I think my kitten is poorly?

Question

we got 2 kittens a few days ago and one is settled and running around like a maniac whilst the little boy is still very quiet, scared of everything and today seemed to lose his meow and started sneezing
We dont know if he is showing signs of any kind of kitty illness

Answer 1

Is it a runny nose and cold, or respiratory infection?

Cats get colds, just like you and me, however cats have their
own virus that is unique to their species. This means we can't "catch"
colds from cats, and neither can they "catch" colds from us.


Cats experience much the same symptoms as we do when we
have a cold. They get snotty runny noses, runny eyes, sneezing,
temperature etc. And like humans they also are susceptible
to the sinus and chest infections that are sometimes the result
with a humans cold.

These infections are called secondary infections. It is important
that when your kitten gets a cold that that they receive the
proper treatment. Follow your vet's recommendations.


Your cat cannot blow it's nose, so you need to keep the
mucous and discharge clean by wiping the nose as needed
with a damp, warm rag or tissue. Be gentle!



Just like in humans, a cat cold will last from 7 to 10 days.

Many cats will also refuse to eat when having a cold.
One reason for this is that cats like to smell their food first,
and with a runny nose, it's rather hard to pick up the scent.


Be very careful about dehydration! If your kitty is not eating
and is becoming dehydrated, buy some canned cat food.
It is 75 to 80% moisture and has a hearty smell to it.

When kittens have runny eyes and noses, there is a good chance
that they have a respiratory infection.

Unfortunately, many of these respiratory infections never go
away completely. They may seem to disappear, and return
whenever the cat is stressed, or they may just never go away.


Cat Flu (Feline Infectious Respiratory Disease) is still an
extremely common problem in cats. It rarely causes death in
healthy adult cats but it can be fatal in kittens, old cats and
cats which are already ill.


Upper Respiratory Infections can be caused by a complex of
infectious agents including Feline Pneumonitis, Rhinotracheitis, and
Calcivirus. Symptoms of Upper Respiratory Infections in cats
are similar to a head cold in humans and can include sneezing,
nasal discharge, runny eyes, cough, oral or nasal ulcers,
hoarse voice, sniffles, fever or any combination of the above.


Cats that recover from cat flu may become carriers of the virus
and can transmit the disease to other cats for many years. If
this 'carrier' cat is stressed, this can be by moving house or
other activities which are out of the ordinary, it may show
signs of cat flu, this being a runny nose and most commonly
by sneezing.


Feline Herpesvirus and Feline Calicivirus:

Feline herpesvirus (the cause of feline viral rhinotracheitis) and
feline calicivirus are estimated to be responsible for 80-90% of
infectious feline upper respiratory tract diseases.

Although usually not serious in adult cats, disease caused by
these viruses may be severe–and sometimes fatal–in kittens.
Sneezing, runny eyes, runny nose, and fever are the most
typical signs of infection.

In addition to upper respiratory tract disease, lameness and
chronic oral inflammatory disease have been linked to calicivirus
infection. Both viruses are shed in secretions from the nose,
eyes, and mouth of infected cats. Cats become infected by
direct exposure to infected individuals, either from sneezed
droplets, or from contaminated objects such as food and water dishes.

Most cats are exposed to either or both of these viruses at
some time during their lives, usually as a kitten. Once infected,
many cats never completely rid themselves of viruses. These
carrier cats shed viruses either continuously or intermittently
for long periods of time–perhaps for life–and serve as a major
source of infection to other cats.

Protection induced by the currently available vaccines minimizes
the severity of disease, but does not prevent disease in all cats.


Feline chlamydia is one infectious disease that is spread via the
respiratory system, it causes symptoms similar to cat flu. Kittens
may also develop some respiratory signs as well as having the

discharge from the eye which is associated with chlamydia.


The signs of this disease start in one eye and quickly spread to the

other eye. Without treatment these signs can last for months, even years.
The symptoms are red eyes with a thick discharge, reluctance
to open eyes fully, may have a mild nasal discharge and the
occasional sneeze. Their temperature is usually normal and they
will probably continue to eat as normal. Cats which show these
signs must be kept isolated from other cats. Chlamydia can also
infect the genital tracts of cats, which can result in reproductive
failure in female cats.


Feline Coronavirus (Feline Infectious Peritonitis)

This is mainly thought to be a respiratory shed virus. It can cause
disease that can either cause fluid buildup in the abdomen or
the lungs, or another form of the disease that can cause organ failure
by causing inflammation in the brain eyes, liver or kidneys

Answer 2

Did you take the kitten to the vet in the 2 weeks you had her ? I highly recommend that after adopting ANY animal from a shelter, you take them to your vet as many animals come out of shelters with medical problems - a few private, well funded shelters vet their animals well but the large majority only do basic vaccine and little else. This is a hard situation - many small shelters do not have funds for vet care. Many of these small shelters report to town or city councils. So I would write your local aldermen about conditions at the shelter.

Answer 3

Hmm, that is difficult. Could be the quiet kitty is just having more difficulty adjusting to the drastic change in environment. Make sure you have plenty of contact with him, interact with him, and be gentle so he is not scared. It may help to put a small clock that ticks near their bed, it will mimic the sound of momma cat's heartbeat and help them adjust better.

If you are truly concerned that your kitty is sick, you should take him to a vet to get checked out. They will give him a full exam, evaluate the health of the kitten, and also be able to advise you what kitten shots they should have, in case they havent had them already.

Answer 4

It's very possible that he is just taking a bit longer to adjust! Depending on the kitten's personality and background he could adjust right away or it could take several days. Is you kitty eating/drinking? Using the litter box? Those are things you should be most concerned about. You can also do the dehydration test; pull the scuff of his neck up. If it goes right back down he is fine, if it slowly goes back or stays pulled up he is dehydrated. Most likely he is just slow to adjust. Give him lots of love and toys and keep a close eye on him.

Answer 5

Take him to the Vet Monday and have him checked. He may have a cold and if thats the case the other kitten will most likely get it too. Take a few stool samples with you also. Like 1/2 tsp from several different stools in one baggie. Not all parasites are shed in every stool but maybe onle every other one so that is why...

Answer 6

Poor little boy is sick, you should take him to the vet, you may want to get the other one checked out at the same time, I had a 10 week old kitten that ripped and roared and it turns out she had a severe upper respiratory infection and a massive hookworm infection, she ate well, her eyes didn't leak, I don't think I even heard her sneeze, I took her in for diarrhea and found out about the respiratory thing.

Answer 7

If he is sneezing and has a runny nose (or dry nose) go to the vet. The quiet issue, he is in a new place now and is finding it strange. He may also be missing his momma. In time, he will accept his new surroundings.

Bring them both to the vet and get the vaccinations. He will tell you if you have anything to worry about.

Answer 8

Sneezing IS a sign of illness and the first sign of a upper respiratory virus. You really should get him to a vet. Kittens can become very ill with this and become dehydrated as well.

Answer 9

Take the kitten to the vet they will be able to tell you what is wrong and give you some med to give him. If your a animal lover you'll be taking your pet to the vet periodically. That's what animal lover do!!!! Best of luck..

Answer 10

thats the same thing that my cat Shadow did. he sneezed and he was quiet and scared for about a week, then he got way better. if you see any signs of runny nose or watery eyes, wipe them with a warm paper towel.

good luck!