Why is my kitten suddenly lethargic and unresponsive? Is it serious?

It's difficult to say whether he needs emergency treatment without fully knowing his current condition. If he is still eating and drinking normally, then this would be an encouraging sign. It would also be good to know if he is still walking/running around occasionally. If this is the case, then I wouldn't consider this an emergency, but would recommend you take him to the vet tomorrow during business hours. If Drake is not eating and drinking, then I would be concerned of a more severe disease and would recommend taking him to the emergency clinic. The staring into space could indicate a few different things. It could indicate that he has a fever from an infection, a metabolic disorder, or a primary disorder in the brain. It could also be completely innocent, so I wouldn't worry too much until a vet does a good evaluation of him and comes up with some more answers. I hope that helps and Drake gets better soon.

Considering his age and the signs you described, I would be concerned and recommend an immediate check up. Differentials are many, from gastrointestinal diseases (infection/inflammations often dietary related) to any disease that can spread systemically (causing lethargy for example) like infection, and anything that can cause pain/discomfort. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Keanu. I recommend that he sees a veterinarian today as he sounds very sick. Depending on his exam findings, he will likely need bloodwork and fecal testing to determine the cause of his symptoms. Infectious diseases are common in young kittens. Based on these results treatment can be started to help him feel better. I hope this information helps!

It sounds like he is getting sick. Without additional clinical signs it is hard to say exactly what is causing his lethargy and decreased appetite but he could be starting with a respiratory virus or a gastrointestinal virus. He could also have parasites that need to be treated. If it continues than he should be examined by a vet to determine the cause. Your vet can run lab work to help diagnose and then determine the best way to treat. If he is unvaccinated, please discuss a vaccine plan with your vet once he has recovered from this illness.

For sure - this is definitely not normal behavior; as you have said before Cutie is normally playful and active. Unfortunately lethargy is a very general sign of many diseases, and it's unlikely that we will determine the cause of her signs or what to do about this here. I would definitely say that you should be worried, as this has been going on for a few days. Cutie needs to be seen by your vet for an examination and likely some testing, including blood work and possibly x-rays, depending on what other symptoms there are (fever, pain, for example) and the results of the physical exam.

Poor Snow! If he has no energy and can't even stand up, this is a very serious problem - he needs to see an emergency vet immediately. This would not be caused by withholding food for 10 hours; severe lethargy or weakness like this is generally a sign of a serious illness such as feline panleukopenia. Your vet can do some diagnostic testing to help determine what's wrong and get him started on appropriate treatment. I would recommend taking him to see the vet right now, as this may be a life-threatening problem.

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!