Why is my 4-week-old kitten lethargic with open mouth and slime?

Question

I have a 4 week old kitten who has had a drop in energy level sleeping all day. Its mouth is opened a little at all times and has a yellowish clear slime in and around the mouth (kind of like the one below). Its mother only takes care of her other kitten. The kitten is always sleepy and rarely comes out of its box. What is wrong? They are all outdoor strays. Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Female | unspayed | 1 month and 23 days old | 3 lbs

Lauren Kennedy, DVM · Accepted Answer

Since the mother cat is refusing to nurse or care for this kitten Brownie is probably suffering from a failure to thrive. If you are not doing so already, I would recommend supplementing her with a bottle of some kitten milk replacer. She’s probably not getting the nutrition she needs if the mother is not caring for her. She may also have a respiratory infection and/or intestinal parasites that need to be addressed. I would try bottle feeding her every 2 to 3 hours for a 24 hour period. If there is no improvement after this then I would recommend taking the small kitten into the vet to be examined. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Why is my 4-week-old kitten lethargic with open mouth and slime?

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