Should I worry about this kittens face?

[Russo13]

Hi there,

We are supposed to be getting a second kitten next week and the person who has the kittens have sent me lots of pictures over the past five weeks with no concern.

I then received the following picture and I'm not sure if it is something to be concerned about. The bridge of her nose appears to be faded and has dark speckles on it, and the eyes are a little crusty. When I asked if the kitten had a sore nose or had just managed to get her dinner all over her nose, she replied that it was just her face because she has white fur.

We've not been able to visit due to covid but have seen lots of videos and photos of the babies with mum and the house looks clean etc..

Is this something to be worried about or something that young kittens are prone to and will get better with TLC? Or is it just a case of gravy face? Thanks!

 

[Mr. Meow]

That's either food on her face, or it could be cat acne if they're using plastic bowls to feed them and not washing then out often/completely enough. Plastic is bad for bacteria, which can cause acne on the chin, and around the mouth and nose. As for the goopy eyes. That could be anything from an upper respiratory infection, to allergies, to kitty just gets goopy eyes because she does.
Just to be safe, I'd isolate this new kitten from your current one until you can get her properly checked out by a vet. A mistake people commonly make is taking breeders/owners/sellers at their word. Unless they are a licensed vet, they can only guess what's going on with these animals. From that one picture (more would be certainly helpful), I see nothing of concern at the moment, but I'd still strongly recommend isolation and a vet check before you let the two of them anywhere near each other. And make sure to wash your hands between touching them both.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Just reinforcing everything that Mr. Meow told you. This is probably a very simple issue, but don't take chances.

 

[blumarine916]

Aww such a cutie She looks so clean though.

My cat had that dirty nose and crusty eyes when I got her as a kitten. Yes the fur on the top of the nose was quite faded and had little black dots. She was a stray living rough in an alley near a drain. She was only 4 weeks old, infested with fleas, really skinny and with a bloated tummy. Her front paw was also injured and still has a scar until today (8 years now!). I didn’t do much aside from giving her a bath, cleaning it with a damp cloth or tissue everyday but it took a few weeks for her to look like a healthy homed kitten. Like the above posts suggested, do keep the kitten separated from other cats until she is checked by a vet.

 

[Russo13]

Thank you everyone for your helpful replies! I will be sure to be careful if we go get her. Like I say in the rest of the photos I've been sent her face just looks normal, so hopefully it's just food!