I have 3 kittens out of a litter of 5. All 3 have mucus around their eyes. I don't have $ for a vet. Help?!

Question

The adult sister cat of the mother to the kittens has had a cold since we got her in december. She sneezes alot...or she used to. Not so much anymore. The kittens sneeze and have mucus around their eyes and a discharge coming from their noses when they sneeze. Any ideas? I don't have money to take them to the vet. In Feb, we took them to a vet and ended up spending $200 to get them well. Which is why we didn't get them fixed yet, and momma cat got out once-but yes, I know, that is all it takes. Also, all kittens have 6 toes on their front paws. 1 has 4 toes on the back paws, 1 has 5 toes on the back paws, and the 3rd has 6 toes on the back paws. Therefore I have a kitten with 20 toes, 22 toes, and 24 toes. Is this normal? lol I know it's not completely uncommon, but it shocked me!

Answer 1

Cats with abnormal numbers of toes (too many) are called Hemingway Cats. I read about it tonight... Ernest Hemingway had several cats with too many toes and let them breed, and most cats like that are descendants of those.

Your kittens could have gotten a respiratory infection from their mother. If it is a respiratory infection, there is really no other option other than to see a vet for treatment. You could also sign them over to animal control or the ASPCA.

Answer 2

To start off I would contact the SPCA in your area they have really good rates as well as you can surrender your cats and they can give them a good home and proper care. If that is not an option for you and your family, I would look at a mobile vet near you (go to petco or petsmart it is a van that drives by and will fix your animals for practically nothing) Now about their colds. Clean their eyes with a warm wash rag, and keep them clean. Watch for diarhea and make sure that they are not getting dehydrated. I would not worry about the ammount of toes that your cats have as long as they can walk and jump they will be fine. I enclosed a site that has links you can push for further information on your cat's cold.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article...

I would not worry about not having the money for a vet, my mother's cat is 15 years old and has only been to a vet once and that was when she was fixed, she has been sick and with the home remodies she is still around and I'm telling you that cat is never going to die.

Answer 3

Most likely it is not a "cold' but rather an upper respiratory infection that will need medication (antibiotic i think).  You can try using eye drops like visine (regular) 3 to 4 times a day in the eyes to keep them clean.  If it is not too bad that can help alot.  A kitten my daughter rescued had that problem too and i got most of it with the eye drops but still need a little medication.  

If you are anywhere near the Grand Rapids, MI area, the C-Snip is running special in August for spay and neuter of any kittens under 4 months old.  It's a great deal and they do a great job.  But please don't take them if they still the runny eyes as it is contagious.

Answer 4

It is very common for cats to have colds when they are young. Take it to a vet.

Answer 5

It sounds like it is a classic case of upper respiratory infection. If the URI is very mild and your kittens can continue eating and is able to maintain normal activities, then careful observation is usually all that is needed. Over the counter antihistamines and nose drops may be also help. Steam therapy can help clear airways. Take your kittens with you into the bathroom while you take a hot shower. Usually the symptoms resolve in 7-14 days.

On the other hand, if your kittens are very lethargic, seem distressed, have thick green or yellow discharge, have significant decrease in appetite or seem to have more than just small amounts of clear discharge from the eyes, then medical attention is needed.

Although most URIs are caused by viruses, antibiotics are often prescribed because secondary bacterial infections are common. Untreated bacterial infections can lead to severe sinusitis and pneumonia. Unfortunately, if this does happened you will need the antibiotics and the only way to get them is with a prescription from a vet.  

What was wrong with the kittens when you last took them to the vet?

How long did the mother cat sneeze for? Was it treated for the sneezing or did it go away on its own?

What type of cats are they? Because some cats are prone to eye and nose discharge as well as sneezing. An example are Persian cats.  

Answer 6

There's nothing anyone here can really tell you.  The kittens are probably sick, they may have the cold or upper respiratory infection the other cat has and it may be severe enough to kill the kittens.  

If you aren't going to treat them then maybe they'll get better on their own and maybe they'll die.  

Cats require medical attention.  If you can't afford to fix them and get them regular shots and checkups then you shouldn't get them.  I don't know what you really want anyone to say.  Stores don't just sell decent quality medicine for cats, you need to take them to a vet to figure out what is wrong and to get the proper medicine for it.  

All I can recommend if you won't go to the vet is to try to find a shelter, ideally no kill, that has room for them but they need to made aware that they're not healthy.  

Everyone who tells you to take them to the vet is exactly right.

Answer 7

you should have thought about that before letting your cat irresponsibly breed...also if you don't have the money to take your cat to the vet to get a little cold checked then you shouldn't even have a cat.