Why is my new kitten lethargic with a swollen ear, diarrhea, and no appetite?

Oh my. This sounds like your poor Thor may have been bitten by something in the face and is in need of immediate medical attention. Most cats will still eat even when they are a little bit ill, so when a cat decides not to eat we know they are in trouble. I would highly recommend taking Thor into your local ER vet right away for care. If you can't make it in tonight then it's best to have him seen in the morning for testing and treatment depending on what the underlying cause is. Best of luck with your fur baby I hope he feels better soon.

Congratulations on getting Thor! Kittens very commonly have parasites and these will cause diarrhea. A new change in food or bacterial over growth will also cause a loose stool. It also sounds like Thor's rectum is becoming irritated from the diarrhea. Get an appointment with the vet and bring in a stool sample for the doctor check for parasites. Thor will also need a few rounds of vaccines but they will determine if he can have those at the same visit as he is sick with diarrhea. The doctor will prescribe medications to get stop the diarrhea and treat the underlying cause. You can also ask questions about diet recommendations. Best of luck.

Moving into a new home is stressful, but it shouldn't cause Thor to have vomiting and diarrhea as well as not eat. That tells me he is sick. If you are feeding him a different diet than what he got previously, that could be the cause of his illness. Try to tempt him to eat with some boiled white meat chicken (no bones), but if he won't eat this or the other symptoms continue, take him into the vet first thing in the morning. Best of luck.

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Lethargy & diarrhea is quite concerning in such a young kitten. I am a bit worried about dehydration, even with him drinking. Most of these issues are due to intestinal parasites, such as roundworms & coccidian. Your worming tablet may take care of the roundworms, but you really need to have the stool examined for any other problems. A consult with your veterinarian will be most beneficial in getting Beans onto the road to great health. Take care.

This may be the start of an upper respiratory disease. They usually do have a fever and swollen lymph nodes (possibly causing the face to swell) early in the infection, which will make them feel bad. They also tend to avoid eating and drinking early in the infection. It appears that both sides of Blue's face are swollen, but if it happens that only one side is swollen, then this can indicate a local infection/abscess. This can happen with bite wounds, other puncture wounds, or dental disease. I wouldn't be too concerned about this being an emergency, but it's best if you can get Blue to a vet within the next day or two. While these infections are often mild, they can become complicated, which will make things much worse. The vet would be able to narrow-down the cause of this and prescribe the necessary treatment to make him feel better and keep the infection from getting worse. I hope this helps and Blue feels better soon.

No, this is not normal. Not eating is very abnormal in young kittens. Most common reasons for the behavior you described is viral disease and internal parasites. Other options are trauma (like he fell and hurt himself) and intestinal obstruction. Milo really needs to be assessed by a veterinarian as soon as possible.

Hi and thank you for your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It sounds like Quarter has a lot going on and is not feeling very well. I am sorry to hear! It is hard to say exactly what is happening with Quarter without examining him first but I can offer some possibilities. Ear mites are common parasites that can infect the ear. These are very itchy and can really cause some discomfort in cats. If Quarter has not been vaccinated, I would be concerned about something infectious causing his symptoms such a virus. My best advice is to take Quarter into a veterinarian for an exam and some diagnostic testing to determine what is in his ear and why he is lethargic. I hope this helps and I hope you can take him into see his veterinarian soon.