Fever & Vomiting in Kittens

When vomiting and fever strike a kitten, prompt attention and care can ensure the health and longevity of your cat. These symptoms can uncover a problem that is easily fixable or reveal a troublesome underlying medical condition. Monitor your kitten carefully if it suffers from a fever and vomiting, especially if the kitten also has additional symptoms.

  1. Causes

    • Kittens can develop illness for a number or reasons. Sometimes they may vomit and express troublesome symptoms such as crying out in pain. Both fever and vomiting can result from the flu or another virus. New kittens often vomit when they eat too much or too quickly. Don't introduce dry food until kittens have nursed on their mothers for six weeks or longer. If a kitten vomits, he may need to stay on milk for a longer period of time, so his digestive system can develop more. Worms, obstructions and other serious conditions can also cause vomiting, so take your kitten to the vet if the symptoms persist. PetEducation.com suggests to call the vet if you notice blood in the vomit, diarrhea, pain or a fever combined with vomiting. Other reasons to take your cat to the vet include vomit along with yellow gums, swollen abdomen or if the kitten is trying to vomit, but nothing comes up.

    Prevention

    • Sometimes you can prevent vomiting and fever in kittens by taking extra precautions before the litter is born. Take the mother cat to the vet to get rid of worms, fleas and other health conditions during pregnancy. Give her plenty of food and water, and keep her bed and litter box area clean at all times. Don't allow her to go outside and catch viruses that she can harbor until the kittens arrive. Treat her promptly for any signs of illness before and after the birth.

    Treatment

    • Treatment for vomiting and fever in kittens varies, depending on the cause. Sometimes it's easy to find the cause at home, but often only a vet can give a proper diagnosis. Blood tests and a careful examination can help the vet find the cause and prescribe a treatment, such as worm medication, antibiotics, special diets or, in rare cases, surgery, if the cat suffers from an intestinal obstruction.

    Additional Comfort Measures

    • Take additional measures to comfort your kitten before, during and after treatment. Pet and hold the cat, and keep the area around her bed clean and keep up her litter box changes. Watch her carefully to ensure that the treatment is working and call the vet if symptoms worsen. A misdiagnosis can happen with kittens and other animals, so take the cat back to the vet if her health isn't improving.