My tiny kitten won't eat or move. Is she fading? What to do?

Fading kitten syndrome is not really specific to any one disease, but is a term we use when a kitten is dying. This can be very difficult to manage and requires the help of a veterinarian immediately. Your description of him definitely sounds serious, so my best recommendation is to get him to a vet as soon as possible. For now, you can help keep his blood sugar up by giving a little honey or karo syrup on her gums. You can also try to give a little water in his mouth with a syringe. If he drinks the water, then it's good to give him 10ml every two hours. If he is not drinking, then don't force it, because this can cause him to choke. I hope that helps and he gets better soon.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor baby! I am worried about the eye. I would get the kitten to a Vet to see if it needs an antibiotic. Sometimes there is a kitten or 2 that doesn't make it not matter how hard we try. If the kitten isn't taking the bottle or nursing you will have to be taught by your vet to tube feed the kitten. Sometimes we never know why some kittens don't thrive: genetic issues, trauma, infections, etc. I wish you the best

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I do not recommend vitamins for kittens this young. If the kitten is not nursing from his mother I recommend bottle or tube feeding with kitten milk replacer. Tube feeding needs to be taught by your Vet. When a kitten stops nursing it likely means that they are sick. The best thing is to have the kitten examined by a Vet. He could have a genetic problem, something infectious or be constipated. Be sure you are stimulating him to defecate and urinate. I wish you the best.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I’m so sorry to hear about buttercup. You have her listed at 1lb so I am assuming she is a kitten. I can’t diagnose her over the internet but i can tell you that her situation sounds very grave. A cat -especially a kitten- who will not eat, seems blind, and is not moving, needs intensive testing and care- and may still not make it. Hypoglycemia and hypothermia (they often go together) are first on my list. Congenital brain or heart problems and infectious diseases are also possible. If she can still swallow you can continue the water. You can place a little white Karo syrup or honey on her gums for some blood sugar stabilization. If she perks up with that, keep her warm and continue small amounts of water and Karo syrup every half hour or so. But if she doesn’t perk up within a few minutes of warming and karo, she may have bigger problems. And in that case, those won’t be enough to keep her hydrated or from losing weight. She would need a vet for anything beyond that, and you may need to make a tough decision to humanely euthanize her. :( I’m so sorry and I wish the best for you and Buttercup.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Loss of appetite and lethargy can be observed with many conditions such as gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, kidney disease, pancreatitis, among many other possibilities. Unfortunately, there is no way to help them without knowing what is going on. I recommend that you have them evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for these possibilities and others depending on the findings on exam. Treatment would be based on findings. Good luck and have a great day! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There can be many causes for decreased appetite. If you just got her on Friday, it may be the move has stressed her out a bit and she needs a few days to adjust. However, there can be other causes such as viral, bacterial, or parasitic infections that may cause decreased appetite potentially. It is good to hear she is having normal bowel movements and is urinating, however. You can try heating up her food a bit to bring out the flavor and try feeding small amounts frequently. If a couple more days go by and she still has not eaten, I would recommend she see her veterinarian just to make sure there is nothing more serious going on. I hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Oh no!! I am very worried about this kitten. I don’t think she will pull through. If you can get her to a vet I would do so immediately. Sometimes we never know who some kittens don’t make it, whether is a genetic or congenital issue or infection. But the mother usually knows. I with you the best!