HELP! What might be wrong with this kitten?

Question

We found a kitten in the middle of no where today and I can tell there is something wrong with it. She can't really walk. When she walks, she stumbles and will just fall over, then get up and walk a little and fall over again. She's shaky-like, like maybe there's something wrong with her nervous system. There were 2 kittens and they both were acting the same, but we couldn't catch the other. It walked the same, etc. Someone most likely abandoned them. She won't eat or drink anything either. She also keeps sneezing and her nose is a little crusty, but we're assuming that that part of it is an upper respiratory infection. I have 9 cats already, so we're keeping her away from them until we can take her to the vet (tomorrow) so they don't get sick too.
Does anyone know what might be wrong with her? I've looked online and I can't find anything, but then again I don't know what to look for. I'm taking her to the vet tomorrow, but I'm worried.
Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thank you all for responding!
She looks to be about 6 weeks old. She also isn't very skinny, so she must not have been out there on her own for long. I still can't get her to eat or drink anything though.
My brother took me out to where he found her so that we could try to get the other one, but he made the mistake of trying to punce and grab it instead of taking it slow, and it scared it into the brush. We stayed for about an hour and it wouldn't come back out, so I'm going to go back as soon as the sun comes up. From what I saw, it is the same way. It stumbles and fumbles around, etc.
After reading the responses here and doing some research, I think it may be distemper. I'll find out tomorrow! And hopefully I'll be able to get the other kitten. Keep your fingers crossed, please! :)

Answer 1

Hi Amy...my guess is probably Feline Panleukopenia (FP) combined with URI (upper respiratory infection -- snezzing, crusty nose, goopy eyes):


FP Clinical Signs:

Signs of FP can vary in severity from very mild to extreme. The many signs are not always typical and many owners may even believe that their cat has been poisoned or has swallowed a foreign object. Because of this fact, treatment may be delayed or neglected. The first signs a owner might notice are generalized depression, loss of appetite, high fever, lethargy, vomiting, dehydration, and hanging over the water dish. The course of the disease may be short and explosive. Advanced cases, when discovered, may cause death within hours. Normally, the sickness may go on for three or four days after the first elevation of body temperature. Fever will fluctuate during the illness and abruptly fall to subnormal levels shortly before death. Other signs in later stages may be diarrhea, anemia, and persistent vomiting. FP is so prevalent and the signs so varied that any sick cat should be taken to a veterinarian for a definite diagnosis.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is based upon vaccination history, history of exposure, symptoms found on clinical examination, and blood testing to rule out the presence of other diseases such as feline leukemia virus, feline immunodeficiency virus, or feline infectious peritonitis virus.

Answer 2

I think you should try feeding the cat a little. If not then the cat might have been hit by a car at some point and that could have messed with its nervous system. Like you said taking it to the vet would probably be the best thing to do for the moment. The vet will probably know what happened to the cat and why it walks the way it does.

Answer 3

Sounds like she is about as sick as a kitten can get. You are an experienced cat owner so you know not to give her cow's milk. I'm not experienced in this sort of thing and I wonder, can you get goat's milk at a pharmacy or even the KMR?

She may have had neurological damage at birth and it just sounds to me like she is literally "on her last legs". Dehyrated, starving, worm infested, with a hell of a case of flu to boot. I hope it's not panleucopinia that's fatal very fast.

Someone should have an emergency kitten formula here for you. I read one last week that did use cow's milk and karo syrup and I don't know the proportions. I think diluted cream would be best as the fat would be the best ingredient for her. Feed with an eyedropper in small amounts every fifteen minutes until you see her tummy fill up.

Good luck to you and the poor little dolly.

Answer 4

Hmm....gotta love the haters bashing on people who can't spell or capitalize when they themselves can't even seem to READ....she said she's taking it to the vet T-O-M-O-R-R-O-W. Lordy.

I think it's awesome that you're trying to save the poor thing....and it's refreshing to read a question from someone who seems to know something about cats!:) You're doing a great job keeping the kitten away from your other cats and such.....I just lose faith in humanity being on this site sometimes, lol.

Anyways, that could be any number of things. Do you have any guess as to how old it might be? Because it may just be sick from not being around its mom anymore.....dehydrated, starving. Poor thing. I hope it's as simple as the kitten needing some nutrition, fluids, and TLC. Good luck at the vet tomorrow!

Answer 5

Go somewhere and get kitten formula and put it in a bottle with a very little nipple.....she may not want it at first cause chances are she's not eaten in a very long time but hold her in a towel to keep her warm and wait and be patient...she'll eat and when she does give her as much as she wants!! I adopted a kitten like that and bottle fed her for 6 weeks...it's takes a lot of patience and love....just keep trying and DON'T give her human milk...it will only make her sicker even though she'll seem to love it

Answer 6

This sounds really REALLY bizarre!!! I am glad you are taking her to the vet...it sounds serious! I had found a kitten that sounds very similar to this last year, and I called and made an appointment for after work that day, and it died before I could get her there. It sounds like it could be FIV or maybe even rabies.... who knows? She also could be in need of an iv, she could just be severely dehydrated. Keep us posted! I know she has found a great home! :)

Answer 7

I am so happy to hear that you rescued one of the kittens. You are wise to keep her separated from your other felines. The only way to find out what is wrong with her is for the vet to examine and run tests on him/her. Could be that the kitty is terrified, and misses its family.

Thank you for being a responsible, caring pet owner. If only more people would be, this world would be a far better place.

Answer 8

Been a week
Would be nice to have an update

For future researchers though
I'd like to say HYDRATE
baby animals especially need to be hydrated
food is not as important as fluid

so what did the vet say?

Answer 9

Sounds like a combination of respiratory infection, and starvation. Could be distemper. Canned condensed milk thinned with warm water is what I used before they started selling formula for them.

Answer 10

Get one of those wire traps and put cat tuna in it. The kitten will go in to eat the tuna and the trap door will shut. Make sure you check it often so a wild animal doesn't get the kitten.