HELP!! I Am TERRIFIED My Little Girl's Kitten is Going to DIE!!

My 10 month old kitten has not eaten or drank anything since yesterday evening.  He has only peed once today and it is already 7pm.  He has been moving around slowly, hides under the table, and pads at his bed with his paw consistently before he will settle, almost the way you'd expect an elderly person with arthritis might.  The earliest appointment I could get with my vet is for 2 days away.  The woman I spoke to there said not to worry about him not eating or drinking because cats can survive a few days without.  Is it okay for me to wait for the appointment?  I really can't afford an emergency care visit, however this cat is my 4 year old daughter's and I don't want her first pet/best friend to die... Please help.

I'm not at all sure where they got that information, but a cat should not go "a few days" without eating. I would find another vet and get an appointment asap. I'm not a doctor, but it sounds like he may be very sick. I personally would not risk waiting two days.

What exactly did you tell your vet - about the not eating, or about the strange, slow movement?  If they are not clear about all the details, I'd call them back and insist on an earlier appointment.  The slow movement could mean he swallowed something he should not have - kittens get into trouble that way.  I'd be more concerned about a kitten not eating, as they are food vacuums due to the fact they are growing.

Also - try another vet in your area - if you have that option.  You might get lucky and get in sooner.  Good luck. 

This is n emergency. Your kitten needs vet care right away. Kittens cannot go that long without food

I told them that he hasn't really eaten since yesterday and that he is moving around very slowly.  Also that he has not drank anything and has only peed once.  I just checked his gums and they're still pink and moist.  His skin also snaps back fairly quickly so he's not dehydrated as of yet.  

Cats are very good at hiding just how sick they are.  Personally I wouldn't wait to see my own vet I'd call another and get in ASAP (and I adore my vet).

Please keep us posted!.

The emergency vet costs 3x the cost of a normal pet visit.  I love my daughter, and I know she loves her cat, but I'm a single working mother and really can't afford to spend the cost of a week's worth of daycare on the emergency visit. :-(

Definitely check into another clinic. I personally have 2 clinics that I use just in case I am unable to see my preferred vet. It's always nice to have a back up.

The kitten is sick, he is probably suffering. He needs vet attention. Vets leave room for emergency appointments during the day.

I know it's not your fault that someone at the vet gave you bad advice.

I would report whoever told you kittens can go " a few days without eating." That is just not true, kittens go downhill very quickly. Pulling the skin back is not really a reliable test of his health. Please find way to get him medical attention now.

I am wondering if you spoke to a vet tech or the receptionist. Not to put down the role of receptionist, but too often I think they try and diagnose and give their own opinions.  Like other posters have said: call another vet in your area for a basic appointment - not an emergency vet. I know the emergency vets cost more.  Get a listing of vets in your area, get your phone, and start making phone calls.

Hey ClearSkys11,

I can understand how difficult it is, to get your beloved pet sick with no enough fund to treat and heal.

Nevertheless, it's a matter of life or death in your case, and I would highly recommend to bear the cost of the emergency visit, if not for the poor sick kitten, at least for your daughter, who would be very sad, in case the cat - God forbid - passed away.

Otherwise, please search for another vet clinic, as I'm pretty sure you could find a place that would welcome and accommodate your kitten's case.

Hope to hear some good news from your end soon!

I know it's not what people recommended.  But when I said I really don't have the money to pay for emergency service for him, I really don't have the currency or credit.  In fact, going to an emergency center is not an option.   Were it my daughter herself, that would be one thing.  For one, she's my baby.  But the centers where I live don't give treatment without payment.  Sounds sucky but trust me I made calls and that's the case as they told me.

But just an update.  He has begun drinking water again.  He's still not eating, day 2, and he's still sleeping quite a bit.  He's a bit more receptive to TLC than he was.  He also has what appears to be kitty boogers building up around his nose, like he has a kitty cold.  I try to clean it off with a wet cloth every so often.  

My mother actually spent the day here while I went to work to keep an eye on him, and she said he was a bit more active during the day.  He seems to be improving, but we do have an appointment first thing in the morning.  

I'll update once we find out what exactly is going on.

Let's all hope its just a nasty upper respiratory infection; those can be dealt with - let us know!

I'm glad you've got the vet appointment tomorrow morning. :heart2:

In the meantime, if his nose is congested, you can help him by making the bathroom really steamy - like a vaporizer in a room helps a baby with an upper respiratory infection.

Kitties often won't want to eat when they can't smell the food. If you have any canned food, you can heat it up in the microwave for 8 seconds, this makes it smellier. Chicken baby food is also a good option.

But it's really hit or miss as to whether their organs will be OK without food for more than 24 - 48 hours. Basically, cats are not built like people. Their bodies do not down-regulate protein metabolism, and they'll start "eating" their own muscles. They don't process fat like people do, and fat stores can build up in their livers, and cause lasting damage. It's not a given, but it's a real risk.

So even taking a little wet food, and assist-feeding him can go a long way to helping a kitty while waiting for an appointment. You can use your finger to put it in the pocket of his cheek, see if he'll swallow it - just kind of swipe it into the corner of his mouth. Sometimes they'll lick it off your finger or a spoon.

I know you're at the vet in the morning, but for your future reference, you can use a syringe to get much needed nutrition into him. There are videos, but the write-up may help: http://www.mv.com/users/louise/thoughts/post8_syringe_feeding_cat.html When I was syringe feeding, I never squirted the food onto the tongue, I put it in the back of the cheek pocket. I didn't want to risk that kitty would aspirate any of the food into their lungs.

I wish we knew what happened to this kitten. Not knowing haunts me.

Me too!  As if my own cats were not enough to worry about.