My kitten has a cold. What are the best ways to help her feel better?

She probably has an upper respiratory infection or cold. Please keep her warm and feed her often. As long as she’s eating she should recover in a week or two. If she stops eating you should take her in for an exam and treatment. They may need to treat her with antibiotics and fluids. This is common in kittens and they usually recover fine. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Nicole.

If it is bacterial in nature, antibiotics may be indicated. If it is viral, supportive care and possibly antibiotics to teat or prevent secondary infections my be indicated. You can have Coco seen by your veterinarian for an exam, diagnosis and treatment, Use a warm washcloth to keep the eyes and nose clear. Make sure she continues to eat and drink to prevent dehydration.

You can use a humidifier or have Ariel in the bathroom when you take a hot shower. That will help clear her up a little. Also using a warm wet cloth to wipe the discharge from her nose may improve the nasal air flow. I like to add some tuna juice to the food for increased odor if she isn't eating normally as cats often don't eat well when conjested. Be patient she will improve daily. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you get answers to your veterinary questions.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If these kittens are exhibiting signs of a respiratory infection, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine them so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. They may need a short course of an oral antibiotic. The sooner they are seen and treated the better as infections can become quite severe in a short period of time in young animals. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Poor Lucy. It is always sad when our babies are sick and not feeling well. I have attached a handout below that discusses upper respiratory infections in kittens. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=613 These infections can be viral or bacterial. Sometimes an infection will start as a viral infection then develop a secondary bacterial infection. Cats normally are warmer than humans and have a normal body temperature of 100-102.5 degrees. If Lucy has a fever of over 103, I would recommend having her evaluated by a veterinarian if you have not already. If her infection is viral, she may just need some time and supportive care to make her feel better. I like taking kittens into a humid bathroom for 5-10 minutes (after you have showered) to help loosen their congestion. And make sure she keeps eating. Cats need to be able to smell their food, so you may need to feed her some smelly canned food to keep her eating. If Lucy develops yellow or green nasal discharge, is very lethargic or will not eat, I would recommend having her evaluated by your veterinarian. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that Lucy feels better soon. Thanks for using PetCoach.

It sounds like she has an upper respiratory infection or cold. Use a warm wet cloth to clean her eyes and nostrils. You can use a thin film of Vaseline around her nose to prevent the discharge from sticking to the skin. I recommend warming wet food, fish is best since cats often won’t eat if they can’t smell the food. You can try chicken broth or tuna juice dribbled in her mouth to get some liquid in her. Usually the cold will last a week or two. If you can’t get her to eat she may become dehydrated so a veterinary exam and treatment may be needed to bring her around. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Alice.

Young kittens such as Bubba can get bad colds and other serious infections. Upper respiratory infections are common and they usually have eye and nose discharge and can cause a fever so they don't want to eat. Kittens are also are more fragile than older animals so I recommend you get her to a veterinarian for treatment soon. In the mean time keep her warm and see if she will lick some water or tuna juice from your finger to help keep her from getting dehydrated. Usually with rest they will improve in a week or two. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Bubba.