Kitten Diarrhea question, plus

I'm getting two kittens from a private party in a couple weeks. They're about 4 weeks old now and tonight he called and said they had a bad case of diarrhea that HE THINKS they got from their mothers milk. He's having them treated at the vet and with meds the vet recommends but I'm wondering about 2 things. 1. How can they get this from their mother after all this time?  2. Should this be a deal breaker about getting them from him?

I also have an unrelated question. We had a cat during my tween and teenaged years and I never noticed her sneezing, but Acheron, the cat I have now sneezes a lot. Is this normal or something I should have the vet look at him for?

For your first question, I'm asking that the Moderators move your thread over to another Forum, the one for kittens, as they know more about nursing kittens over there .

As to sneezing, it's allergy season right now (big time ), at least for humans, and some cats are just as prone to that as humans.  Could be that's the problem.  It's never "normal" for a cat to sneeze a lot unless they are either around a lot of dust or have something stuck in their nose or have season allergies, so you could definitely discuss this with your Vet.  If nothing else, they can tell you what dosage and what type of allergy meds to give.

If the mother gets an infection at any time when the kittens are still nursing, then it could be passed on to them. It is very common for young kittens to pick up an infection, sometimes of the stomach, sometimes the nose or the eyes. It does not mean the kittens are inherently unhealthy. But I am concerned that he is letting you have the kittens so young - they should stay with their mother until th ey are at least ten weeks old. After weaning, the mother will socialise her kittens so that as they recognise themselves as individuals, they will learn to recognise others too, how to respect others, play gently and be in a group. If your kitten does not get this from its mom, then you will have to do it, and it takes time and patience. Otherwise you may have a kitten/cat who does not know how to play without claws, who is aggressive and greedy with generally bad manners. If you can leave your kitten with the mom for an extra two or three weeks, it will be much easier for you both later on.

redwingsfan51 said:

 
I'm getting two kittens from a private party in a couple weeks. They're about 4 weeks old now and tonight he called and said they had a bad case of diarrhea that HE THINKS they got from their mothers milk. He's having them treated at the vet and with meds the vet recommends but I'm wondering about 2 things. 1. How can they get this from their mother after all this time?  2. Should this be a deal breaker about getting them from him?

I also have an unrelated question. We had a cat during my tween and teenaged years and I never noticed her sneezing, but Acheron, the cat I have now sneezes a lot. Is this normal or something I should have the vet look at him for?

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Kittens usually have worms which can cause diarrhea and many can have parasites as well like Giardia or coccidia and can take weeks to get over it with medication.  You have every right to ask that they keep the kittens until their stool is normal, and for a copy of the vet records.  The new kittens shouldn't be removed from the mom until they are 8 weeks of age and fully transitioned to cat food.

If your cat is a chronic sneezer he may have feline herpes, a chronic and recurring URI that the kittens could catch.  I would discuss your cats sneezing with your vet before the new ones arrive and be prepared to keep them apart until the kittens are vaccinated.  This could also assist with the introduction which is sometimes difficult with a resident cat.

I understand that you're buying the kittens from someone who I assume breeds cats. I'm sorry if I'm just jumping to conclusions here, but while many kittens are separated from their mothers at 8 weeks, most breeders won't adopt out a kitten younger than 12 weeks. Those extra four weeks are important for socializing and a gentler "entry" into the world. Frankly, I'm a bit concerned that a breeder would be willing to give you the kitten at 8 weeks old (or younger).

Yes, something is "fishy" here.