After losing kittens to illness, how do I keep my new one healthy?

The may have died from an infection and dehydration since they had constant bloody liquid stools. Those kittens may have had weaker immune systems than the rest. Without actually doing some testing, it is impossible to know for sure. The best way to prevent the other kittens from catching what they had would be to disinfect everything, deworm the other kittens, and make sure they are vaccinated properly. If they start showing any signs of illness than they should be examined by a vet right away. Hope the rest of the kittens stay healthy!

I'm glad you are doing your homework before bringing new fur babies into the situation. Most shelters will routinely deworm their pets and test for leukemia and FIV. So you definitely want to make sure these treatments/tests are run prior to adopting the new kittens. Its not unusual for new cats and kittens to break with upper respiratory infections within the first 2 weeks of being adopted. Herpes virus is very common in cats (some estimate 80% of cats carry the virus) and it comes out in the stress related to being in a shelter and being rehomed. Now, this is not going to happen to every cat/kitten but its not unusual. Therefore, your best chance to avoid this would be to get a cat/kitten that has been kept in a foster home. It will likely still have herpes but the environment should be less stressful, therefore less risk of the virus becoming active. Keep the new pet separated for 2 weeks. That way if it does have an outbreak, you will at least have it contained. You could also put your cats on 500mg of lysine twice daily to help booster their immune system. Kittens get 250mg twice daily. Please post again if you have any further questions!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Tiger and John. I am sorry to hear that they are not feeling well. They will need to see a veterinarian right away. I am concerned they are affected by the same disease that took the life of their litter mate. They will be evaluated and hopefully their disease diagnosed. I am worried they are suffering from feline panleukopenia. Their veterinarian will let you know if this is the case and how best to treat them. In the meantime, try to get them to eat and drink small amounts if possible. I hope this information helps. Good luck!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Kittens may have diarrhea and low energy due to a number of conditions including intestinal parasites, viral infections, or a change in diet. I recommend having both kittens examined by a vet as soon as possible, as it is likely that the condition is contagious. To speed up the diagnosis, I recommend bringing a stool sample from the sick kitten in a disposable container for your vet to check for parasites. It is important to have the sick kitten evaluated as kittens can quickly become dehydrated and have low blood sugar, making them feel even worse. While it is unlikely that your son got sick from one of the kittens, it is possible. I recommend that you have him seen by a physician if you are concerned.

Feline parvo, also called panleukopenia, can be spread through the stool, urine, or nasal secretions of affected kittens. I'm glad you kept the kittens separated when they were both in your care. I would make sure you do not let your heathy kitten use any of the bowls, blankets, beds, or litter pans the sick kitten came in contact with. You can clean these items with diluted bleach. Also clean surfaces the sick kitten came in contact with similarly. Signs to watch for include lethargy, diarrhea and poor appetite. Here is a helpful website: https://www.avma.org/public/petcare/pages/Feline-Panleukopenia.aspx. I hope Sebastian does great!! Please let us know if you have further questions.

Hello, This could be several different things. Not eating following by seizures makes me concerned that they may be hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) from not eating. This usually leads to seizures, which can be associated with changes in urination and defecation. Infectious diseases are also very common in kittens. Many of the mother cats are not vaccinated and can pass viral diseases to their young. Feline Leukemia Virus, Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline Herpes Virus, and Feline Panleukopenia can all cause kitten deaths. Unfortunately, with kitten rescue, we can't ever be sure of the mother's health beforehand. The better controlled the feline overpopulation problem is and the more cats are vaccinated, the better it will be overall. Thoroughly disinfecting bowls, litter dishes, floors, etc and quarantining cats in your home is the best way to minimize disease spread. I hope this is helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Congratulations on adopting your new kittens! I'm glad that you are going to take them in tomorrow morning. They are young and small. You will need to ensure the smaller one is not becoming dehydrated. Kittens their age can have vomiting and diarrhea secondary to intestinal parasites, stress from coming to a new home, or the diet change. The examination can ensure that is not anything more serious though. In the meantime, encourage them to drink plenty of water. You can offer a small amount of food in the morning. I hope this information helps!