3 1/2 Week Old Kitten Bobbing Head, Panting

Question
Hello,

The runt of the litter seems to wave his little head side to side about once every second or so when he is sitting or laying down.  He doesn't seem to do it when walking.  He is not getting fat like the others but is alert and aware and not at all lethargic.  His eyes are clear and he has no signs of any discharge from his nose but seems to pant while he waves his head.  His tongue and gums are pink, not blue, he does not cough, and has quite the voice when he wants to use it so I don't think he has respiratory or heart problems.  We have decided to supplement his diet with kitten formula to see if we can bring his weight up.  Could this kitten have some kind of brain or neural defect that could cause this behavior?

Thanks,

Doug

Answer
Hi Doug, He certainly could have some kind of neurological problem but when we see panting in kittens it can also be due to viral infections starting up. Is this a planned pregnancy or is it a rescue mom cat? If the mom does not have a high immunity to pass onto her kittens then it is possible this kitten is getting sick. Being a runt he will be  more prone to problems then his siblings. It is very stressful to take him to the vet but could you possibly take his temperature?? Just use the thermometer under his forearm (armpit) then take the temperature of his littermates as a comparison. We can then go from there. Quite often when you have runts that eat well and seem active etc they will catch up with their littermates and by the time they are 12 weeks old you can't tell the difference ! Other runts just never really thrive and they eventually succumb to something and pass away. I certainly hope this is the former. Giving him formula supplements is the best idea! You could also start him on some meat baby food. Beef or chicken.
Teresa