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My kitten is lethargic, not eating, and has mucus after drinking milk.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | 1 month and 4 days old

I have two feral kittens at my home today i found that their mother had died fighting a mongoose in our backyard i gave milk to both kitties one of them is active and the other one suddenly got lazy not eating not playing just laying down and there was some mucus on her butt please help

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on August 21st, 2018

Those poor kittens and their mother! Do not give Vinnie cow's milk, it's not good for cats. Cats are lactose intolerant, and it will give them diarrhea as well as possibly cause them to vomit. The mucus on her butt could be from diarrhea, and that diarrhea could also be caused by intestinal worms, which are common in young kittens. Both kittens need a deworming treatment, and they need a kitten formula to eat. If their eyes are open, then they are old enough to be weaned onto a kitten dry food. To help them wean and to get used to dry food, I would soak a high quality kitten formulated dry food in warm water until soft. Then mix that with kitten formula such as KMR to make a mush the consistency of oatmeal. Over the next two weeks, gradually increase the amount of dry kitten food and decrease the amount of water and KMR you use until they are eating the dry kitten food only.

If Vinnie continues to not eat and act lethargic over the next 12 hours, he will need to see a vet immediately. Best of luck, I hope this helps.
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