How to take care of kitty's tooth infection?

Question

I've been taking care of these two stray cats for the past month now - they both practically live on my porch as they can't come in the house; one's a Siamese cat with a torn ear (though I called a vet and checked and everything's okay with her), and the other is the one I've been looking after longer; an orange cat named Pumpkin. I give them the same food and water regularly, always use the same sheets for them to lay on (after washing and drying them of course).

Yesterday I went outside to see them before I went to sleep, and the orange one comes up to me mewing and the whole left side of her cheek/mouth area was swollen with no bite or scratch marks to be culprit. So I got worried and her old owner, the one who had kicked her out, took her into her house to bring her to her mom who used to be a vet tech, and she said it's possibly an infected tooth and then they kicked it right back out, where she came back to me.

I have no money to afford a vet for her, and I've tried every human-like way to help her (heat compresses, cold compresses) and over the past two days, the swelling has gone down. Is this a good sign, or is there something I can do?

Answer 1

Teeth are serious, just like in us.  Like us, there can be many different causes for a tooth or mouth problem.  Best bet is a vet's opinion.

Since you have no money for someone else's cat and the owner kicked the poor thing out, you might try asking a local rescue group.  Explain the problem and ask if they know of an inexpensive way for the poor cat to get help.  Rescue groups around here offer help to those trying to take care of cats.  The bill will be unbelievably less than a regular vet.

Answer 2

It costs nothing to phone a veterinarian and ask them these questions.  It sounds like these are two cats who have no 'owner' but you. If you want to find them new homes, then do so, the other people aren't caring for either one of these animals.

Answer 3

Have you contacted animal control or the humane society yet? Those people should be reported for abandonment. Perhaps the authorities can take the cat in for treatment considering the circumstances.

Answer 4

What kind of people are these people?  Her mom who used to be a vet's tech thinks it might be an infected tooth and they kick her out again.  I wish you could take her to a vet because she needs antibiotics for the infection.