My kitten sleeps a lot, eats less, and seems weak. Should I see a vet?

Kittens can sleep a lot, but if she is very listless I would be worried that she is ill and should be seen by a veterinarian right away. Starvation and dehydration can very quickly cause a kitten to go downhill which could be why she is so lethargic and requires medical care. She may also be younger than you suspect and still need additional care. Your vet can also help determine her age, and you can use this guide if she is young for rearing orphaned kittens: https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-raise-orphan-kittens/

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.

Monitor Cash very closely for any other signs of illness such as vomiting, loose stool, sleeping more or not playing as much. If you see anything else that looks like an illness, have him examined. If you notice that his appetite is continuing to decline, have him examined as well. Sometimes you can see the appetite have some minor variation. When in doubt, have him examined. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Lethargy can be concerning and indicate a medical problem, but it's encouraging to know that he is eating and eliminating well. Sudden lethargy is not too concerning in a kitten unless you are noticing other signs of illness, heavy breathing, or pale gums. Kittens can normally appear very lethargic at certain times of the day. It would also depend on how long this has been going on. If it's less than two hours, then I wouldn't worry. If it's longer than four hours then I would be more concerned. If it's been all day, then this would be a strong indicator that something is wrong. I would have to examine butterscotch to tell if this is an emergency. I would definitely recommend an emergency visit he is breathing heavily, or has pale gums. Otherwise, he's likely OK to wait the night and go to the vet in the morning if he's still lethargic. If you have further questions or need further clarification, then you may consider having an online consult with one of our vets on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This way, you can send unlimited pictures and have a text conversation with a vet. I hope that helps and all is well with Butterscotch.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Lethargy and low energy level in such a young kitten is always a concern. This behaviour could be due to fever, pain, intestinal worms and more. Please de-worm your kittens if they have not been dewormed in the last few days. If it does not make any difference, please take him to your local vets for an appointment.

Unfortunately it’s impossible to know if he is OK or not. I recommend to have Geronimo examined by the veterinarian within the next 24 hours. It’s very possible he is sick. You may look into financing options through care credit or scratch pay. You can find information on their website. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Kittens will tend to sleep more because they are growing, and they can actually sleep as much as 16-20 hours a day sleeping. It's good that Pickle is eating, drinking, and going to the bathroom normally, and it sounds like from your description that she is doing what kittens normally do by sleeping a lot. I would not be worried about it, play with her and interact with her when she's awake. I hope this helps :-)