Should I worry if my newborn kitten is lethargic with an open mouth?

Since the mother cat is refusing to nurse or care for this kitten Brownie is probably suffering from a failure to thrive. If you are not doing so already, I would recommend supplementing her with a bottle of some kitten milk replacer. She’s probably not getting the nutrition she needs if the mother is not caring for her. She may also have a respiratory infection and/or intestinal parasites that need to be addressed. I would try bottle feeding her every 2 to 3 hours for a 24 hour period. If there is no improvement after this then I would recommend taking the small kitten into the vet to be examined. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! So sorry to hear about Luna. I would advise that you get her evaluated immediately. Open mouth breathing is never normal in a kitten/cat unless they are extremely sick or very stressed. Your vet can evaluate her and advise a diagnostic and treatment plan. It is possible that she has a nasopharyngeal polyp, foreign body, fluid in her lungs, fluid in her chest around her lungs, etc. Some testing will probably be required including blood tests, chest x-rays, etc. Good luck with Luna.

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 there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If her temperature is low, it is important to try and bring it back up by placing her near a heat source (but not too close) and a heating blanket on top of towels so that it reduces the risk of burns to the skin from direct contact with the heating blanket. If she is not eating, you should administer 1-2 tsp of a sugar source such as honey or karo syrup and see if this helps. She may have low blood sugar. This also may be infectious and unfortunately the only recommendation for an infection would be to see a veterinarian for the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations. I hope this helps and that Maanu gets better soon! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

I would highly recommend bringing her back to a vet. She most likely needs some fluid and nutritional support. This can be a virus that she is fighting off but to fight it off properly she needs nutrition. Her glucose can drop very low if she does not eat and cause seizures and even death. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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! It is unclear what is exactly going on with Sally. However, it does sound like Sally may be having gastrointestinal or respiratory issues, among other possibilities. This indicates a visit to a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment as soon as possible. They would be able to check on her to see what seems to be wrong so that this can be treated. Good luck and have a great day!