Kitten's Eyes Keep Sticking Shut

My cat had 3 kittens 17 days ago. One of them has a problem with his eyes. They stick shut when he sleeps. If I wash them with damp cotton wool they open up right away and he looks fine. There's no pus or anything else coming from the eye. Sometimes there's a tiny bit of crust near the eye that's the size of a grain of sand...An hour or two after I've washed his eyes, usually after he's slept, they're stuck shut again.

I mentioned it to my vet over the phone. She said it sounds like conjuntivitis and to keep washing them every couple of hours like I've been doing for the next few days, and if it doesn't clear up to bring him in.

Is there anything else I could be doing? I wouldn't want to take such a young kitten to the vet if I didn't have to.

I've had this problem many times. My vet told me to wipe the eye with tiny dab of Polysporin or similar. Use ointment, not cream. I realize perhaps you may not have that in UK.

An antibacterial ointment for scratches/cuts.
 

I have Neosporin. Is that the same as [color= rgb(24, 24, 24)]Polysporin?[/color]

Yes, I believe it's similar. Is it ointment? Clear gel?
 

Yes, it's a clear gel.

I looked up using it on kittens. Some people say it works miracles, others say never use on eyes...

Well, my vet told me I could use polysporin ointment on their eyes and I have done so with many many kittens with no ill effects.

However, perhaps it better to take the kitten to the vet or maybe he would answer this question over the phone?
 

Yeah I wouldn't use it in the eyes without talking to your vet first. I don't think they are quite the same thing. Meaning, I THINK Neosporin has some other additives in it that could be harmful to the eye. 

It is possibly an indication of an eye infection, but it could also just be the eye opening process. Some kittens are slow to get going and a lot of goop is left behind. This is especially true in long haired kittens. Keep a close watch on him (and the other kittens). If it last more than another couple of days, starts happening with any of the others, or it changes color then you definitely need a vet visit ASAP. Otherwise, just sit on it for a day or two and see if he doesn't sort himself out.

I understand why you are hesitant to take such a young kitten to the vet but it's still better to err on the side of caution. If you go take Mom and the litter mates with you (just in case) and put a towel over the carrier. This will not only help the stress level but help to keep germs out. Most of my litters have had to go to the vet when they were very young and all made it out just fine. It's better to go and have it been nothing than wait too long and have it be something major. When kittens start to crash they crash quick and at that point not much can be done. So, if in doubt, err on the side of caution and haul them all in. 

He is a pretty long haired kitten. The other 2 in the litter and much shorter haired and maybe that's why their eyes opened a lot easier. The one with the problems, he shows no signs of infection or illness. When his eyes are open they look big, bright, and clear. He just struggles to open them after a long sleep.

I'll keep washing them every couple of hours with a saline solution and see if it clears up. He might already be improving because this morning was the first time his eyes were open with no help. They still needed a wash to open fully, but it's still progress.