by Chata
(Tunkhannock, PA, USA)

My kids brought home a kitten about 4 days ago. I'm assuming she is 4-6 months old. She obviously has a dual eye infection, but seemed otherwise healthy. In the past day or so, she has been twitching a lot while awake and doing it occasionally while asleep.

The kitten does sneeze sometimes but does not have labored breathing or any wheezing. She refuses kitten food but eats my older cat's indoor, hairball control dry food. She is drinking water regularly and uses the litter box easily. Also, my kids sneak her our older cat's soft treats.

Any ideas on what is going on with our new addition would be great since we can't afford a vet visit for at least another week.

Thanks,
Chata and Moonshine


Dear Chata,

Most cats and kittens will twitch slightly when sleeping, so although you have said that your kitten is twitching while she is awake, it could also be that she is extremely relaxed or in a very light state of sleep. Twitching, however, can also be a sign of a neurological problem or seizure disorder, although it is often from fleas.

It sounds as though your kitten needs treatment for her cat eye infection, as she may have feline conjunctivitis or a feline upper respiratory infection. Eyes, of course, are very important as cat eye infections, just like those in people, can become quite serious and even lead to blindness.

My recommendation would be to bring your kitten to the veterinarian for her cat eye infection and discuss the twitching at the same time.

All the best,
Dr. Neely