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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Help needed lethargic kitten

11 replies

lots33 · 12/10/2019 23:19

Hello,

I’d welcome some advise from experienced kitten owners. @thecatneuterer

We bought a 10 week old kitten a week ago. He is gorgeous and we are v much in love. But we are a bit worried: he has a poor appetite and has not gain weight since first inoculations 2 weeks ago.

His owner had weaned him from mother at 5 weeks and he was on dry. We have a slightly older kitten ( we had two and we lost one. Remaining kitten was bereft so we got this on for company) so he had access to high quality wet food and he tucked in but had d and v. We took him to the vets who were not overly worried. They said to stick to one brand and suggested a cheaper, less rich brand. They advised to feed little and often and they’d test poo if not better in a week.

That was on Thursday. Friday he ate well (whiskas plus dry) and was v energetic. Today he is sleepy and disinterested in food. I’ve tried various kitten wet and dried and I’ve tried crumbled cheese and scrambled eggs - he’s not interested.

Do you think I should be worried? He’s so quiet and small - my older kitten looks more than double in size.

I’ve ordered some kitten formula. Should I go back to basics and nurture, feed milk and solids if accepted?

Is there anything else I can do?

The vet was v relaxed and I am conscious I am anxious after the sudden death of my previous kitten, so maybe I am overthinking it.

I raised a kitten from 5 weeks old in my twenties but now, twenty years on, I appear to have lost my confidence in ensuring the best care for my boy.

Please help; I love him so much.

Help needed lethargic kitten
OP posts:
iknowimcoming · 12/10/2019 23:33

Has he eaten anything at all today? If not deffo vets ASAP, if he's eaten a little then I'd see how he is first thing tomorrow then decide. Could you call your ooh vets number and get their advise? They are such a worry as when they're that little they can deteriorate sooo quickly but you clearly know that. Hope he's ok Thanks

thecatneuterer · 12/10/2019 23:40

I would be very worried if he isn't eating at all and is lethargic. Kittens go downhill so quickly. Has he eaten nothing whatsoever today? Hot fried chicken often works wonders (it's the smell I think). It's probably too late now to get hold of any of that tonight.

What did the other kitten die of?

If he isn't eating in the morning then you need an emergency appointment. Some vets, such as Pets at Home, will do normal consults on a Sunday. I have no idea what could be wrong with him. Did the vet mention or rule out the possibility of having a shunt? (When the intestines are incorrectly wired up as it were).

lots33 · 12/10/2019 23:42

Thanks for reply. Yes he’s eaten small amounts. A quarter of a pouch this morning, not hungry at lunch but may have had some biscuits. A few mouthfuls at teatime plus two mouthfuls recently and one mouthful scrambled egg.

I’ve ordered kitten formula. They are such a worry.

OP posts:
lots33 · 12/10/2019 23:45

Thanks the cat neuterer.

The other kitten was not related to this one. We found him dead one morning. PM results indicated brain swelling but no trauma etc. Waiting for more in depth results,

He has eaten a bit today - see above. Vet said to feed little and often. He’s been v quiet today but was full of it yesterday.

OP posts:
RockinHippy · 13/10/2019 00:00

Maybe consider grain intolerance or allergy. A lot of cat foods contain wheat, which is often a culprit of digestive trouble. One of our cats has this problem since he was tiny. Bloating after eating, so he wouldn't be able to eat much for a while & later vomiting a lot. He's also quite a stressy cat, so it's sort of kitty IBS, aggravated in his case by wheat intolerance. It took a few years for our vet to work it out. He now has a wheat free cat food & is much better

iknowimcoming · 13/10/2019 12:26

How is he today?

Infamy · 13/10/2019 15:13

He’s still quiet, mainly lots of cuddling. Tried scrambled egg but he wasn’t interested. He has had some thrive kitten food today and a bit of tuna. No vomit but he still has diarrhoea.

We have kitten formula due to arrive from amazon today so will try that too. We weighted him and he has not gained but not lost either.

Back to the vets with a poo sample this week. I’m working away this week but DP doesn’t work and he won’t be left.

Infamy · 13/10/2019 15:16

We are obviously prepared to try special diets / different foods, whatever he needs. Right now the priority is to get him eating and treat him if he has an infection.

Trying to be positive and remember that the vet was not particularly worried.

thecatneuterer · 13/10/2019 15:26

Has the vet tried Panacur?

dementedpixie · 13/10/2019 18:33

That's a wormer? I know when one of mine had diarrhoea they gave pro kolin paste which helped settle it.

Infamy · 15/10/2019 02:22

He’s had panacur, yes. He is a bit brighter and definitely eating more. No more vomit but still has runny poo. But I hope we have turned a corner. 🤞

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