Kitten so hyper and active suddenly weak and feels cold.

I have a kitten, roughly 3-4 months old. He's infamous for waking me up at 4 am in the morning, running all over the bed, on my face and around the room and usually cries out for attention or food. He's well fed and hydrated, roughly weighs more or less a pound. He's still small for his age but his energy seems endless. He's so playful and naughty that he likes jumping on my face when I'm lying down.

Just this evening, he was being his active little self. I was about to prepare his dinner so I let him in his cage for about 2 minutes or so and when I come back to let him out, he starts walking into walls, crying with pain as j try to carry him and shivers in cold. I don't know what happened to him. I don't understand what's going on and I'm scared. For a minute I thought he went blind since he couldn't figure his way around when I let him out and knocked his head into walls then cry out. I was able to feed him his dinner and after that, his sight seemed alright after testing him to walk and blocking him with my hand and his eyes seem to follow around his toy that I waved in front of him. But every time I would try to pick him up as gently as I could, he could cry in pain. As I held him to my chest, he was shivering and his paws went a little cold. I got scared. I quickly wrapped him in a towel and placed a warm compress under him to keep him warm and stop his shivers. I'm letting him rest but his breathing also frightens me. He would have short shallow breath then stop for a few seconds and then take a huge gulp of air into his lungs. I could help but feel a blanket of relief come over me. But he's doing it often for a while now. I don't know what's wrong with him and how I should treat him. I need advice, please help me, I'm scared to sleep because I might wake up and he will be gone. Please help me and my kitten.

He needs vet attention now.  This is not good and he is seriously ill.

It's almost midnight where I am and a vet is not going to be available at this time of evening. Not to mention, vet check ups are expensive in my country so I need something that I can do i home. I don't have much of a choice.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure there is anything you can do at home except try to keep him calm and comfortable.

Vet is the only option for diagnosis and treatment, otherwise you're relying on the kitten's developing system to combat whatever it is. Without someone physically seeing the kitten, all we can provide is speculation. 

Did the kitten get into anything that might have been toxic? Was the kitten dewormed, vaccinated, etc? What do the stools/urine look like? Did you give the kitten a flea bath or some form of treatment? Either way, you might consider opening a line of credit with a local vet and work out a payment plan. 

A pound for a 3-4 month old kitten is way off. My 10 week kitten weighs 3.5 lbs and is very slender. I'm sorry you're going through this....

I am sorry, It does not sound good. It sounds as if he is very, very, sick. 

I agree, the only thing you can do is to keep him warm, and as comfortable as he can be.

I am at a loss as to what else you can do. 

I also think that the best thing is a Vet appointment, in the morning. 

It does sound very serious. Kind of sound like poison. Did he eat something, or get into something? 

Please let us know what is going on....keep us updated...

((hugs))

It's been an hour now and he's slowly recovering. His appetite hasn't changed but he's just sluggish when he moves. He's stopped shivering even without the warmth of the compress. Perhaps he has eaten spoiled food he found in our garbage the other day but he hasn't release any feces since two nights ago but had been urinating normally. He is well hydrated and well fed. He doesn't have fleas, so he doesn't take treated baths. Not given his shots yet.

Update: he seems to be recovering well, he is more responsive and slowly getting more active. Shivering had stopped but still lays asleep. I've been giving him water through a dropper since he refuses to drink on his own and he's doing alright now. I hope he will be back to normal by tomorrow. I will still try consulting a vet about this incident.

Is it possible for cats to have fever? His belly felt a little warmer than usual. But I don't see how a fever connects to his temporary dulled sense of balance.

Will keep posting updates. Thank you all for your concern and suggestions.

Glad to hear improvements, definitely keep us posted. Bacteria and viruses in humans can infect the vestibular system, causing imbalance and dizziness. I'd imagine the same can happen to cats, but don't take this as fact. The kitten is lucky to have someone caring for it.

Cats can definitely run a fever, which would be anything above 39°C and is a sign of an infection/infectious disease. Keep him warm and hydrated and try to get him to a vet as soon as you can. for him!

I am glad he is a bit improved. I would still take him to a Vet, in the morning. 

As all the others have said, and they are so much more knowledgeable than me; keep him warm, keep him hydrated. If he wants to eat, add some extra water to his wet food. 

You are taking really good care of your baby. You are a good parent.

We are all here for you. 

BTW, where do you live? and what is your kitty's name.... Do you have any other cats or pets?

We are pulling for him...

((hugs))

Final update: it it's morning and my kitten has fully recovered. He is back to his active and hyper self. I woke up with him running around and him jumping on my face. Haha! Thank you all for the support and concern.

Artiemom said:

I am glad he is a bit improved. I would still take him to a Vet, in the morning. 

As all the others have said, and they are so much more knowledgeable than me; keep him warm, keep him hydrated. If he wants to eat, add some extra water to his wet food. 

You are taking really good care of your baby. You are a good parent.

We are all here for you. 

BTW, where do you live? and what is your kitty's name.... Do you have any other cats or pets?

We are pulling for him...

((hugs))

Click to expand...

Thank you for your support and concern.
I live in the south side of philippines. My kitten is named after Toothless from how to train your dragon. He's a little black kitten and I chose the name because it is rather ironic. He loves biting and teething on my fingers. As of now, his my only kitty. I've had an older cat, about 4-5 years of age but went missing a few months ago while I was away for college. My parents say he comes back but rarely. I let Toothless travel with me because no one else would take care of him while I am away. He is very light weight for 3 months but he's not skinny in the slightest. I try to make him gain a bit but he's so active that he burns it all too easily.

You should still consult a vet about what happened. You could have lost him, and you don't want it to happen again.

Yes, I would seriously consult, as in visit, a Vet about what happened. 

You do not want it to happen again. The next time you may lose him. He was very lucky this time.

If he is very thin, that is another reason to see a Vet. There may be a problem. 

And, I know it may be hard, but try to keep him inside. You want to monitor his activity for a while.

Please keep us updated...we know you love him...and are trying your best...