My fostered kittens are sneezing and have runny eyes. What can I do?

Hello, Many kittens can suffer from viral respiratory infections that progress to secondary bacterial infections with pneumonia. As they both are experiencing decreased activity, I'd recommend having your kittens both seen by a veterinarian. They can guide you best after a physical exam. I hope this is helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Yes, URI's (upper respiratory infections) are very common in kittens and cats that have been living in shelters. They typically are caused by viruses and most of them resolve without treatment, but they turn into bacterial infections that make the cat feel pretty awful, and need antibiotics. I would recommend calling the shelter from which you adopted the kitten and see if maybe he was treated for a URI while he was there. If so, perhaps it's resolving normally. If not, he may just now be showing the signs and he may need to be checked out (by the shelter or a private vet) before things get worse.

They most likely have upper respiratory infections (URI) and will need antibiotics (both oral and topical in the eyes). If you are going to adopt/rescue kittens you need to be able to afford veterinary care. They are going to need vaccines, deworming and to be spayed/neutered as well. So, if you can't afford their treatment you should consider relinquishing them to the local Humane Society so they can get treated. This is not something you can treat at home, I'm sorry to say. All that being said, there are many low cost/affordable vet clinics in your area (based on the zip code you provided) so if you really want to keep them then find a clinic and get them treated. You may have to drive closer to Tampa. I know ACT has a regular vet clinic as well as spay/neuter/vaccination services. ( https://actampa.org/about-our-clinic/ ) ( https://www.plannedpethoodpasco.com/ ) ( http://newtampapet.com/ )

what the staff at the shelter told you is true about the possibility of forming respiratory issues due to stress. the symptoms that you are describing are indeed symptoms of a respiratory infection and antibiotics are needed. The coughing you are hearing likely has no connection to a hairball issue and is likely the infection progressing. My best recommendation to you would be to have them seen by your veterinarian at your earliest convenience to have them treated before their illness progresses into something worse than the "simple kitty cold"

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would actually be more concerned about an upper respiratory infection. This is common in young cats and in most cases it responds to antibiotics. I recommend that you have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment. They would be able to check for this and start therapy accordingly. Good luck and have a good night!

Aw poor Socks! It's pretty common to have a rescue kitten develop upper respiratory infections. I'm glad to hear he's acting normally otherwise. You can try to run a hot shower and steam up the bathroom while Socks is in the room. Sometimes this will help break up congestion. Make sure he continues to eat and drink normally. Warming some canned food up will often encourage a cat to eat more as they will eat more if they can smell the food. If Socks continues to be congested or at any point he stops eating, develops an eye issue, or becomes lethargic he should be examined by a veterinarian. It's best not to wait too long as kittens can develop pneumonia or labored breathing if the respiratory infection progresses. If necessary antibiotics can be prescribed or a supplement like lysine can be used. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Wishing Socks a speedy recovery!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is likely due to an upper respiratory infection though something else like bilateral corneal ulcers or even dry eye are possible. This is usually treated with antibiotic eye drops and oral antibiotics and cats usually respond well to therapy. I recommend that you have Deimos evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. If they agree that based on an examination, that seems to be the issue, they will likely prescribe medications to make him feel better. In the meantime, you may try to decrease his activity and rest him up which may help. Good luck and best wishes!