A kitten just over a week old; the first few days it ate, drank, and slept normally and ate plenty, but today it has been sleeping constantly, eating little, urinating normally, cries when cold, and cuddles the hot-water bottle and goes back to sleep. Is this normal?

It is normal for a young kitten to sleep a lot. Kittens sleep most of the day and are active only about 3 to 4 hours, usually falling asleep soon after eating. As long as the kitten is healthy, the owner need not worry, but keep it warm with a suitable temperature to avoid chills.

A roughly one-week-old kitten eats very little and its gut isn’t fully developed, so feed small, frequent meals. If the kitten shows lethargy, weakness, or other abnormal signs, consider that it may be sick and take it to a veterinary hospital promptly to avoid worsening.