A very sick little kitten :( - please help me

If he's eating all wet food, he may not need to drink any water. Check to see if he's dehydrated. . .pinch the skin between his shoulder blades. If it snaps right back, he's OK, but if the skin stays up for a while he's dehydrated and will need more fluids. Also, if he just got sub-q fluids he probably just not thirsty.

For malnourished little guys, I like to mix kitten formula with their canned food, even when they're older (up to 12 weeks or so). Gives them a little boost. And the extra liquid mixed in helps keep them hydrated.

The blood is concerning, but as you said it could be from the de-worming, or maybe he was straining a bit too hard. Keep an eye on him, if it happens again call the vet (he might not need to go in, but it's best to get the vet's take on it).

I hope he does well! I've raised a couple litters of malnourished kittens, it takes a lot of extra effort but most of them did grow up to be big and strong.

I'm sorry your little guy is sick. It's so distressing for everyone involved.

I second the recommendation that you add KMR (kitten milk replacer) to canned kitten food. You can also add a bit of baby rice cereal (found in the baby section; comes in a small cereal box) and mix it all together til it's the consistency of semi-runny oatmeal. Also, look for Fancy Feast kitten food in a can. Kittens seem to love it! You can also add a bit of the plain clear pedialyte to the mix or syringe the pedialyte to keep the little one hydrated.

Try taking your little guy into a steamy bathroom and sitting in there with him (play with a toy or hold him) to help open up his nasal passages. This will also help decrease the sneezing.

Watch for excessive sleeping and not eating or using the box.

Oh, I really have nothing to add to the wonderful advice given to you, but I am sending healing vibes for your new baby!!


Please keep us updated!

I would give the antibiotics at least 72 hours to get going in his system. The sneezing may take up to 7-10 days to subside. As long as he's sneezing less, that's good.

What a little sweetheart. He is so happy to have you in his life. Sounds like you are making progress.

Oh, the utter black kitten cuteness!! He's totally adorable, and looks like a sweet boy!

He is a sweet boy and bless you for looking after him so well. He sounds like he is a fighter so many good vibes for his recovery. You could also try giving him a little fromage frais (unsalted fresh cream cheese) or greek yoghurt - kittens love these usually, and they are nourishing.

Couldn't hurt (except maybe your pocketbook). Sounds like he's on the mend, but, as others have discovered, kittens can be very delicate and fade very suddenly.

Since you're not seeing an improvement with the sneezing and the eye discharge, I would take him back to the vet. We used Gentamycin eye drops for Hannah in her eyes and nose to help clear up her URI when we first got her. It lingered and this seemed to do the trick of getting her over the worst of it.

Aww, what an adorable little guy. I love the name

I'm so glad to hear that at least his stool seems to be ok now and that his appetite is healthy. Have you tried calling the vet to see whether they suggest bringing him in? Of course they probably say yes, but that really depends on your vet and your relationship with them.

Good luck to you and Nox

Get him back to the vet immediately. Not eating will kill a kitten very quickly. The vet may be able to remove some of the mucous and help him breathe.

Steam him in the bathroom to help open up the nasal passages. Get him back to the vet immediately (maybe a different vet??).

Oh no! Poor Nox! He is sooo cute! Looks a lot like my Coal looked just a few weeks ago. He got very sick too, but has since recovered.

While Coal was sick, I did some researching to try and figure out what I should do. That's actually how I found this site! During my research, I read somewhere that discharge from the nose and/or eyes accompanied with sneezing is NEVER a good thing. I agree with a previous post about bring Nox to a different vet. If the same one has never been able to help get him well, maybe you should bring him else where and get a second opinion.

Maybe he has a sinus infection or something? I just hope he doesn't have the kitten version of SIDS. He is so cute, and I know you love him so much. Sending lots of vibes y'alls way.

I know you're taking great care of him... but really... get him to the doctor as soon as possible... a different doctor! Good luck, and keep us posted!

On another note, about the drinking water and food. Cats naturally don't drink enough water. They are desert animals. They are also carnivores. The way a cat in the wild would get its nutrients found only in vegetables would be by eating the digestive systems of their prey. (gross I know, but true and interesting) Wet food is a great way to give the cat the meat the need and crave, but also other nutrients kitties need... and water! Wet food has lots of water in it, and will help keep your kitten hydrated. Also, cats are very picky about the water they DO drink. It must be fresh... some cats prefer only running water. Try leaving out several water dishes for Nox to choose from... and make sure the dish and the water are both fresh and clean!

Also, choosing the food you feed your cat is very important. I know the best food out there is rather expensive. I have a friend who has worked for vets offices for many years and she gave me some great advice on feeding my Coal. She said wet food is always better than dry food. In general, dry food contains mostly trash and fillers. Wet food has meat, vegetables and lots of water... but I noticed Coal was digesting wet food quickly and he was always hungry. My friend suggested giving him just a little dry food a couple of times a day, like as a snack. This way he gets fillers to keep him full on top of the goodness of the wet food.

She also gave me advice on picking cheap, yet good healthy wet and dry foods. She said to read the labels! Check the ingredients. If the first thing listed in the ingredients is meat or meat by products.... it's a good decent food!

Find another vet. Kittens are so delicate, and any breathing issue is horribly serious. Did she do any kind of culture? Your little man may need an antibiotic, just a different one if these bacteria are resistant.
Good luck, and healing vibes for your boy!

My little guy had a URI and was on Amoxicillin. It didn't work as quickly so the vet changed to Clavamox that has two antibiotics in it. He has really come around.

Are you giving him nose drops? My little one had them 4 x a day.

But him being so tiny, time is really of the essence. I hate to say this, but maybe a different vet....a cats only clinic?

He is in my prayers. Nox is just so precious.

Is there a different vet you can take him to?
Hobbes came from an overcrowded shelter and the stress of the move to our home gave him severe URI. We bought a humidifier and had it running in his room and our vet prescribed him zithromax,va pretty strong antibiotic. From what I gather, it is a potent antibiotic for kitty URIs. He was prescribed the antibiotic for 10 days. The humidifier was a great help for him though and I would strongly recommend that. Also we were slightly warming up hobbes's wet food since he was not eating much as he was congested and was not getting the smell of the food and warming helps to enhance the smell.

They can really look rough, and still pull through!



This is our little foster, ZZ. We were really concerned when I brought him home. But he's much better now.

I agree with getting a humidifier for him and run it all the time. The antib's are to get rid of the infection but doesn't necessarily help clear symptoms as quickly as they need to be. Having a humid environment will help. Also get a baby nose syringe. People use it to suck the gunk out of babies noses and it works on cats as well. Some of the chain stores carry them for cats specifically too, like petsmart or petco.

I think it is definately a good sign that as soon as he was getting normal regular feedings the poops got looking healthier. Also, don't worry about him eating too much...i think at this point he can eat what he wants. I think its great you are letting him eat at such regular intervals also. Being 5 weeks old is such a young age and they really need such TLC.


When my Fiona gets URI's the dr puts her on Clavamox and it always clears things for her. I wonder if that may be a med you can pose to your vet next time you see them? It may be resistant to certain anti-b's and it may take a while to clear. Fiona was on a two week treatment last time she got sick so i wonder why they only want you to do 7 days? Maybe because he is so young? Something also to ask about. Just don't say you heard it from the internet...they really hate that.

This may sound silly also but it makes them feel better so I do it....I rub her forehead and up and down her nose and right under her eyes...all the sinus areas that hurt on us when we get sinus infections. It soothes her when I do this and also helps to shift some things. She sometime will do some sneezes afterward or i'll get a tissue and wipe her nose a little. Sounds strange but they seem to like it.

Our local animal shelter has been undergoing a change from a high kill to very low-kill shelter for the past 6 months. I volunteer a lot, and have seen many many very sick kittens there. I foster a lot too, and have treated many at home (with help from the vet of course). With these shelter made URI, it can be several different pathogens at once, and can be slightly different (and more antibiotic resistent) strains than are usually seen by a normal, "non-shelter" vet. Here is what I have done, mostly with very good success. Start with Clavamox, 2 x per day. If it doesn't start to help significantly in 3ish days, back to the vet. Switch to Azithromycin/Zithromax 1 x per day. For the eyes and nose, wipe away mucus with a warm cloth. If you have to pick boogers with you fingers, do it. They need their noses to be clean so they can breathe/smell food. Before removing any crusty ones, make sure to soak it with the warm cloth for a few minutes. Otherwise, their sensitive noses will get raw and very sore. My vet prescribes Gentamycin antibiotic drops for eyes/nose. It can also help to put a few drops of sterile saline in the nose and eyes. Do the nose treatment about 3 x per day. Terramycin ointment is gold in a tube! And it can be bought over the counter, at Tractor Supply etc. That is best used when the eyes have lots of green/yellow mucus. It treats bacterial infection, so it won't do much for wateryness caused by a virus. A humidifier running at night helps. Perhaps most important is to make sure they keep eating! Chicken baby food has pulled several kittens through rough times at my house. I call it "kitty crack", especially if you mix in a tiny bit of water, and warm it for a few seconds in the microwave. Don't give up- kittens can be very resilient!

Oh, and I just saw your picture- so cute! He actually doesn't look nearly as sick as many I have seen make it. With the care your giving, I bet he will come through it just fine!

I think the OP lives in the UK, but hopefully those medicines will be available.

Vibes for your baby!

He is a little fighter. You are such an attentive person to this little one.

As always, in my prayers.

Are you steaming him in the bathroom? If not, that will really help with the congestion. If you can find one, get a vaporizer to put where he spends most of his time and run it 24/7.

Also, look for L-Lysine tablets at the health/supplement store, 500mg. Crush one and give it to him twice a day. The lysine will help his immune system.