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Help - Kitten has Cat flu


Munch

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Hi, We got two kittens from a rescue centre and they both have cat flu. One of them has got worse today. She is lacklustre, not eating much (if anything) and is a bit bunged up as well as having weepy eyes which I am treating. I am so worried about her I can hardly breathe. The vets is shut.

What should I do? Will she be ok? Will the other kitten get as bad as she is?

 

Please can someone give any advice they may have please?

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Hiya

 

Apart from nursing care and antibiotics to treat the secondary infection (either oral, eye drops or both) there's not a lot that you can do for cat flu I'm afraid.

 

Keep other cats away the best you can (even vaccination isn't 100% effective), bathe eyes as appropriate, and just make sure that she has some fluids if you can't get food down her. If she's at risk of getting dehydrated then syringe a few mils of water down her throat every few hours, just to be sure that she's getting some fluids.

 

You can tempt her with food by mashing a little wet food up very thoroughly and warming it up a bit to make it smellier, or by serving a little minced fish or chicken warm with cooked rice. Cats are nose breathers so will have trouble eating when they can't breathe through their noses, but most cats can do perfectly well without food for a few days while they're ill. If your kittens are small enough that they really need food then I'd make a puree of some kitten food with yoghurt and syringe feed that.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about getting your kits to the vet tonight unless they're having breathing problems. Both will need antibiotics, but one day (or even a day and a half) won't make enough of a difference to her to make it worth paying the hundred quid consultation fee per kitten on top of the cost of the antibiotics as long as you're nursing her carefully because cat flu is a viral illness.

 

Crossed fingers for you and them.

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Hiya

 

Apart from nursing care and antibiotics to treat the secondary infection (either oral, eye drops or both) there's not a lot that you can do for cat flu I'm afraid.

 

Keep other cats away the best you can (even vaccination isn't 100% effective), bathe eyes as appropriate, and just make sure that she has some fluids if you can't get food down her. If she's at risk of getting dehydrated then syringe a few mils of water down her throat every few hours, just to be sure that she's getting some fluids.

 

You can tempt her with food by mashing a little wet food up very thoroughly and warming it up a bit to make it smellier, or by serving a little minced fish or chicken warm with cooked rice. Cats are nose breathers so will have trouble eating when they can't breathe through their noses, but most cats can do perfectly well without food for a few days while they're ill. If your kittens are small enough that they really need food then I'd make a puree of some kitten food with yoghurt and syringe feed that.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about getting your kits to the vet tonight unless they're having breathing problems. Both will need antibiotics, but one day (or even a day and a half) won't make enough of a difference to her to make it worth paying the hundred quid consultation fee per kitten on top of the cost of the antibiotics as long as you're nursing her carefully because cat flu is a viral illness.

 

Crossed fingers for you and them.

 

Thanks very much for your advice. I have been keeping her warm (I wrapped her up in my poncho and we had a cuddle on the sofa earlier). Before today she has been eating warm white fish and chicken (both boiled). i gave her some plain haddock a while ago though and neither her nor her brother ate that. He usually eats well so could be they just dont like it. I have thought about splitting them up but he has started sneezing already and has had a watery eye ever since he was at sanctuary so I would have thought he will get it worse soon (which is a worry as he is smaller). He looks after her though and cuddles up to her so think will keep them together for comfort and warmth reasons.

 

I'll try not to worry too much then and take her/them to the vets on monday morning. In the meantime I will give her lots of cuddles, eye cleaning and try to get water down her. I heard somewhere that it may help to put her in the bathroom for a bit with the shower on so the steam helps clear her blockages. shall I try this? What about giving her some kitten milk? My worrying probably isnt helping her too much but I do love her and she is very beautiful.

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Just wondering if youve gotten in touch with the rescue centre you got them from? i know some centres give a kind of "warranty" ( couldnt think of a better way of putting it) on most animals they rehome, also they need to know incase other cats in the centre have caught it

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so sorry to hear they are poorly,as you are doing keep bathing the eyes to keep them as gunge free as possible. As mentioned try fish,or tuna anything that smells stronger to try and tempt them to eat,very hard as they will just be feeling so rough. Try feeding them by hand if possible and give them water so don't get dehydrated. Just keep a close eye on them but do need the vets as it won't clear up without treament. good luck.

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At Xmas all of my 5 cats caught cat flu, 3 of them needed treatment but 2 never got as poorly and recovered by themselves and one of them believe it or not was only a 3 month old kitten.

Cats can fight it themselves, but mostly they seem to need a little help, all responded very quickly to antibiotics, but I think that it was quite a mild form of flu.

Just keep on doing as you are and keep them warm, I'm sure that they will be ok till Monday, just watch that they can breathe ok though.

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If your other kitten was with her when she caught it then it's pointless keeping him away from her- either he's already got it or he's immune, and either way round he's company and snuggles for her and the importance of that can't be underestimated.

 

There's conflicting evidence as to whether bathrooms are any use for cat flu. Generally speaking just keeping them in a nest nearby works best so that they're comfortable and know that you're close. I have tried steam and that doesn't seem to make much difference, but a wet towel on a warm radiator near to them does keep everything liquid and stop it gunking them up too badly.

 

If she'll take kitten milk then go for it. The calories will help her and it's fluid that she won't resent you for. Other than that just supply snuggles and fluid and get them to the vet for some antibiotics on Monday and I'm sure they'll both pick up in no time.

 

BTW- cat flu can take many weeks to subside, so you need to be aware that you could be in for the long haul with treatment. One litter of kittens I had needed 14 weeks of antibiotics before they were fit and healthy again, and I know that this isn't an unusual length of time. It takes as long as it takes, but supporting them to prevent secondaries, nursing them and keeping as much food going down as possible will make it more bearable for them.

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I know that mine had it before we had them (approx 4 weeks ago now) and are still a bit snuffle still. We're keeping an eye on them as they were both ok'd by the vet before we were allowed to bring them home. I presume they can catch it again despite having already had it??

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