What would cause this in my 5-month old kitten?

I would bet your kitty picked up an URI (Upper Respiratory Infection). It can be somewhat common from animals that come from shelters or rescue groups because they live in close quarters. It can even be picked up at the vet clinic if an infected cat is being treated there. It's HIGHLY contagious in cats, just like Kennel Cough is in dogs.

However it's easy to treat and the Humane Society should pick up the tab for the medication.

I've treated many cats and kittens with URI, my last one was near death she was so ill from it. But once the antibiotic got into her her system she got over it pretty quick.

So give the vet or the Humane Society a call and let them know your kitty is ill. The earlier you treat the URI the quicker she will get well and have boundless energy.

Best of luck and THANK YOU for adopting. That's one more life saved.

Shelter cats are exposed to so very many germs. And they sometimes can fight them off, sometimes not. It's not uncommon for the stress of the spay surgery to just push them over the edge. She's got an upper respiratory infection, which is viral just like our colds are. If she's eating and playing, then she's not terribly sick but really does need to go see the vet (it's not an emergency). She's got conjunctivitis - pink eye. If you've got a pet store nearby, see if they have any triple antibiotic eye ointment there - you need one made for pets, not for humans. Put it in her eyes twice a day, and you'll see a big difference. The vet can give you something stronger/better, but this will help out until you can get her in.

Now that she's out of the shelter environment, her immune system will get stronger and she'll get over this and get healthier. Again, each cat has their own level of immunities - the second kitten you adopted just had a better immune system than the first one does.

Respiratory ailments are not uncommon in shelter animals, the most common being kennel cough. Your kitten could have also picked up something at the vet's (seems to happen to my cats all the time). However, without the coughing she's eating, I don't think it would be kennel cough, but more likely a sinus or resp problem.

Being that she is eating well, another possibility is conjunctivitis (also known as pink-eye). This is easily transmitted from one animal to another; in fact you could have possibly transmitted it to her if the virus was on the door handle of the vet's office. If there is the possibility it is conjunctivitis, keep your other cat at a distance until you know for sure as your other cat could catch it.

She could also have some parasite, or an allergy. I have a cat that is overly sensitive to dust mites and the carpeting, and another one that goes into sneezing fits because of a certain brand of fabric softener.

In any event, it is at least a call to the vet. And point out that this happened immediately after coming from the vet.

It sounds like you need to clean your house PRONTO. If it is clean, are you using sprays to make the air smell better? Do you have perfumes around the home? Do you use a lot of scented cleansers? How about scented candles? Maybe a scented wall plug-in? These are absolutely horrific around kittens and can cause lifelong allergies. Buy unscented items, avoid using too much perfume, and even buy less smelly shampoos and conditioners. Remember to air out the house. Just like for a baby, this can be overkill for a kitten, and could ruin her senses.

Say you don't use any of these, your home is clean, and you're still at a loss. Then I'd say either your kitten has seasonal allergies or a disease that needs some immediate attention.

It sounds like a good old URI--upper respiratory infection that might be starting to shift into her eye.

If it is an allergy, please check your litter that it is unscented. A good, unscented litter is best. If she is really stinky, the clumping litters work well and you can just scoop twice a day.

If you are big on spraying room "fresheners" etc. then please stop these right away. They are poison. Think about other things you use as well. Is your laundry detergent very highly scented, do you use scented fabric softeners etc.

What household cleaners are you using and the list goes on. I'm more inclined to think it is medical though. It is amazing just how many toxins we use on a daily basis thinking we are keeping healthy.

It sounds to me as if she could have been incubating an illness,possibly cat flu, when you picked her out, before the symptoms showed, and then the spaying weakened her and made her worse.You should get the vet to check her over to make sure it isn't something your other kitten will catch.

There is a very common virus in cats, especially shelter cats, called climidia...It's like a really bad cold to you or me...It can last for over a week or up to 3 weeks...It's nothing but a neucence to the cat but the owner (you) may worry that it's something more...

Please try not to worry so much...Just make sure that she gets a protien rich diet and lot of love and she'll got over it... :-)

The upside ? Once kitty gets over it, she won't get it again....Her immune system won't let her.. :-)

stop using the washcloth it's making it worse. try artificial tears or a saline contact Lens cleaner to help her eyes. and she could've picked up a virus at the "discount' spay clinic. all cats are pretty much born with the feline herpes virus and occasionally it will flair up.

She may have simple allergies to your home environment. Some cats are very sensitive to things like dust and pollen.

awww she sounds so cute. and she is a kitten and they do sleep alot like babies do. maybe she's allergic to the pet food or the furniture. did u have another pet before this one?