New kitten with URI

raelli

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Hi, all!

I'm the first time cat mommy to a three month old shelter rescue that my boyfriend and I lovingly named Albus. We've had him for about a week now and he's already the center of our world. 

He came to us with a bad URI and didn't seem to be eliminating at all at first so he's already been to the vet twice in his short time with us. He's taking amoxicillin for his URI and while he was fairly active and eating normally the last few days, he seems to be getting more and more lethargic with an exceedingly reduced appetite.

I've been making sure he's drinking, and I even went so far to put his water bowl on the couch where he's been sleeping. I'm a worrier by nature and he's put us through so much already but I'd like to think he's on the mend. I'm just very concerned about the fact that he hasn't been eating as eating as much or playing at all since the second day we got him. I know he's sick, but he's been sick a while now and I'm not sure when he's going to show signs of improvement or how to make sure he's eating enough. We tried feeding him warmed up wet food (he normally eats dry) and some of the salmon I made for dinner (just a little flake) but he had no interest in any of it. I know amoxicillin can reduce his little appetite but I don't want to ignore something that could be a problem. 

Any advice?

This is my adorable and snuggly little man:

 

tulosai

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He is such a cutie!! Thank you so much for helping him.

You are doing all the right things. Have you been weighing him? this might give you a better idea if how much he is eating is actually a 'problem'. If he is gaining weight or at a minimum holding steady, it is probably okay. If he is losing weight, that would be a bad sign.

Does he have any interest in play at all?
 
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raelli

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Nope, no interest in play. He's more active than he was yesterday, wandering around the house, lying on the floor in the sunbeams and sitting with us on the couch instead of sleeping. He seems to be watching his surroundings a little more and is still drinking normally, so long as I bring him his bowl since he seems a little too lazy to get up unless we make him. 

I'm going to run to the pet store later today to try to pick up something to get him to eat. I'm considering cat milk because he's willing to drink or something like GNC pets high calorie booster just to make sure he gets some caloric intake. We already use a syringe twice a day to give him his medicine and he's really not a fan so I'd like to try to avoid syringe feeding unless it's really necessary. 

We weighed him a day or two ago and he was 2.6 pounds. As of today, he's about the same so it doesn't look like he's losing weight yet. 

I might be overreacting but he's so little and I'm so happy to have him around that I want to make sure he's as healthy as possible. 
 
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raelli

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I bought him some Nutri-Cal supplement, formula, and a host of other wet foods to try. He's so little and has gotten so lethargic that I'm really starting to worry about him. With any luck, we can get some food in him and he'll bounce back. 

Has anyone else had this rough going with a shelter kitten? My parents have always adopted kittens from shelters and haven't had even half the issues we've had so far. 
 

stephanietx

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Since he's so lethargic, I'd get him back to the vet for a check up.  Sounds like he might need a different med and maybe some nose drops.  Also, pick up some Science Diet a/D from the vet.  It's like kitty crack and is packed with extra nutrients for malnourished kitties.  Get the wet food and then add some water to the food to make it like thick oatmeal.  That way, he gets food and water to keep him hydrated.  Also, warming food up a little bit helps enhance the aroma and entices them to eat.  If he's congested, steam him in the bathroom to help break up the mucous and congestion.  Just get the bathroom nice and steamy and then sit in the bathroom with him until the steam dissipates.  You can also add L-Lysine to his wet food to help boost the immune system.  You can get tablets at the health food store or in the supplements section at most stores.  Get the 500mg tablets or capsules and sprinkle onto his food.  You can grind the tablets between two spoons and add into the food.  Lysine dissolves in water, so add water to the wet food and he shouldn't notice that it's in there.

BTW, we adopted a kitty from the local pound and she spent the first 4 days of her life with us at the vet's office because she was so ill.  Unfortunately, it's extremely common for kitties to contract an URI while at the shelter or about 2 weeks after being in their new home due to the stress of the situation.  Keep an eye on your guy, get him back to the vet, and be vigilant with his treatment.  Their little bodies need a lot of sleep to recover and heal, so look for little steps to his healing, like grooming, increased interest in the house, and expressing interest in play. 
 
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raelli

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I've actually seen some forward progress tonight! 

Our vet recommended a children's saline spray that we bought but haven't had much luck with thus far because he hates everything about the process. Today, my boyfriend got so tired of my moping and sniffling over how sick Albus is that he held him down while I got him in both nostrils and wow, what a difference. The first thing he did was eat his dry food for five minutes, followed by a lot of water. He was a little more active over the next few hours, and even ate again when we went out for a drink after dinner. Now he's sitting on a pillow, snoozing.

We can hear him getting stuffy again so we know it's wearing off but we're hoping that if we can keep his little nose clear, he'll be eating and playing normally again soon. If not, I guess it's back to the emergency vet (we both work all day but are lucky enough to live by a 24-hour vet and hospital) tomorrow or Tuesday. Do you all think it's okay to keep supplementing him with Nutri-Cal? He's not even 3 pounds and he came to us very bony and scrawny so I want him to keep up his eating and his energy. 

This cat adoption thing has been a real struggle but I hope we'll be out of the woods soon. It's been nice to see him moving around a little more.

 
 

stephanietx

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He should be fine to continue to add the Nutri-Cal.  You can do it until he's recuperated.  Also, add some wet food to his diet, especially since he's a kitten.  That way, you can warm it up a bit to help him want to eat and he'll get extra moisture from the wet food.
 
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raelli

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I bought a few options when I was at PetCo today... I have a can of Royal Canin Kitten, a Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers, and a Solstice Grain Free gravy dinner. I was looking for things I could incorporate into a liquid to syringe-feed if necessary but luckily the saline spray did the trick. I'll give him some wet food tomorrow and see how he likes it. 

I know I'm probably being overly worried but I just want him to feel better and I'm so infatuated with him, even in just a weeks' time. 
 

stephanietx

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Awww, sounds like he's already wiggled his way into your heart.  That's a good thing!  You should be able to continue the saline drops (Little Noses works great, too) and even steaming him in the bathroom will help.  You might even try adding a bit of water to the canned food and warming it up in either a water bath or in the microwave for a few seconds to enhance the aroma for him.  Hope he's on the road to recovery!
 
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