My 3-week-old kitten is lethargic, peeing more. Is cow's milk the cause?

Hello. I am a little concerned about your kitten because at 4 weeks of age she should be a little fireball & not require stimulation to move her bowels. She should also be eating a canned kitten food with a little replacement milk mixed in. If she has not been dewormed, this would be a priority as intestinal parasites like roundworms can make a kitten pretty weak. She may also be a little dehydrated if you have not seen her urinate. I truly hope you can have her seen by a veterinarian soon. Little babies like this can be pretty fragile. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

First of all you need to stop the cow milk, i recommend switching her to ready made kitten dry food. It sounds as she is suffering from a gastrointestinal condition, possibly an infection. it could also be due to ingestion of a foreign body material. i would recommend taking her to the vet the first chance you get, she will need to be checked first, if the vet thinks it's a simple gastrointestinal infection she will need an anti vomiting injection, antibiotics and a special food for a few days in order to get better. if the vet thinks it is more serious she will need a blood test and possibly an ultrasound in order to find out what is wrong.

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!

Kittens are susceptible to many different infections, both viral & bacterial. A heavy parasite burden from coccidia, or roundworms can also wear a kitten down & leave it weak. Pascal is too young & small to try & fight this off on his own. He needs to be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible. If you can not have him seen tonight or tomorrow, pick up some Nutrical from Petco tomorrow, & try to give him small amount frequently throughout the day. This is a high calorie supplement to hopefully keep his energy up. Then please try to have him seen by your veterinarian as early as possible on Monday. I hope he does better soon. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Keep an eye on her for now, and if she is still lethargic in the morning, have her seen by a vet. If she starts vomiting, has diarrhea, or refuses to eat, have her seen by a vet immediately. Best of luck.

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.

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Make sure what you are feeding the kitten is an appropriate kitten milk replacer. Kittens this young are not able to regulate their temperatures well, so make sure you have her on a heating pad set on low with a towel on top. There should be an area for the kitten to move off if it gets too warm. Make sure you are not overfeeding the kitten. A kitten needs 2 tablespoons ( 30 mls ) per 4 ounces ( 115 grams ) of body weight daily. Divide the daily amount into equal portions for each feeding & fed every 3-4 hours until bedtime. Stimulate the genital area after each meal, but do not be concerned if she does not have a BM each time. You can try feeding her a congee, which is often tolerated by the sickest kittens. Take 1-2 cups chicken broth ( low or no salt added ), add 1/4 cup white rice & a tiny sliver of fresh ginger. Boil for 2 hours. While cooling, add 1 Tbsp good quality protein powder - egg or casein, not soy. Stir together very well. The mix should be a bit thick. Drip into kittens mouth 1/2 - 1 ml at a time. Hopefully she will start to turn around. Just keep at it. Good luck.