Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / June 2004
kitten does not play anymore
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MadHatter - 09 Jun 2004 22:35 GMT so i had some concerns earlier about my kitten not eating, but she seems fine now and eats well now, but she is no longer playful. she's mostly sleeps and eats. when i just brought her, she was all about catching and climbing and hunting our hands and gently biting, just as one would expect a kitten to do. she also loved to chase a string. now she loves to nap and is lying on her back in my lap. why wouldn't an otherwise healthy 7 week-old kitty run around and play? i am planning to get her a friend soon. i am concerned, since this is not a typical behavior that i've seen among kittens and my cat had 2 litters, or 4 and 8 kittens before we spayed her, and our cat in Russia had probably 4 litters. i am thinking it's because she is the only kitten, but when we got our Murka, the one who had 2 litters, she was an extremely lively and curious kitty. she was also kinda vicious, but we expected a cat to hunt.
-L
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Sharon Talbert - 09 Jun 2004 23:56 GMT A quiet kitten is not a healthy kitten. Please consult your vet asap.
Mary - 10 Jun 2004 01:52 GMT > A quiet kitten is not a healthy kitten. Please consult your vet asap. I guess my advice is bad advice then. I did not know this.
MadHatter - 10 Jun 2004 16:47 GMT >A quiet kitten is not a healthy kitten. Please consult your vet asap. thanks, everyone. i just checked her gums: they are too pale to be healthy. i'm taking her to see a vet ASAP today, at 3pm. i don't have a kitty carrier, so i will take her in a large travel bag, in a cab, the will stop by a pet store that's near the vet's office, buy her a carrier to taker comfortable back home. i just got 2 months free pet insurance from petfinder.com, but i don't think it covers any routine shots, only illnesses and accidents. how much are the booster shots?
thanks, Lena
PawsForThought - 10 Jun 2004 17:31 GMT >From: MadHatter devil_m@y_care.lost
>i just got 2 months free pet insurance from petfinder.com, but i don't >think it covers any routine shots, only illnesses and accidents. >how much are the booster shots? Lena, I would highly recommend against vaccinating this kitten until you know she's 100% healthy. The insert in the vaccine package says "only administer to healthy animals".
I'm glad you have an appt with the vet. Please let us know what they say.
Lauren ________ See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm
MadHatter - 11 Jun 2004 00:47 GMT
>>From: MadHatter devil_m@y_care.lost > [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] >Lauren >________ i just brought her back from the vet. she is, in fact, slightly sick. i thought she still might have worms and she does. they needed a stool sample, which she eagerly provided, in her carrier, on a fuzzy blanket, of course and not on a paper towel as we hoped :). i checked her gums yesterday, as someone suggested and they were pale. the vet also said that she might be slightly anemic, due to worms and i pointed out that she seems to have had blood in her stool. i forget the name of the specific parasite that may cause that, but she apparently had it. they gave her fluids SQ, dewormed her and did a test for glucose levels. they gave me medicine for her to treat her for worms and an iron supplement. when i came back, i gave her the iron supplement first. ooooh, she was so unhappy about that! it took me 3 tries to give her 0.2 ml via pipette and then i gave her the anti-worm medicine - 0.5 ml - but by that time i figured how to hold her. she was not pleased at all, poor thing, but i guess it didn't taste too bad. she just doesn't like to be handled in such a manner. she had some water and now is sleeping. i hope her mood picks up soon. damn, i should 've signed up for a 2 months free sheltercare insurance earlier! it doesn't begin until tomorrow and i paid $228 for all this! oh well. i hope she gets better soon.
-L
she is still kinda sleepy, but she was very lively in the office and sat on the receptionist's shoulder while i went to get her a carrier.
Cheryl - 11 Jun 2004 02:32 GMT In the fine newsgroup "rec.pets.cats.health+behav", MadHatter <devil_m@y_care.lost> artfully composed this message within <news:t0shc0lbhf59maeav15mrjg7f1b50f0jpi@4ax.com> on 10 Jun 2004:
> i just brought her back from the vet. she is, in fact, slightly > sick. i thought she still might have worms and she does. Worms can make them feel just so bad. I'm so glad that she's on the mend now and you'll have that playful happy kitten again! Purrs. Did you ask the vet about when would be a good time to bring in another?
:)
 Signature Cheryl
MadHatter - 11 Jun 2004 20:43 GMT >In the fine newsgroup "rec.pets.cats.health+behav", MadHatter ><devil_m@y_care.lost> artfully composed this message within [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >you ask the vet about when would be a good time to bring in another? >:) she said that i shouldn't bring another kitten until this one is healthy. i am worried, though, because she is still lethargic and naps all the time, except when she eats. when she meows, she usually either opens her mouth with no sound, or makes a very quiet sound. she very rarely meows "well". it also looks like really bright light during the day bothers her. i know i just took her to the vet, so i have to wait, but i hope she doesn't have anything worse than worms.
-L
PawsForThought - 11 Jun 2004 21:03 GMT >From: MadHatter devil_m@y_care.lost
> i am worried, though, because she is still lethargic and >naps all the time, except when she eats. when she meows, she usually >either opens her mouth with no sound, or makes a very quiet sound. >she very rarely meows "well". it also looks like really bright light >during the day bothers her. i know i just took her to the vet, so i >have to wait, but i hope she doesn't have anything worse than worms. What are you feeding her? I would recommend getting some KMR (kitten replacement milk) to give her as well as her regular food. There is a product that you can get at health food stores called Colostrum (it's not cheap though) that comes in capsules. You can add one capsule to a very small dish of milk and then stir it in. Colostrum helps the immune system. Also, worming medicaiton is hard on the system, so that could be making her tired as well. I would keep your eye on her and if you don't see improvement in a couple of days, I would call the vet to let them know. Here's a couple of links you might be interested in:
http://www.bovinecolostrum.com/articles/article27.htm
http://www.colostrum-health.com/pets.htm
http://www.preciouspets.org/newsletters/021604.htm
Lauren ________ See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm
MadHatter - 11 Jun 2004 22:01 GMT >>From: MadHatter devil_m@y_care.lost > [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > >Lauren i am giving her purina kitten chow and various whiskies canned foods and now is likes IAMS for kittens, which she didn't want before. i also give her water and milk diluted with water. i will get her KMR. i have to giver worm meds and iron supplements by pipette. she puts up a scary fight and her jaws are quite strong - she bit me, accidentally. i hate to see her so distressed and scared and i am worried she is going to hate me after a while, since i have to keep giving this to her, at least the worm meds, for another 8 days. the vet said i should keep giving her the iron supplement until it's done, but i think (i have no idea how it works in kittens) she might have an iron overload which is not good at all in people. is there a better way to give her these? she does not want them in food. tomorrow, i will have my boyfriend hold her and i'll give her the meds. she is incredibly wiggly and i don't want to hold her any stronger.
thanks,
Lena
Laura R. - 11 Jun 2004 23:33 GMT circa Fri, 11 Jun 2004 17:01:06 -0400, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, MadHatter (devil_m@y_care.lost) said,
> i am giving her purina kitten chow and various whiskies canned foods > and now is likes IAMS for kittens, which she didn't want before. i [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > the meds. she is incredibly wiggly and i don't want to hold her any > stronger. I guess I?d ask what your ?technique? is for holding her and administering the meds. There are ways to hold her and administer meds that are better than others. How are you holding her? How are you getting her mouth open? Where are you squirting the meds?
And as far as iron overload, I?d trust your vet on that one. :-)
Laura
 Signature Experience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde
MadHatter - 12 Jun 2004 05:25 GMT >circa Fri, 11 Jun 2004 17:01:06 -0400, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, >MadHatter (devil_m@y_care.lost) said, [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > >Laura i sit down, hold her with my left hand over her chest and her back against me. i hold the pipette in my right hand; i pry her mouth open with my right hand and one finger of the left hand, stick my finger in so that the canines don't get me and with the right hand drop the liquid into her moth, but don't squirt it. she kicks, writhes, wiggles, screams, spits, scratches me and bites in the process and is very, very unhappy. i manage to get 0.1 of 0.2 ml in before she escapes, then i take her again and repeat. yeah, i'll have my boyfriend assist me with this tomorrow. she is small, but she is quite agile and holding her, keeping her mouth open and dispensing is difficult with two hands. poor thing! i hope i don't scar her for life. she used to sleep with us in bed, but now she doesn't want to, well, not since she started to get sick.
Lena
Laura R. - 12 Jun 2004 11:45 GMT circa Sat, 12 Jun 2004 00:25:14 -0400, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, MadHatter (devil_m@y_care.lost) said,
> i sit down, hold her with my left hand over her chest and her back > against me. i hold the pipette in my right hand; i pry her mouth open > with my right hand and one finger of the left hand, stick my finger in > so that the canines don't get me and with the right hand drop the > liquid into her moth, but don't squirt it. Into the front of her mouth, the side, or the back, by her throat?
Laura
 Signature Experience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde
MadHatter - 12 Jun 2004 17:05 GMT
>circa Sat, 12 Jun 2004 00:25:14 -0400, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, >MadHatter (devil_m@y_care.lost) said, [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > >Laura the front, onto her tongue. i think i might have put it from the side too.
-L
Laura R. - 13 Jun 2004 00:21 GMT circa Sat, 12 Jun 2004 12:05:53 -0400, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, MadHatter (devil_m@y_care.lost) said,
> >circa Sat, 12 Jun 2004 00:25:14 -0400, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, > >MadHatter (devil_m@y_care.lost) said, [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > the front, onto her tongue. i think i might have put it from the side > too. Try it way at the back of the side of her mouth, aiming towards her throat when you do the drops- she won't taste it as much and with any luck, you'll be able to get it in with a little less struggle.
Laura
 Signature Experience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde
PawsForThought - 13 Jun 2004 16:58 GMT >From: MadHatter devil_m@y_care.lost
>i have to giver worm meds and iron supplements by pipette. she puts >up a scary fight and her jaws are quite strong - she bit me, >accidentally. i hate to see her so distressed and scared and i am >worried she is going to hate me after a while, since i have to keep >giving this to her, at least the worm meds, for another 8 days. I know how you feel. Any time I had to give meds, I always thought my cat would hate me. But they don't, so try not to worry :)
> the >vet said i should keep giving her the iron supplement until it's done, >but i think (i have no idea how it works in kittens) she might have an >iron overload which is not good at all in people. I would follow the vet's advice in this case as it sounds like your kitty needs the iron.
>is there a better way to give her these? she does not want them in >food. tomorrow, i will have my boyfriend hold her and i'll give her >the meds. she is incredibly wiggly and i don't want to hold her any >stronger. I would recommend getting a cat piller. It's a thin syringe that has a rubber cup on the end that holds the pill. Then you just shoot it in towards the back of their mouth. I would also recommend that you wrap your kitten in a towel with just her head sticking out and let your boyfriend hold her like that. Should help with the squirming.
>i am giving her purina kitten chow and various whiskies canned foods >and now is likes IAMS for kittens, which she didn't want before. i >also give her water and milk diluted with water. I'm not a big fan of these foods. Personally, I think Wellness canned for kittens would be better. Others that come to mind are Precise, Nature's Variety, Petguard, or Felidae.
Hope kitty starts feeling better soon,
Lauren ________ See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm
Laura R. - 13 Jun 2004 18:20 GMT circa 13 Jun 2004 15:58:46 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, PawsForThought (darnit7@aol.comnolitter) said,
> I would recommend getting a cat piller. It's a thin syringe that has a rubber > cup on the end that holds the pill. Then you just shoot it in towards the back > of their mouth. I would also recommend that you wrap your kitten in a towel > with just her head sticking out and let your boyfriend hold her like that. > Should help with the squirming. She can't use a piller, because these are liquid meds.
 Signature Experience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde
MadHatter - 13 Jun 2004 18:48 GMT >>From: MadHatter devil_m@y_care.lost > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >I know how you feel. Any time I had to give meds, I always thought my cat >would hate me. But they don't, so try not to worry :) good! thanks for reassuring me. she is doing much better now and is more lively. she was sitting on a window sill today, enjoying the sunshine and playing with plants. i'm going to get her a plant to play with where she can reach it.
>> the >>vet said i should keep giving her the iron supplement until it's done, [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >I would follow the vet's advice in this case as it sounds like your kitty needs >the iron. i spoke with the vet and she told me that it's actually a multivitamin solution, not just iron, so i'm not worried. albon, is the antibiotic that treats various bacteria and coccidia, that's the other medicine i give her.
>>is there a better way to give her these? she does not want them in >>food. tomorrow, i will have my boyfriend hold her and i'll give her [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >with just her head sticking out and let your boyfriend hold her like that. >Should help with the squirming. that's what we did yesterday. we wrapped her in a cloth, my boyfriend held her, and i gave her the meds, which are liquid, through the pipette. she handled it much better.
>>i am giving her purina kitten chow and various whiskies canned foods >>and now is likes IAMS for kittens, which she didn't want before. i [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >kittens would be better. Others that come to mind are Precise, Nature's >Variety, Petguard, or Felidae. i just ordered a bunch of food her, wet and dry, for from petsmart.com. i got Nutro Max and sophisticat, both for kittens.
>Hope kitty starts feeling better soon, thanks.
>Lauren >________ Laura R. - 11 Jun 2004 23:17 GMT circa Fri, 11 Jun 2004 15:43:36 -0400, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, MadHatter (devil_m@y_care.lost) said,
> she said that i shouldn't bring another kitten until this one is > healthy. i am worried, though, because she is still lethargic and [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > during the day bothers her. i know i just took her to the vet, so i > have to wait, but i hope she doesn't have anything worse than worms. In addition to what Lauren said, bear in mind that anemia can really sap her energy.
This is from felinecrf.org, but it?s a description of the signs of anemia:
Signs of anaemia include:
Nausea This is quite common in anaemic cats; other causes include stomach acid and high phosphorus levels.
Lack of Appetite This is very common in anaemic cats; see stomach acid and high phosphorus levels for other possible causes.
Feeling Cold Your cat may seek to lie in warm places, and/or may be hunched up in an attempt to keep warm: this is commonly a sign of anaemia.
Lip Licking This is more commonly associated with stomach acid, but in some cats it may be a symptom of anaemia.
Pale Gums and Eyelids This occurs in anaemia because the blood flow to the skin is reduced.
Lethargy This is caused by lower levels of oxygen in the blood which in turn is caused by anaemia.
Weakness, especially in the back legs This is very common in anaemia; Thomas became unable to jump on the bed. See also low potassium, metabolic acidosis and high phosphorus.
Heavy breathing and wheezing and fast heart rate These may be related to a heart condition or to high blood pressure, but anaemia may in itself cause heart problems and high blood pressure: your vet can determine which came first.
Eating Litter/Licking Concrete This is known as pica. Many vets are not aware of this symptom in relation to CRF-induced anaemia, but if a CRF cat suddenly starts eating litter, PCV levels (anaemia measurement) should always be tested. Thomas was already being treated for anaemia when he began to eat his litter. Sure enough, when we tested him, his anaemia had worsened, so we increased his medication and as soon as his anaemia improved his litter eating stopped. Very occasionally, licking concrete is a sign of a calcium deficiency.
Also from felinecrf.org: ? What is Anaemia? Anaemia is a condition in which not enough red blood cells exist in the body. Red blood cells transport oxygen round the body, so if a cat does not have enough, he/she will not be able to function properly and will feel very tired and weak; other symptoms are discussed below. Red blood cells are produced in the bone marrow and last for around 70-80 days in cats.? Basically, it?s really not surprising that your kitten is lethargic since she?s anemic, and you shouldn?t expect that to clear up instantly as her little body has to make more red blood cells first.
:-) Laura
 Signature Experience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde
Laura R. - 11 Jun 2004 03:27 GMT circa Thu, 10 Jun 2004 19:47:22 -0400, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, MadHatter (devil_m@y_care.lost) said,
> i just brought her back from the vet. she is, in fact, slightly sick. > i thought she still might have worms and she does. they needed a [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > she is still kinda sleepy, but she was very lively in the office and > sat on the receptionist's shoulder while i went to get her a carrier. I'm so glad to hear that you got her to the vet and that it's nothing serious. That's excellent news!
Laura
 Signature Experience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde
Sherry - 11 Jun 2004 03:56 GMT >> she is still kinda sleepy, but she was very lively in the office and >> sat on the receptionist's shoulder while i went to get her a carrier. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >Laura Piggybacking a big me-too. I bet you're going to have a real hooli-kitten who's bouncing off the walls in no time, as soon as she's feeling better.
Sherry
PawsForThought - 11 Jun 2004 13:28 GMT >From: MadHatter devil_m@y_care.lost
>i just brought her back from the vet. she is, in fact, slightly sick. >i thought she still might have worms and she does.
>when i came back, i gave her the iron supplement first. ooooh, she >was so unhappy about that! it took me 3 tries to give her 0.2 ml via [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >be handled in such a manner. she had some water and now is sleeping. >i hope her mood picks up soon. Hi Lena Glad to hear it's nothing too serious. Just keep up with the meds and I'm sure she'll feel better soon. It might take a couple of weeks to get her energy back though. I hope kitty is feel better soon :)
Lauren ________ See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm
Mary - 11 Jun 2004 02:48 GMT > i'm taking her to see a vet ASAP today, at 3pm. Lena, let us know how it goes. We'll be thinking about her.
MadHatter - 11 Jun 2004 20:44 GMT >> i'm taking her to see a vet ASAP today, at 3pm. > >Lena, let us know how it goes. We'll be thinking about her. thanks. she eats fine and they didn't find this parasite, gerardia(?), in her stool, which is good, but she is much too sleepy and doesn't play. i hope she gets better over time.
-L
PawsForThought - 10 Jun 2004 00:29 GMT >From: MadHatter orlies@hotmail.com
>so i had some concerns earlier about my kitten not eating, but she >seems fine now and eats well now, but she is no longer playful. she's >mostly sleeps and eats. when i just brought her, she was all about >catching and climbing and hunting our hands and gently biting, just as >one would expect a kitten to do. You are going to take her to a vet, right? She definitely needs to be seen. ________ See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm
Laura R. - 10 Jun 2004 00:45 GMT circa Wed, 09 Jun 2004 17:35:43 -0400, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, MadHatter (orlies@hotmail.com) said,
> so i had some concerns earlier about my kitten not eating, but she > seems fine now and eats well now, but she is no longer playful. she's [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > was an extremely lively and curious kitty. she was also kinda > vicious, but we expected a cat to hunt. Has she been thoroughly checked out by a vet? That's not normal behavior for a kitten.
Laura
 Signature Experience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde
Sherry - 10 Jun 2004 01:19 GMT The kitten is sick. Check the color of her gums. Are they pink or pale? Does she have fleas? Please get her to the vet. Something is dreadfully wrong with a kitten that's quiet.
Sherry
Barb - 10 Jun 2004 00:46 GMT Seems like your kitten still ought to be playing a lot. Are you giving her good, nutritious kitten food? What does the vet say?
-- Barb Of course I don't look busy, I did it right the first time.
Mary - 10 Jun 2004 01:51 GMT > so i had some concerns earlier about my kitten not eating, but she > seems fine now and eats well now, but she is no longer playful. Gosh, give her some time! She has been through a lot, and like any baby thing (or living thing, for that matter) she will go through phases all her life.
kaeli - 10 Jun 2004 14:47 GMT > why wouldn't > an otherwise healthy 7 week-old kitty run around and play? How do you know she's healthy? Has she seen a vet? What is she eating? Kittens need high protein kitten food. Are her gums nice and dark pink? Are her eyes clear? Her nose? Kittens get "colds" (URIs) rather easily. When was the last time she was around any other cat? Is she vaccinated? 7 weeks is very young to be away from Mama. Her immune system is far from "done", so to speak.
Don't get another kitten until you know this one is all healthy (that means a VET says so). URIs spread and are very common in kittens from catteries, shelters and pet stores simply because there are so many cats in one spot and lots of people touching them and passing germs.
 Signature -- ~kaeli~ Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end. http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace
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