Having just gone through his with our new kitten I feel for you and Rudy.
Get some really stinky canned food and warm it up slightly. It will smell more when warm. I got Mr. Biggelsworth to eat by smearing some food around his mouth or on his paw. He would lick it off and once he tasted it he would eat some more.
Good luck with getting him to eat.

Put Rudi in a steamy bathroom for 15-30 mins to drain his sinuses, then feed him immediately afterward with the warmed, smelly food that glaserberl suggested. If he still won't eat on his own, you'll need to assist feed him. The link below will provide you with a lot of tips and tricks to help get food into Rudi.

Here is a link that might be useful: Assisted feeding for cats

'Tis the season for URI...

Currently dealing with URI in a number of foster kittens. While stinky food might work, unfortunately, when URI just begins - cats start refusing food completely. It is very important to get nutrition into them during this time.

Forcefeeding is best done with liquid food. Usually, with URI, 2-4 days of forcefeeding is all it takes (from my experience) and kittens start eating again.

I like these following combinations when forcefeeding:
Chicken bouillon (I make from chicken thighs)with a bit of salt - mixed with Nutrical/Felovite or Fortiflora ...
Goat's milk - mixed with Nutrical or Felovite...
Combination of goats milk and chicken bouillon.

To these liquid concoctions, you can add wet food -AD is really good and mixed in well. Or, baby food (turkey, basically meat and no onion powder added)

Currently, I am using Fortiflora and really liking the results.

If the cat is congested, you can do as suggested above - steamy shower, or vaporizer
Nebulizer with Gentamicin and saline solution is really good as well.

If there is green discharge from nose/eyes, and possibility of secondary infection, your vet might try Clavamox or whatever other antibiotic of choice.

Most importantly, keep the cat warm. Offer Fancy Feast (Tuna and Shrimp dark blue cans!) and if that is not working, forcefeed. Make the liquid, make sure it is warm and use a 3ml to 5ml syringe to get the food in...

Good luck!

So far, no signs of goo--and he can breath his nose--I watched while he was sleeping. I think he is sneezing less but I'm taking him back this afternoon if he won't eat when I get home. Dr. Jackson said they had some high calory supplements we can squirt down him until he recovers his appetite. I hadn't thought of the shower--I'll make him stay in the bathroom with me this evening. Since my sinuses are also ginky, it'll do both of us good. Mean while I live in fear that one of the other 3 will get it.

I swear, it's almost enough to make me believe in black cats=bad luck. Since my stray kitten appeared on Oct 15 I have made--count 'em-- 18 trips to the vet, and 2 to my own doc, and there is not a single being in the house that hasn't been on at least one antibiotic! I told Sadie I thought she must be the cat equivalent of Typhoid Mary, but of course she just looked at me and purred.

If your boy has herpesvirus, which is one of the most common URI's, L-lysine can be helpful. L-lysine inhibits the replication of herpesvirus, making it easier for the cat to fight off a herpes flare-up. You can buy 500 mg L-lysine tablets anywhere vitamins are sold. Just crush a tablet and mix it into a canned food meal once daily for the duration of the flare-up. Even if your cat doesn't have herpes, L-lysine won't hurt. It's just an amino acid.

Dr. Jackson said they had some high calory supplements we can squirt down him until he recovers his appetite.

Petsmart and like have Nutrical and Felovite - might be cheaper to buy it there.

L-lysine also comes as a tasty goo in a tube, most vets will carry. You might try that as well. Either way, if it's a virus, it will pass on its own soon. Chlorpheneramine is an easier antihistamine if you still wanted to give an antihistamine (could help a bit if the sneezing and nasal discharge is out of control).. it's OTC (over the counter), too, and comes as a conveniently sized 4mg pill (half a pill 1-2x a day for a normal sized cat). Pill tastes bad, too, but easier to get down than icky liquid if you have any skills pilling a cat.

I can pill a cat. The vet thinks I'm weird bec I prefer pills. (hey, LOOOVE my pill shooter) Now, liquids---ew. I mostly get it all over me. Not looking forward to having to squirt nutrients down rudi's throat. He's not exactly a passive cat. More like a 12 lb bundle of muscle. Nearest Petsmart 1 hour drive--our vet is pretty good about not charging extra for their meds. Plus, they've seen so much of me lately, they are starting to cut me deals. Probably out of pity.

How contagious are these things? Can I expect more sneezing to commence? Or is it possible that the kitten's respiratory ick, Sophie's 3 week eye infection, and Rudi's sneezing are all forms of the same germ?

I read that almost all cats are infected with herpesvirus; it's that contagious. In most cats herpes lies dormant, only to flare-up when the cat is stressed or immuno-compromised in some way. Herpes can affect both the respiratory tract and the eyes, so it's quite possible that everything you're seeing in your household is herpes-related. Go buy a BIG bottle of 500 mg L-lysine tablets and start giving it to all of your cats. Can't hurt and might help beat the herpes back into dormancy.

Nearest Petsmart 1 hour drive--our vet is pretty good about not charging extra for their meds.
I am just giving you options :) I do not know the specifics of your situation, so whatever works!

Or is it possible that the kitten's respiratory ick, Sophie's 3 week eye infection, and Rudi's sneezing are all forms of the same germ?
Very possible.

How contagious are these things?
Contagious. Think yearly/seasonal flu. Different strands. Hopefully, it will run its course and your cats will develop immunity to it, to fight it off.

"Is it possible that the kitten's respiratory ick, Sophie's 3 week eye infection, and Rudi's sneezing are all forms of the same germ?"

Yes, and it's name is mycoplasma!

I'm sure you guys are very experienced in giving food and fluid by syringe to kittens, but for novices that may be reading this thread, be aware that it's very easy to cause your pet to aspirate if you don't do this correctly. Aspiration of food and liquids into the lungs can kill a pet.
Also, a caregiver has to be especially careful with kittens that are so congested they have difficulty swallowing and breathing.

Please educated yourself and read all you can when it comes to force-feeding.

My experience with giving liquids to cats is that I'M more likely to asperiate it! Since it sure isn't going down their throat. The vet keeps saying that it's easier to give liquid medicine, but I sure don't see how. I get slung meds and slobbers.

Now all three of my adult cats are sneezing. rudi's bloodwork showed elevated white cells--i.e. infection. The vet said to go ahead and bring the other 2 and we'll take preemptive action with a long lasting antibiotic since I can't take chances with Ike's reduced immune system right now. Sigh. Another trip to the vet. Why am I not surprised?

The problem with antibiotics is that they are only effective against bacterial infections, but the most common URI's are viral. Vets often prescribe antibiotics during viral infections just to try to avoid secondary bacterial infections from occurring, but antibiotics do nothing to treat or prevent the primary viral infection. Moreover, all antibiotics are not effective against all bacteria. The vet prescribes a broad spectrum antibiotic in the hopes that it will be effective against whatever bacterium may be present, but without identifying the specific bacteria, that's only a best-guess prescription. So don't expect an antibiotic to "cure" your cats or prevent further viral infections.

I agree with you that liquid meds are much more difficult to administer than pills. That's been my experience, anyway. I always request pills or capsules in lieu of liquids. I don't see what use liquid meds can be when they just get foamed out, anyway.

Laurie

LITTER can also cause/exacerbate respiratory problems.

No Feline Pine under any circumstance. My cat almost died from that stuff.

Litter should be virtually dust-free (world's best cat litter, for example).

Have they tested for bartonella? It can cause cold-like symptoms (and cat scratch fever).

We use l-lysine treats rather than the paste. None of the cats like the paste at all (like not even mixed into yogurt), but they loved the treats. Since I was doling out treats anyway, I managed to use them to teach all five of our cats to sit, three to beg, and one to high five (and then I realized I just taught my cat to swat for food!). They will only do it when you hold a treat over their head, or in the right spots in the kitchen, but it's a start.

I've used both the Enysil-F treats, and the Vetri-Science treats. From what I can tell, they both seem to work equally well, but only the high-fiver will even eat the Enysil (they're the size and texture of large dog kibble). The Vetri-Science are a fish shaped and soft, and even the finicky cat will eat them.

One note on human strength lysine- 500mg is too much for everyday use, and it's not something you want to overdose them with (I can't remember what happens, just that it was not good).

I do hear everyone on the liquids. My Sphynx used to flex her tongue just so- you'd think the cat had proper lips with the way she could spit!

I'm using the same scoopable litter I've always used. For the record, I tried World's best, and wasn't impressed with it. It was less dusty when I poured it, but seem to grind up into powder as it was used. Every time the kitten came out of her litter box, her feet were covered in dust.

Rudi is still sneezing, and so is Ike. Haven't heard Sophie yet today. Everybody is eating--Rudi has recovered his appetite nicely. I'm wondering if maybe the liquid Benedryl left such a horrible taste in his mouth that that is why he wouldn't eat! Ike and Sophie are still eating.

I tried the "steamy shower bath". Took both Rudi and Ike in, shut the door and turned off the fan. Rudi stayed with his nose to the door crack, like he thought he needed fresh air, and Ike sat on the commode with his eyes the size of saucers, staring at me like I was nuts. Even with my small bathroom, the air in the bottom half of the room was pretty clear, so I don't know how much good they got from it. Guess I needed to put them in the carriers and sit them up high. (my sinuses felt great!)

As long as everybody will eat and I don't get snot, I can deal with sneezes. (Although it is so LOVELY when your cat come over to say howdy and sneezes in your eye. Good thing most of our germs won't cross species!) Ike is currently on the back of my chair giving me a neck massage and purring in my ear, so he's feeling good. Since after his post radiation thyroid treatment the vet said his immune system would be compromised, I was in a panic! 20 years of having cats, and never a respiratory problem until now. My friends Himalaya, also strictly indoors, started sneezing and sneezed for 2 weeks at which time she started have a snotty nose and required ab's to get rid of that. But she didn't lose her appetite the whole time. I've heard that some of these respiratory bugs are so virulent, that you can carry germs home to your cat if you brush against someone whose cat has it. I may have carried it home myself. Really annoying when I have my babies vacinnated for everything transmittable!

Wish I could get my hands on some of those lysine treats, but by the time I order them from Amazon, the virus should have run its course. Anybody know if petsmart carries them? I could make a run to Winston after school tomorrow. Ike is like the world's pickiest eater, so I don't know if he will take them in any form. Pigs 1 and 2, and Little Pig will no doubt love them.

Just for the record, I think I will rename Sadie Typhoid Mewy. Didn't have ANY of this til she came! She, naturally, seems to be immune to this bug. Sophie and Ike started sneezing 1 week exactly after Rudi did, so I expect if she was going to get it, she's have begun by now. (Somebody, please say I'm right)