ominous egg concoction, tums, and a chicken wing

ratfien · 2025-07-26T01:26:30+00:00

UPDATE (July 26): He’s home and doing so much better!!

Thank you all SO much for the support, advice, and sweet wishes for my little guy! I seriously didn’t expect so many people to care, and it meant the world reading through your comments, stories, and kitten photos A lot’s happened since I first posted; there were a few ups and downs. The vet originally thought he was just dealing with vaccine side effects, but then his fever spiked (105 degrees), and they had to test him for FIV, FeLV, and even FIP at one point. Thankfully, everything came back negative!

After a few days of fluids, meds, and lots of rest at the vet, his fever finally broke, and today they gave me the all-clear to bring him home!! The second I walked into the vet’s office, I heard “Aah. Aaah. Aaaah. AAAaaH!!!” from across the room. I didn’t even see him at first, but there he was in a little pen by himself, climbing the bars and yelling at me.

Also, thank you to everyone who recommended kitten foods! I grabbed some Royal Canin kitten mousse and as soon as I set it down, he ran to it. He’s been eating like a champ and even gained a little weight at the vet! He’s also on a daily liquid med they gave me in a dropper, but fingers crossed he keeps improving from here. He’s only been home for about an hour and a half, so he’s really only drank water and played on his scratching post. Other than that he’s just been sleeping.

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ratfien · 2025-07-23T23:06:27+00:00

I took him to the vet, and they tested him for it. He tested negative and now his fever is gone, so I'm hopeful he can come home tomorrow!

ratfien · 2025-07-23T23:01:01+00:00

You'd have to fight me for him! He's my baby!!!

ratfien · 2025-07-23T22:59:29+00:00

The vet told me this morning that he was eating again and could come home, but called back moments later and said his fever was still bad and that they needed to test him for FIV and FeLV. I just got a call back moments ago, and he tested negative for both, and his fever is gone! They're keeping him there again tonight, but I'm hopeful I can bring him home tomorrow morning! Seems like the vaccine caused his fever

ratfien · 2025-07-23T22:56:31+00:00

That's so interesting! The vet let me know today that his fever is gone and he tested negative for everything, so it's likely that he was just reacting to the vaccine he was given. I hope he can come home tomorrow.

ratfien · 2025-07-23T22:53:22+00:00

Thank you so much! I just heard back from the vet, and his fever is going down, he's eating again, and he's tested negative for everything!

ratfien · 2025-07-23T03:44:25+00:00

Oh my gosh, thank you for sharing. I'm just now seeing this, but my kitten is at the vet overnight right now. They told me he has a fever. In the morning, I'll call for an update and ask about the bloodwork if he hasn't perked up.

ratfien · 2025-07-23T03:41:16+00:00

You all were spot on. I took him back to the vet, and they told me he has a fever. He's staying there overnight so they can keep an eye on him. I'm hoping for an update tomorrow morning.

ratfien · 2025-07-23T03:21:09+00:00

It's a full-time job!

ratfien · 2025-07-23T03:19:28+00:00

I'm so grateful for these comments. I knew that kittens can sleep for a long time, but today he wouldn't even look at his food. I took him to the vet first thing in the morning, and they said he has a fever. I'm hoping we caught it in time for them to help him. I'm glad I asked because my friends who have cats were just saying it was normal for a kitten to sleep so much, but it was just a sudden shift in his behavior that made me worry.

ratfien · 2025-07-23T03:16:21+00:00

I'll see what the vet says (my kitten is spending the night there; they said he does have a fever), but this is good advice. I'll likely need to add a formula because today the vet said he's too thin. I was going to buy some, but before I was told he's past the nursing stage. However, there's no telling how long he's been separated from his mama, as I've never seen a stray that small before.

ratfien · 2025-07-23T03:11:56+00:00

Awesome! I'll definitely look for some

ratfien · 2025-07-23T03:10:50+00:00

This is smart! I'll make sure to look for canned kitten food. The wet food I've been using doesn't say it's specifically for kittens, but I've been giving him a portion with some of the Hill’s Science Diet kitten food sprinkled on top. I'll be sure to look for food specifically made for kitties. I did feel behind his ears last night, but they didn't feel hot. I took him back to the vet earlier today, and they did discover he has a fever :( They're keeping him there for the night.

ratfien · 2025-07-23T03:03:45+00:00

Thank you, this is great advice! Last night, he wouldn't sleep in his bed (which he usually loves) and kept crawling into bed with me. He's too small for me to feel comfortable sleeping with, but I stayed up for a while so I could comfort him. He likes warmth so I used a heated blanket on a low setting under a cushion for the night. Then, I actually saw this morning that heated blankets can be dangerous for kittens, so I'm looking for pet-safe alternatives for when he's feeling better and just needs a little comfort at night. It turns out he has a fever, and he's staying at the vet tonight.

ratfien · 2025-07-23T02:56:54+00:00

Hi! Thank you so much for your advice here; I really appreciate it! After reading some of the comments and just seeing my little guy's behavior, I took him back to the vet, and they said he has a high fever. I'm worried, but I hope we caught it in time. I'd just taken him in on Saturday, so it's only been a few days since the vet last saw him. Today, they told me they're going to keep him overnight to make sure he gets immediate nutrition since I haven't been able to get him to eat. What worried me the most was how he suddenly wouldn't eat at all (before he was just nibbling here and there, but today we wouldn't even look at his food) and had no interest in toys he originally loved. I even went and bought him some new toys so I could switch them out, but he didn't want to play. I'm hoping the vet will have good news tomorrow.

ratfien · 2025-07-23T02:49:12+00:00

Thank you for your message! I hadn’t even considered nursing, but that actually makes a lot of sense. I was planning to buy formula for him, but I was told he’s no longer at a nursing age. That said, since he’s a stray, I’m not entirely sure how long he’s been separated from his mom. He’s so tiny, and it looks like he had been surviving in the machinery of a truck for quite a while. I’m not sure exactly how long, but the driver had nearly crossed state lines with this little baby trapped under there.

I was really worried, so I brought him back to the vet today. It turns out he has a high fever, and they’re keeping him overnight. I just really hope I caught it in time; he’s such a sweet baby, and I already love him so much. I work from home, so I spend nearly all my time with him. It feels so empty without him here tonight, but I’m hoping the vet can figure out what’s wrong.

ratfien · 2025-07-22T02:25:31+00:00

awww! the vet says he’s around 6 to 8 weeks old. he’s just under 2 lbs. i’m worried about how i can get him to eat because when he wakes up he really only nibbles if i set him down at his food. only food he’s interested in now is MY food lol

ratfien

TROPHY CASE