My young kitten is very sleepy and won't eat. What should I do?

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!

It sounds like poor Olive is sick. Anorexia and lethargy can be signs of many illnesses such as a systemic illness, infection, inflammation, or injury. It's actually quite serious when a cat isn't eating, and I would take her into the vet as soon as possible. The vet can diagnose the cause of her symptoms, and can treat her for it. Please take her into a vet. Best of luck.

It is normal for kittens to play really hard and then sleep really hard. At this age I expect them to sleep more than play. This changes as they get a little older. If she is eating at least 1/2 cup of food a day, she may be just getting full and realizes she doesn't have to eat it all at once and this is also okay. Sometimes kittens will graze on grass and plants out of curiosity. Just make sure you don't have an toxic plants in your house/yard. BUT if you think she is eating less than this and doesn't play much at all and you think she is getting weak then I would see your vet for an exam. She may have something else going on like an infection or parasites that needs to be addressed. Your vet will be able to do a fecal and possibly bloodwork if needed. I hope this helps!

Have Candy examined by a veterinarian to diagnose illness. In the meantime, offer a good quality kitten food. You can warm it up or mix in a teaspoon of baby food to stimulate Candy's appetite. Discontinue offering milk as this may cause some gastrointestinal upset. If necessary, you can offer a kitten milk replacer such as KMR. This can be mixed into the food as well.

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.

I would bring her in right away for an exam. None of this is normal although stress can have a huge impact on kittens. These young guys can't go very long without food and I would surmise that is why she is so weak and lethargic.

I would have her looked at by a veterinarian. My concern if she is just laying around, has seen eaten? If not then her glucose can be dropping. She may be dehydrated. It is something where a veterinarian needs to evaluate her. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.