Home Care for Sneezing in Kittens

Sneezing in a kitten can be the first sign of illness. While the sneezing can be caused by something mild, such as allergies, in some instances, frequent sneezing can be an indication of a more serious health problem. There are a few basic guidelines you can follow to treat the sneezing kitten. This will not only help restore the sick kitten's health but can also prevent spreading of infections to other animals in your house.

  1. Rule Out Infections

    • Take your kitten to the veterinarian to rule out an upper-respiratory infection, especially if the kitten displays other symptoms, such as loss of appetite, lethargy or excess saliva. Sneezing can be caused by the feline calicivirus (FCV) or feline viral rhinotracheitis (FVR) viruses. Both can easily be passed to other cats in your house.

    Hydration

    • Keep the kitten well hydrated. If the kitten does have an infection, it will need fluids to stay healthy until you can get it to a veterinarian. Encourage the sneezing kitten to drink water from a small dish, but if it is too sick to do so, you can give the kitten water with a clean medicine dropper. Give the water to the kitten slowly so it doesn't choke. Introduce the water a few drops at a time on its mouth to encourage it to drink. Encourage the kitten to eat wet food. Young kittens should eat 2 to 4 times a day, so monitor the sick kitten's eating habits.

    Remove Allergens

    • Remove any potential allergens in the room. Sneezing could be caused by an allergy, so remove any scented candles, household cleaners, perfumes or deodorants from the room where the kitten stays. Do not allow anyone to smoke near the kitten. Dust the area, including all furniture, and vacuum the carpet. If you recently introduced a new food to the kitten, do not continue using that food until you rule out a food allergy.

    Change Litter

    • Empty the litter box, wash the box and refill it with a different brand of litter. Some litters have much more dust than others, and they can either cause sneezing or make an existing health issue even worse. Use a dust-free litter and only fill the box with a small amount. Pour the litter into the clean box gently, keeping the litter container close to the litter box to keep dust to a minimum. If you have a large litter container that doesn't pour easily, use a small scooper or plastic cup to scoop litter into the litter pan so new dust will not enter the air.

    Wash Bedding

    • Wash all pet bedding often to avoid spreading germs. Use a gentle laundry detergent with no perfumes and avoid using fabric softener. Keeping the pet bedding clean will remove cat hair, potential allergens and help reduce the chance that any infection will spread to other animals. Make sure your kitten has plenty of warm bedding to sleep in while it is sick.