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My kitten died suddenly after showing symptoms and vomiting. Why?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | unneutered | 26 days old | 0.5 lbs

4 hrs ago I noticed this kitten was acting like he was uncomfortable and he was kinda off balance when he was moving around, I just thought maybe he had to poop( i know this can be sometimes uncomfortable for newer kittens) I picked him up he was squirmy, I placed him next to mom, he didnt want to nurse, but he was strong,then about 45min ago he meowed 3 timed loudly, I ran in picked him up, he seemed to be trying to stretch, then he vomited a small amount of white paste and died. What happened?

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Rebecca, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on August 23rd, 2017

I'm so sorry for your loss. If there are other kittens it may worth having a necropsy or post mortem exam done on this kitten to know why it died in case there is anything that needs to be done for the others. Without this there is truly no way to know why he died. It may have been parasites, infection, viral disease or a congenital abnormality. I'm sorry for your loss.

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    Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on April 22nd, 2019

    Oh dear! If one kitten passed away yesterday and the others are showing similar symptoms, I would recommend taking them to a veterinarian immediately. Without an exam and some diagnostic testing, there's no way to know exactly what's wrong - so this needs to be done as soon as possible. Your veterinarian can do blood work or other testing if needed to help determine what's wrong and see what kind of treatment is needed. If you still have the deceased kitten, another option would be to send her body for an autopsy (called a necropsy in animals) - this could likely determine a cause of death and provide a specific diagnosis, to guide your veterinarian in treating the others.

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    Answered By Lindsey Edwards MVB, BSc, IVCA

    Veterinarian

    Published on March 10th, 2017

    I am so sorry to hear of your loss, the only way unfortunately to try to determine why would be a post-mortem exam. I recommend you contact your vets office to discuss this, especially if there are other kittens in the house or other cats are showing any unusual signs

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