago I noticed a bunch of his hair was coming out, and upon inspection found he had a number of bald spots with bite and scratch marks, clearly self-induced. I brought him to the vet and the vet said he had terrible ear mites, for which they treated him, and probably also contact dermatitis of unknown origin. The vet gave him a shot of Vetalog, a steroid often used for skin problems that has less side effects than Depomedrol.  We were afraid to give Depomedrol because it can sometimes cause diabetes and he has had diabetes in the past (it can come and go with cats). The shot lasts 3 days. Charlie felt better for a week and then started scratching again.  The vet said to put him on a low dose of pred for 3 days and then taper him off. I did that, and after not seeing him for 2 days after the tapering was done, he appeared and had lost probably 1/3 of his hair and was covered in scabs and had  URI. My partner brought him back to the vet and he got another Vetalog shot and was put on Cephalexyn (and antibiotic) twice a day and tomorrow is supposed to start on a high dose of pred for 10 days and then taper if he is ok. They have no idea what is causing this.  I put Revolution on him to help with the ear mites and also because it treats mange if he has that.  I am going away for the weekend, to my parents', and the women who run the shelter asked me to put him in a cage for the 2 days so it is easier for them to find and pill him.  I decided to put him on chicken and rice food for that time too, since he will have his own food, in case this is a food allergy.  I am also considering bringing him to an allergist, as this looks very severe and he obviously can not stay on steroids forever.   Does anyone have any ideas for treatment or diagnosis?   Also, does anyone know anyone who might adopt Charlie? He is one of the best cats I ever met. When he has his fur, he is gorgeous, and is very affectionate, extremely mellow and easy to work with (goes right in a carrier, etc.), gets along well with cats and I would guess with dogs and kids too because he is such a mellow teddy bear-like cat.  The problem is that he is FIV+, could become diabetic again in the future, has a heart murmur, and obviously has some kind of allergy.  But the allergy started recently and I think that if he could get out of that yard and have his own food it might stop.  I would take him home myself, but I already have FeLV+ cats and a negative, who I keep separate, as well as a dog with cancer.  Besides having to redivide the house for Charlie, my partner, Gray, has begged me not to take in any more animals, especially sick animals, for a while because I am so at my wit's end and depressed since Simon's bout with lymphoma and losing our dog Nubi (Simon was diagnosed 2 weeks after she died of cancer).  That said, Charlie looks so bad right now that Gray said he almost brought him home himself.   I know you all have probably tapped out your contacts, but if you know anyone who has an FIV+ household or otherwise has a situation where they could take him and get him away from whatever he is allergic to, I would drive him just about anywhere.  I can not stand how miserable he is right now.   I will post an ad on the felineleukemia.org website, but do not know of anywhere else to post.   Thanks, Michelle