My 5-month kitten is lethargic and not playing. Should I worry?

Absolutely. If she is ordinarily playful, normal kitten behavior, her lethargy may be a sign of illness or injury. Your vet will do an exam, probably labwork, possibly x-rays if indicated, and based on these results will be better able tot ell you what is wrong and how best to treat it.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Thor. No, unfortunately this is not normal kitten behavior. Kittens should be very playful. It is worth having him examined to ensure that he is healthy. If so, his vaccines can be updated. If he is sick, then appropriate treatment will be started. Monitor him closely for sneezing or any vomiting and/or diarrhea. I hope this information helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Lethargy can be caused by a lot of things including an infection, inflammation, among other possibilities. This could also be normal in a kitten as they are not always very active at that age. If you think she is sick it would be best to have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Have a good night!

It's very hard to know what is wrong based on these very general symptoms, I would expect a kitten this age to want to play all the time so you are right to be worried, my recommendation would be to have him checked by your vet ASAP

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Mittens. Abnormal behavior in a cat is often the first sign of problems. If this continues, you should have him evaluated immediately. Your vet can take a history, perform an examination, and then advise a diagnostic/treatment plan. Possible causes include pain, infection, inflammation, stress/anxiety, bite/scratch wounds if he was outside, among other things. Good luck and I hope Mittens bounces back to normal soon.

Sleeping more than normal for more than one day is not normal. Sometimes a cat may sleep more after a busy night out. However if this lasts through the weekend or if your cat stops eating or appears lethargic, you should take her to your vet on Monday for an exam and possibly a blood test.

Lethargy is a non specific sign and can be related to a variety of health problems. Given his young age could be quite concerning but at the same time he is eating fine and the body temperature is normal. Sometimes they can feel under the weather for a little trauma, because they feel pain somewhere, for a gastrointestinal problem (check for any vomiting or diarrhea). I would monitor Bruno for the next few hours but if he is not improving or any other symptom appears, I would suggest to bring him to the vet for an health check. Good luck! Do not hesitate to post again on the forum or request a consultation if you would like to discuss it any further.