New Born Cat Health Problems

Newborn cats weight about 4 ounces, are blind and deaf and have underdeveloped immune systems. This leaves them open to all sorts of health problems. Keeping the mother cat healthy and inoculated can help prevent many of the problems, but you also need to watch the kittens carefully and get them to a vet at the first sign of a problem. Keeping them in a warm, clean environment will go a long way toward keeping them healthy until they are old enough to get vaccinated.

  1. Upper Respiratory Infections

    • Upper respiratory infections are common in newborn cats. The infections spread easily and can be spread through the air, so the infected cat must be separated from the remainder of the litter. Terramycin ointment is used on the eyes. The vet may also recommend using a humidifier.

    Parasites

    • Kittens can be infected with a variety of worms that not only can kill the cat, but can infect humans as well. The most common parasites include Roundworms, Hookworms or Tapeworms. De-worming the mother cat before the babies are born can help. If the newborn cat gets a pot belly, loses weight rapidly or has any changes in the stool, take it to the vet immediately. The vet may also want to see the whole litter.

    Feline Infectious Peritonitis

    • Feline infectious peritonitis is caught from the mother cat. The symptoms will present in the newborn like it a cold but can progress to infect many of the newborn's organs. There is no specific test for feline infectious peritonitis and no treatments, but the vet may prescribe corticosteroids, cytotoxic drugs and antibiotics.

    Feline Panleukopenia

    • Feline panleukopenia is feline distemper and is usually fatal and contagious as well. The symptoms will develop suddenly and include fever, loss of appetite, dehydration, depression and vomiting. The vet will do a blood test and it will show low numbers of white blood cells. The newborn cat will develop its own antibodies after about three or four days. If the cat survives five days or longer, it has a good chance of pulling through.

    Aspiration Pneumonia

    • Aspiration pneumonia usually strikes orphaned newborn cats who are not fed properly. It can also affect a cat with a cleft pallet, a common birth defect in cats. It involves aspirating milk into the lungs. You will notice milk coming out of the nose and difficulty in breathing. It can lead to a very serious bacterial infection that can be fatal. A cleft pallet can be repaired surgically and the vet will prescribe antibiotics.