Sick Kitten
Sick Kitten: Causes and Treatment
Pet owners can find taking care of a sick kitten quite emotionally and physically taxing. Kittens are babies after all and when they are sick, they are particularly vulnerable and dependent. This means that while dealing with the illness they are fighting, you also should provide them a sense of security and make them feel protected and cherished. Much like in human beings, the physical healing of kittens goes hand-in-hand with psychological and emotional well-being.
First off, you have to be an alert pet owner who catches early signs of illness in your pet. This alertness will help you be quick in responding to your kitten’s needs. Loss of appetite, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, coughing, sneezing, whimpering, limping and fatigue are all indications of a kitten that is fighting some sickness. If your kitten has one or more of these symptoms, keep a close eye on your pet. Some of these like the sneezing may resolve themselves after a period but with something like limping you may have to figure out whether there is an injury that needs attention.
If the sneezing comes with fatigue and a general elevation of temperature, your sick kitten is probably fighting a viral infection. You should keep your pet wrapped in a warm blanket and prevent it getting the chills. While there may be an accompanying loss of appetite, kittens do need food for nourishment and this means that you have to make an effort to keep your pet fed at frequent intervals. Even if the quantity is small, the food will go a long way in aiding the kitten in fighting the illness. A sick kitten will appreciate peace and quiet much as we do when we are feeling ill. So provide your kitten a quiet space away from the busy areas where he may usually enjoy spending time. This will help your kitten get rested and also serve to limit the number of places where the virus is tracked. It goes without saying that a sick kitten should be kept indoors. Allowing the kitten to wander around will add to the feelings of exhaustion. If you do not see any improvement in the condition of your sick kitten in 24 hours, you should consider taking him in to the vet.
Cats are extremely particular about their cleanliness and so a sick kitten which does not have the energy to groom itself may also feel bothered by this detail. It may help your kitten if you gently swab your kitten with a warm, moist cloth especially if there has been vomiting. This will help the kitten feel a little more like it usually does. Use a sanitizer to keep the area around your kitten extra clean. Since Phenol is harmful to cats, it is best that you use a non-Phenol product for sanitizing.
A kitten that is limping or whimpering may have a twisted ankle or a small fracture. If your kitten is allowed to wander outside, the kitten may have got a thorn in its paw. Any of these can make your kitten feel sick and uncomfortable. So, follow up on any of these signs and see what is causing your kitten’s unhappiness. By dealing with the situation promptly you can avoid a secondary infection.
It is worth mentioning that excessive sleepiness is not necessarily a symptom of sickness in kittens. Sometimes new cat owners feel worried by the number of hours that a kitten spends in sleeping – kittens need that during the early growth phase and it is not a sign in itself of any health issue. However, if this sleepiness seems to be accompanied with other signs like fatigue or poor eating then you may need to investigate your sick kitten’s behavior patterns.
It is a good idea to have an emergency preparedness kit of sorts so that you have the confidence of knowing that you can handle things if your kitten falls sick. Some essential elements in the cat first aid box should be rectal thermometer, bandages, hydrogen peroxide, gauze and some kind of antibiotic cream. Also always have a clean set of towels and blankets handy.
Kittens despite their size and apparent vulnerability are resilient creatures and with the right care and attention, you sick kitten will be back to normal very soon.