Expert: Norman Auspitz - 9/4/2011

Question
QUESTION: Hey Norman!
Its me Adrita again! I have come across a serious problem this time. Today morning, I found one of them just still and the hind legs and tail were totally wet. I couldn't tell whether it was urine or did it fall into water or something, so I just washed the hind legs and tail then dried them. Ever since then, the kitten has been acting weird. It is not playing. It keeps going under the sofa or any corner and keeps rounding up like a ball then keeps sleeping. Its fur seems to be standing all the time. Every time I pull it out, it quickly scurries away to hide again! And it isnt even walking properly, it isnt standing fully on its legs either, meaning they are always bent, not fully up straight, as if he is crawling. I think it wants to get away from the fan or AC, do you think it has a fever??? HELP!


-Adrita

ANSWER: Adrita,

Is the kitten nursing?

I have no idea what the wetness may be. Usually, the mama cat will "potty" the kittens by stimulating the genital areas and licking up whatever comes out!

Can you isolate the mama and kittens to a part of the household which is out of drafts and away from other pets or small children?

Do you have a box for mama and the kittens to stay in?  (Something about 41 cm wide  X  66 cm long  X  25 cm high)?  Fill it with old toweling or sheeting to keep the kittens and mama more secure.

Until the kittens are at least a month, they tend to crawl more than walk!!!!! If they are getting plenty of milk, their little bellies should be fat enough that they could not really walk yet, if they wanted to!

Again, remember, I am not a vet and the kitten may be fine or having a problem. Please remind me of how old these kittens are?  If the kittens are under a month of age, there is not really much a veterinarian can do for them.

Please let me know what happens.

Best regards... Norm.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I guess you forgot me, its ok. They were born on July 19th, 5 kittens remember? So the kittens are big and they run around and play now. And they use kitty litters now too, so the mama doesnt do that anymore, haha! I dont have any boxes, my cat hates them, never stays in them, she usually feeds the kittens on the floor or carpet openly. So there is definitely a problem, it stopped playing, it is sleeping all day, now its out in the open, and the good thing is now its also drinking milk from the mother, but its still very inactive, its like its just drowsy, just curled up in a ball sleeping for hours now. I am worried. Its only been the first day though. I must also remind you, I live in Bangladesh, soooo.... vets are hard to find. So what do you think it is? Do you think it might have gotten a fever because I wet it again? And my sister and my maid thinks that its head also swelled around its forehead. I dont feel that way though. I dont know what to do.

Answer
Adrita,

No, I did not forget you, just some of the details. Thank you for reminding me!!!!!!!!!!

These kittens are almost 7 weeks old, and, so, should be totally weaned. They should all be eating normal cat food and not nursing off mama. At this age, any disease that mama is immune to, they could catch and have to get over it like the mama did to have normal immunity. Let's hope the little lethargic kitten did this and will soon get over it.  At this age, even if there were veterinary services available, there is not much the vet can do except prescribe antibiotics and hope for the best.

Please let me know how the kitten does.

Concerned regards... Norm.


About all you can do is to leave it alone and see if it perks up. My guess is that it may have a bacterial or viral infection.