My kitten has mushy poop and is not active. Is this normal?

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.

She is cute! She could have an infection or a parasite. You could take a stool sample to your vet and have it tested for parasites. If she hasn't been dewormed then an intestinal parasite is a definite possibility and your vet can prescribe a dewormer. She might also need some fluids to prevent dehydration. You could also add a probiotic to her food and see if that helps. Hope she gets better soon!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Izzy is very cute. It's quite likely that the blood you are seeing is from intestinal parasites. Puppies and kittens should be dewormed starting when they are 2 weeks old. The deworming should be done every 2-3 weeks for at least 3-4 times to clear out as many parasites as possible. Some of the intestinal worms are blood suckers so they suck blood from the lining of the intestinal tract. This can lead to anemia or low red blood cell numbers, which can cause low energy, lethargy, sleeping more. Other reasons for blood in the stool could be intestinal infection, dietary change or dietary problem, foreign body ingestion, toxins, etc. You should take Izzy to your veterinarian so they can assess her, advise some fecal tests, other tests if needed, and treat her accordingly. They can also advise you on her preventive health care so she gets a good start out in life. Good luck with Izzy.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Simba. I recommend that he sees a veterinarian. His veterinarian will start by assessing a stool sample. Parasites and other infectious causes are very common in kittens. Treatment to make him feel better is based on these results as well as his physical exam findings. It is worrisome that he has not been very active. Kittens should be very playful. I hope this information helps!

Hi there and thanks for posting! Diarrhea or loose stools can be common in kittens with intestinal parasites. I would recommend running a fecal test at your veterinarian's office to rule out parasites as cause. Falcor may need to be on medication and may need a few more deworming treatments and a recheck fecal test to help treat him and be sure he is negative for parasites. Be sure to wash your hands well after touching his feces during little box clean up or if he has an accident on the floor. Hope this helps and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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.

Small specks of red blood during a bout of diarrhea is not unusual as the delicate lining of the back passage can become damaged from straining. As long as he is bright and alert, eating and drinking it would be ok to leave him but if any lethargy, weakness or vomiting occurs he should be seen urgently by your vet. Be sure he is up to date with deworming medication as intestinal worms are a common cause of diarrhea in young kittens