Anyone's kitten had a URI?

Hi guys--this is my first post, and I'm thrilled to have found this site!

We just got a new kitten on Tuesday. (Her name is Penny.) Penny is only two months old, and when we left the Humane Society, she was fine. The woman there told us that she may develop a URI, and I believe she has.

We're taking her to the vet tomorrow morning, but I'm still sad for her. She's coughing and sneezing almost constantly. Our vet told ust hat it's quite common among shelter kittens, that it's most likely viral and she can't do much about it, that it will go away on its own, etc. But I'm still concerned.

Has anyone else experienced this with their shelter cat/kitten?

Hi. Welcome to TCS and congratulations on getting a kitten. Sometimes this will happen with shelter kittens, not neccesarily because the shelter is harbouring the infection but sometimes from the stress of being in the shelter and moving to a new home. There is no question that you should take this little one to the vet. The URI may not clear up on it's own and you don't want it becoming a chronic infection. In any case, it's good to take a new kitten to a vet for a checkup anyway. The vet will probably give you some antibiotics (which you must give her the full course of, even if she seems completely better) and also some ointment for her eyes if they are goopy. Good luck with her, she sounds sweet.

Welcome to the site!

I'll move this to the Health & Nutrition forum for you.

We adopted our first two cats, Cali and Chase, from a local shelter as well. They were brother and sister and looked very healthy the day we took them home. Chase was the first one to become sick with a URI but his passed quickly without any complications. His sister, on the other hand, developed an infection after Chase was healthy again and she was much much sicker. She was so congested that she was even have difficulty breathing so we had to rush her to an overnight Emergency clinic where we purchased her some antibiotics and some decongestant. It wasn't long before she was back to her normal self but it was certainly a scary experience. From what I've gathered it's not uncommon though and a round of antibiotics quickly clears the problem.

Congrats on your new kitty!!

Very common indeed! Both of my cats started sneezing when I brought them home, two different shelters too. It doesnt matter which shelter you get them from but there is always a little virus running around in the air in them.

When I brought them to the vet she told me that since they were only sneezing, no runny nose/eyes/discharge etc that it would go away on its own. She recommened antibiotics IF it got worse.

Both of them cleared up on their own within a couple weeks.