Help, my kitten became suddenly ill...

Please, before I start, respect that is the weekend and that I don't have the money to take this cat to the emergency room. 200 dollars is just something I can't slap down right now. I don't want to hear "You shouldn't own a cat then". We've only had him for three weeks because a family member gave him to us and he's become really important to me. 

yesterday and today he was very happy, hyper, running around, and playing. There was a very sudden change where I found him on the couch, hunched up with his legs very close to him and his tail tucked close as well. I went up to him and began to pet him and was very alarmed when he didn't react his usual way. No purring, no looking at me, just staying hunched up. I tried picking him up and when he did, he screeched out as if in pain and then jumped off the couch, ran across the room and then hunched down elsewhere. When he walks [which isn't even a few inches at a time] he remains hunched over. he's only 8 weeks old and this sudden sickness is so concerning, i feel as though i'm about to cry, I've already been through a lot this week with other family members. His back legs shake when he moves, and I feel he's getting worse every second. 

He's been eating and drinking, but I checked his litter box today and it doesn't seem like he's been defecating much [I can't tell if he's been peeing or not] but I also don't know the last time the litter box was cleaned. Dad said he did it a few days ago while I have no idea if my mom has done it, and she won't answer her cell phone. We just lost about two months ago who was very important to us as well (we had to put him down), so losing another cat after only having him 3 weeks is extremely heartbreaking. please, if you have any idea of what this could be, i need to be able to something for him until I can actually take him to the vet. I'm scared, and I don't want him to be in pain anymore...

Honestly, with the sudden on set of symptoms your kitten needs to see a vet ASAP. This is not something that can wait 2-3 days for and hope it resolves. We simply cannot diagnose what is wrong. He could have eaten something (part of a toy, gotten into something poisonous...) or perhaps he has injured himself.

Check into Care Credit. It is something you can be pre-approved for immediately (and can use immediately as well.) There is no interest charged if you make your monthly payments on time and the balance is paid off in 6 months.

I am sorry but I agree. I read your post including the bit about the vet, but the honest truth is that there isn't anything at all I can advise you to do other than get your cat to the vet ASAP. This sounds extremely serious to me. In addition to CatPack's concerns, it can be a life threatening emergency if he is not peeing. Cats also hide pain as best they can, so the fact that he isn't trying to hide it or isn't able to is deeply concerning.

As much as I want to take him, even 200 dollars in payments isn't an option, as I am a college student and need the money... and my parents cannot pay for it either (nor would my dad be willing to). One clinic I called said they "didn't have time" for him, and yes that was their exact words... and the emergency clinic said that there was a vet on call tomorrow. What does that mean, exactly?

Also I'd like to add, that regardless of the fact that I love the guy to bits, we didn't actually offer to take him as a pet because we had recently lost a cat. He was given to us without much of a choice, actually. What is more upsetting is that the person who gave it to us was really excited about us having a new cat and wanted us to take really good care of it... she's coming over tonight with a few things to see if she can help him, as she grew up on a farm and knows a lot of stuff about cats... but still...

From the TCS Forum Rules:

No online advice can replace direct veterinary intervention. If you suspect that your cat may be ill, please contact your vet immediately. You are welcome to look for advice in the health forum while waiting for that appointment, but never delay proper veterinary care waiting for Internet advice. Remember that cats, and especially kittens, are very adept in keeping pain to themselves and delaying treatment may cause irreversible damage.

That being said, sometimes members find themselves short of cash with a sick pet. Please take a look at this excellent article that contains advice on how you may be able to afford that trip to the vet, even if you think you can't:

When You Can't Afford a Veterinarian

We cannot diagnose what is wrong with your kitten. There is only one thing left for you to do: get him to an emergency vet. There are some financial options available in the article linked above. You are risking his life if you wait for a regular vet.

I believe a vet on call usually means that you can walk in and the vet will see as many people as he can on a first come first serve basis, similar to how some urgent care clinics for people in the US operate.

Good luck figuring out how to get the kitten to the vet.

Also, Care Credit does offer some repayment plans longer than 6 months FYI. There are some 12 and even 18 month payment plans. However, even on a 6 month payment plan it would only be $33 a month. I know for some college students this truly is a lot of money, and I don't doubt you that the money would be useful for other things, but I'd urge you to really think about if there is anything that you can cut from your budget on a short-term basis. For most college students, eliminating eating out would cover well over $33 a month.

Finally, I don't want to guilt trip you or make you feel like I'm judging you, but even though you didn't 'want' the cat, you are all he has and his only hope of getting out of this safe and healthy. Please try your best to do the right thing for him.

Good luck and vibes.

I know none of you are trying to guilt trip me, and yes I know that this site is not a veterinary clinic, but taking him to the emergency room is not an option.  I know that sounds horrible, but I really can't. no form of payments is an option either. I'm not purposely delaying it for internet advice, it's just not something I can afford... I only have 700 dollars to get me through the entire school year. I just... can't. I'm not looking for a cure, i'm just looking for advice on what to do before I can actually take him or increase his chances of actually surviving. 

Anyway, my sister in law came over today, and she was born on a farm so she knows a lot about taking care of cats. She told me he was both dehydrated and constipated. We immediately got some fluids in him as well as olive oil to get his bowels moving. I'm happy to say that he is doing a little better.... He's not hunched over anymore, and he was even attempting to play a little. He still hasn't used the restroom but she said that his stomach doesn't feel as hard anymore. He just is acting very VERY sleepy right now and has fallen asleep actually laying down and not hunched up. He was also warm, but his temperature went down. She seemed pretty confident, because she said her cats have acted the same way when dehydrated. I can tell he's definately constipated because my mom said that she hadn't cleaned the litter box, and what was in the litterbox was very small round feces. 

We're not exactly sure how he became dehydrated. He drinks more than enough water... But he's a very hyper cat and it's possible that he may have overheated himself...

Perhaps obviously I agree with all the people who recommended vet visit. But:
Assuming arguendo that the only reason for the sudden change in behavior is constipation: what are you feeding your cat? I know you say he is drinking lots of water; maybe in hot, humid weather that's not enough? In order to get more fluids in him (and help prevent a urinary tract infection which truly, unquestionably can be fatal fast in a male cat if he doesn't pee at all): wet food. Some people (me being one of them...) think the worst wet food is better than the best dry food. Friskies Pate and Fancy Feast Classic are decent supermarket brands. Sheba is also getting pretty good reviews. Big box pet stores sometimes carry Friskies in the 'dog size', i.e., 13 oz, making Friskies affordable on a per ounce basis. Big disclaimer here: he could not be pooping because of some type of obstruction.
To cool down your cat (and, I lived in a condo with faulty ac; even with the ac running 24x7, sometimes the temperature inside didn't get below 82): if he will tolerate it, pet with a damp, cold cloth. Fans fans fans of course. Tile or wood floor is cooler than carpet, so 'encourage' him to sleep on tile/wood (bathroom). If he can tolerate it (Ritz couldn't), place some ice packs around (not on) him.
PS: is your cat outdoor / indoors or only indoors. Until this health crisis is over/adverted, I'd keep him indoors.
Good luck, and do keep us updated.

He's an indoor cat, but i'm happy to say he is acting MUCH more like his normal self today and did finally go to the restroom. Granted, he it was 5 small round ones, but he obviously feels much better. As for the food, we're feeding him Iams kitten food. It's the only cat food we use because every other food we've used with our cats have usually gotten very sick from it. I'm trying to figure out what caused his dehydration. I watched him this morning go eat [which he wasn't doing yesterday] and then he took one single lap of water from his dish. I'm thinking about putting it in a much more shallow dish, since he might not like his whiskers touching the side of the bowl or something of the like. But still, I had to refill the dish the day before because he had drank all of it. 

As for fans, we left a cool fan on him overnight and his temperature is back to normal now. He still acts a little groggy, like he doesn't feel good, but he's actually walking around/playing/purring/eating now. Also, our house is air conditioned. I wish i knew how in the world he got so hot? 

I feel I SHOULD mention we did let him outside for about ten minutes at one point. He doesn't like going outside a lot. He stays in the flower bed and chases bugs. He started panting a little and I Immediately put him inside in front of his water dish that I had just put fresh water into. This happened the morning before this incident. 

he did find our fluffy blanket this morning and started pushing his head into and then suckling like it was a mother cat. I told him he wouldn't find a nipple but he didn't give up! But yes, he's much better, just not 100% like I would like him to be.

Hard to say what caused the dehydration and general malaise--allergies?
You might try Iams kitten food wet if it comes in that variety. And add water to it (to wet food, not to dry food--bacteria growth).
But glad he's feeling better.

He's back to being 100% himself and we found out he's one of THOSE cats that doesn't like drinking water from a bowl, and will only drink from a dish that is in a completely separate room from his food. 

We do have some wet food and my sister in-law recommended mixing it in with hard cat food? But thank you for the advice everyone. :3 I'm glad he's feeling better.

VERY good news about him feeling so much better!!

Dehydration is very, VERY serious, fast and deadly.

So whatever the reason you surely don't want that happening again!!

One small tip that lots of people don't know about.

Cats are extremely particular about their water being clean and fresh.

So when you refill a water dish for him, be sure to swipe it under the water with your fingers to prevent that slimy film from accumilating, it does it fast, like everyday I do mine for my cats, and can feel it starting that quick.

So swipe all around the inners of his water dish, keep it fresh and clean, he will likely start drinking more because of this too.

Then weekly throw it in with your dishes when you wash them and give it a good soapy washing.

Also don't use a plastic bowl, and a light color is best, they can see the water line better and won't go spilling it when it gets pawed at to make the water move so they can see where the level is.