sick kitty question

Hi, I have a 4-month old kitty... I noticed him sleeping alot yesterday but didnt think much of it... Today he was outside all day... didnt see him in to eat once... He just came in the house 9:30pm... I picked him up and he had really runny eyes and abit of a runny nose... He laid right in my lap and started purring... My instinct told me something was wrong... I put him on the table to eat and he didnt want anything to do with it... He is now laying on the couch, very lethargic...

He is purring, but I dont know if kitties purr for different reasons... Obviously I am going to take him to the vet, but I just cant take him to the emergency vet right now because they want a huge down payment and that isnt something I can afford... I can afford to take my animals to their regular vet, but this EV is ridiculous...

Are these symptoms of upper respiratory infection??????

His brother is fine, his mom is fine... I have 2 other adult cats.. I have noticed a runny eye in one, but he's acting normally...

Any suggestions???

I will call my vet 1st thing in the morning...t hey are open on saturdays until noon...

I am worried sick now and am also very impatient wondering/worrying...

any thoughts?????????

Also, I have amoxycillin in the fridge that is still good... Do ya think I should give him some?????????

If he is four months old you should really keep him inside. He needs to be neutered, he needs to have his shots to protect him, then if you really feel you have to, let him outside.

What you are describing could be an URI it could also be cat flu, and there are other possibilities. He is lethargic have you taken his temperature? Is he dehydrated? When you scruff his neck and pinch it lightly then let it go, does it stay tented up or fold down? If it stays tented up he needs a vet NOW regardless if it is an expensive after-hours call. 24 hour vet clinics charge more, because they have to. They have to keep a staff in or on call 24 hours a day and do surgeries in the middle of the night. They have to have a full cabinet of drugs to fit every emergency- that is why you pay more.

I gently grabbed the scruff of his neck (I am assuming the place a mama kitty would pick him up) and let it go, it goes back to normal... I understand COMPLETELY why EV's charge more... The problem is this particular one wants a credit card with the full amount the visit MAY be, which could be like $1000... The problem is not that I wouldnt spend that on my cat, BECAUSE I WOULD.. the problem is that I dont have a credit card and only enough money for the visit and medication... the tests themselves could be hundreds of dollars...

My vet is open at 8am... the EV told me to be at their doorstep when they open, which I intend to do...

I understand that many people do not even want to take their animals to the vet... I AM NOT ONE OF THESE PEOPLE...!!! I take good care of my animals and as I said will be at the vet FIRST THING IN THE MORNING... My question was not whether to take him or not, but if anyone has experienced this and what the issue might be... as well as questioning whether to start the antibiotics immediately...

I have not taken his temperature... I am quite certain he probably has one...

If you haven't taken his temperature, there is no way to really know if he is running a fever or not. Do not start antibiotics on your own for him, antibiotics don't last that long and what you have now could very well be spoiled.

Take him to the vet in the morning.

somehow mixing up my saturday and sunday, my vet is NOT open... but, in the night I got up to check on him... honestly, my gut kept telling me to give him the amoxi... I know its not spoiled and I know how much to give him... so I did... Having many animals, I feel confident that is what my vet would have given him anyways...

I checked on him every 2 hours... He is now drinking and he ate just a little bit of canned food... Not alot, but a little... Hes more alert and his eye is not running...

I am taking him in tomorrow still... I 'feel' that it is definitely a URI... I notice runny eye in my other adult cat as well... I will get rounds of anti biotics, I am sure... I dont give my child anti biotics and wish I had other treatments for my animals... I will be doing a combination of natural remedies to boost the immune system as well as the vet prescription...

I am glad he is doing abit better but will watch him like a hawk...

send healing vibes, pleaseeeee...

thanks...

Sending many good vibes...I hope it's nothing serious. Please keep us posted.