1 week old kitten breathing problems??

Hello,
My cat gave birth to 4 beautiful kittens last Friday. I've noticed that the smallest one of the bunch is breathing differently compared to the others. It's breathing is very fast and heavy. I noticed it also sneezes a lot and sounds like it has trouble breathing at times. I look at the 3 other kittens and they're bigger than the little one and all seem to breathe normally. Is this normal for the little one of the bunch to have problems? Should I take it to the vet?

I would get a vet to check them all out.

We found a kitten, maybe 2 weeks old,  last summer and it was acting like it had a cold, breathing got worse as time went on.

The vet said he had FPI, which is a fatal virus that the mother can carry.

Hoping its something else!!!

I would definitely take him into the vet ASAP as kittens go downhill fast if they are sick and not treated. It's not normal for a kitten to breathe like that. It could be a cold or upper respiratory infection.

Thank you so much for the advice! If I may ask, did you end up keeping the kitten, or did she get better after you took it to the vet?

Miagi's_Mommy said:

I would definitely take him into the vet ASAP as kittens go downhill fast if they are sick and not treated. It's not normal for a kitten to breathe like that. It could be a cold or upper respiratory infection.

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yikes! It sounds pretty serious, then. Thank you for letting me know!

Meazell said:

I would get a vet to check them all out.
We found a kitten, maybe 2 weeks old,  last summer and it was acting like it had a cold, breathing got worse as time went on.
The vet said he had FPI, which is a fatal virus that the mother can carry.
Hoping its something else!!!:heart4:

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Thank you so much for the advice! If I may ask, did you end up keeping the kitten, or did she get better after you took it to the vet?

I'm really sorry to say but he had to be put to sleep that day.

There is no cure for it.

M moniquegee7

It sounds like your kitten has an upper respiratory infection (URI). This is cured with antibiotics.

You'll definitely need to see a vet. The kitten will hopefully gain more weight once he's treated. If not, you may need to supplemental feed by hand.

Let us know what the vet says.

sarthur2 said:

M moniquegee7

It sounds like your kitten has an upper respiratory infection (URI). This is cured with antibiotics.

You'll definitely need to see a vet. The kitten will hopefully gain more weight once he's treated. If not, you may need to supplemental feed by hand.

Let us know what the vet says.

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Yes I am starting to believe that as well. I told my mom about taking it to the vet but we're concerned with how the momma cat will act when she notices one of her babies is missing

Take the kitten to the vet. The mother cat will be fine when the kitten is returned to her. Your concern at this point should be for the kitten's health, not the mom's feelings.

Any updates on the kitten?

Yes, how is the kitten doing?

Any updates on the kitten?

sarthur2 said:

Yes, how is the kitten doing?

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The kitten is still breathing very fast compared to the others. Haven't had time to take it to the vet, but I haven't heard it sneeze since yesterday.

Meazell said:

Any updates on the kitten?

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Do you plan to take the kitten to the vet?

sarthur2 said:

Do you plan to take the kitten to the vet?

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Yes, I do.

Kittens this young are very fragile. From personal experience with kittens, she should be seen by a vet ASAP. No waiting. The longer it takes to get her treatment, the less likely she'll survive.