Hank is a 5 month old LDH kitten. We adopted him through our SPCA at a local pet store. At the time he was 8 weeks and vet records had shown he was up to date with vaccines and was healthy. Right away Hank and Oreo(our 1 yr old cat) got along well. Played well and seems to be friends.The issues started about 2 weeks after. he then begain to sleep alot, wasnt very active, He still ate and drank well. He then had a seizure(vet checked and said it was b/c of high fever) and had a fever, the vet did a thorough check and said everything seems fine but the fever. he was then given antibiotics and was recommened tests if he did not get better. He did.

About 1 month later he was acting the same with out the seizure. We took him back to the vet(a different vet). He got a shot for his fever, antibiotics again and immune booster. He seems to be recovering well but since the first sickness he hasnt been as active. he doesnt play often but isnt showing signs of a fever or sickness.

His eyes have irregular shaped pupils and little freckles at the bottom it appear to be on the very outside of the iris, the vet said there was nothing to be alarm about unless the freckles get bigger in size and no longer appear flat. There is no irritation either.

I went to the pet store where i got him, While speaking with the lady that gave me hank she mentioned his brothers are doing fine with no problems. The mother is still healthy. I have been in twice, she was very intelligent about cat illnesses and have looked into hanks brothers for me to see if they have gotten sick - which is a no. He was kept in doors and was only in a cat kennel when he got his vaccines so he hasnt been exposed to much. he was raise with his mother and brother in a family house.

3 days ago i notice diarrhea, so i kept a close eye on him, i followed him to the litter box and watched him vomit in there. after he vomited he took a nap and appear to be back to normalish. (has been normal for 2 days now with no more known vomiting and diarrhea.)

Today i cought him eating his litter(CLUMPING LITTER!!!). which i am guessing cannot be normal. i am switching to non clumping today!!

I have looked up many illnesses and am worried. I was told if it was HIP, if he was to be sick again his body would not be able to fight it off and would die. There are so many immune system issues out there for cats and each one has its own expensive test.

I plan on taking hank to the vet but i need to know what are the best tests to get for my issues. The vet recommened over 1500$ of tests and mentioned how all test could come back normal. i have already spend over 1000$ on trying to fine out what is wrong its frusterating!!! I dont want to loose this kitty, but i dont want to ruin christmas because i have no money. Luckily he is still eating and drinking normal.

ALSO his third eye has shown since we got him(no irritation)

SO...
Is it normal for a 5month old kitten to eat litter?
What tests should i get done at the vet to help with a diagnosis?
What illnesses would be involved?
Should i be worries about his eyes?
Is it normal for a kitten to not be playful?(he just sleeps! and lays around)
How do i get hank and oreo to be like there were when we first brought him home?

Has anyone else had issues like this?? what were the outcomes???


HELP!! anything is something!!!

Eating litter can be a sign of anaemia which might explain the lethargy you've witnessed.

I would take him back to the vets and have a full blood panel done firstly. Any abnormalities on this can then be followed up with further testing on a stage by stage basis. It would also be a good idea to get a second opionion on his irregular pupils-I wonder if this is related to the seizures he's been having as his temperature would need to have been dangerously high in order to induce one IMO.

Hope he gets better soon!

What Ianthi said. She knows.

And I don't know. My Christmas would be a lot more ruined if my little kitten died because I decided buying gifts was a more pressing priority. I would just trust that my loved ones would understand because they are, well, loved ones.

__________________
My babies
Aber, Ragnar, Kelso (the corgi trio), Daisy (our rescue mystery-mix puppy), Ellie, Henry, Gwennie, Jezebel (the kitty quartet), Blake, Chaucer, Molly and Milton (the kittens), and Bingo the African Grey parrot

Over the Bridge:
Pippin: 1/6/08-17/5/11
Freja: 11/8/10-30/10/10
Kirby: 11/8/10-1/11/10

"Praise liberty/The freedom to obey/It's a song that strangles me/Well, don't cross the line" Billie Joe Armstrong

Eating litter could be the cause of his sickness, but it could also be a reaction to it.
Like Ianthi said, it could be a sign of anaemia.
But eating litter may clog up his intestines, which would prevent him from getting any nourishment and make him vomit up whatever he eats, as it cannot pass through. A serious obstruction of the bowel could kill him.

I would have the vet run a blood test and have his bowels checked for obstruction, and switch to wood chips for litter.

__________________
Jiskefet & the mognificent Dutch bunch

My little angels at the rainbow bridge

Wood chip litter is great. It's totally safe, smells good and dissolves when wet, meaning it sticks to the poo and can be flushed away in small amounts

__________________

RIP Charcoal my shy girl 1987-2000, Patch the wanderer 1987-?, Tabby my darling fluffball 1988-2002 & Panda the rascal 1988-2008

Quick OT question---does it clump up?

I've got a Litter Robot, so I have to use some sort of clumping litter. I love the lightweight cedar scented litter I have now, but I like the idea of wood chips being natural.

__________________
My babies
Aber, Ragnar, Kelso (the corgi trio), Daisy (our rescue mystery-mix puppy), Ellie, Henry, Gwennie, Jezebel (the kitty quartet), Blake, Chaucer, Molly and Milton (the kittens), and Bingo the African Grey parrot

Over the Bridge:
Pippin: 1/6/08-17/5/11
Freja: 11/8/10-30/10/10
Kirby: 11/8/10-1/11/10

"Praise liberty/The freedom to obey/It's a song that strangles me/Well, don't cross the line" Billie Joe Armstrong