Kitten and Cat URI Scoring Chart - Guidelines for Need of Veterinary Care

Oct 12, 2026

Kitten and cat URI scoring chart that ties observable upper-respiratory symptoms to urgent veterinary care decisions. Scores 1 through 4 classify mild monitoring needs, moderate care timelines, severe evaluation within 12–24 hours, and emergency treatment immediately. Symptom areas include sneezing, nasal discharge, labored breathing, conjunctivitis, eye discharge, squinting, corneal ulcers, oral and nasal ulcers, lethargy, body temperature changes by age, appetite reduction, and age-related urgency for URI signs.

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Guidelines for Need of Veterinary Care

Score Definitions (1-4)

Symptom Scoring Table

Kitten and Cat URI Scoring Chart Guidelines for Need of Veterinary Care: Any Score of 4 (emergency): Kitten or cat needs emergency veterinary care immediately Any Score of 3 (severe): Unless improving, kitten or cat needs veterinary care within 12-24 hours Any Score of 2 (moderate): Unless improving, kitten or cat needs veterinary care within 1-2 days All scores are 1 (mild): Continue to monitor kitten or cat, no veterinary care is needed now | | 1
(Mild) | 2
(Moderate) | 3
(Severe) | 4
(Emergency) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Sneezing | Infrequent, no sneeze marks on walls | Frequent, some sneeze marks on walls | Constant,
lots of sneeze markson walls | | | Nasal Discharge | Clear liquid that is not bubbling from nose | Clear liquid bubbling from nose, or small amount of thicker cloudy or yellow mucous discharge | Large amount of yellow or green mucous discharge that is plugging up the nose, or blood tinged discharge | | | Congestion, Difficult or Labored Breathing | Occasional slight raspy breathing (barely audible) | Raspy breathing (can only hear up close to kitten or cat) | Very raspy breathing (can hear across the room) | Open mouth breathing, gasping for air, and/or abdomen moving more than chest | | Conjunctivitis (Swelling and redness of the white part of the eyes and inner part of the eyelids) | Slight redness, no swelling | Redness, some swelling | Redness, so much swelling that the eye is barely visible | | | Eye Discharge | Clear and runny | Small amount of thicker cloudy to yellow mucous discharge | Large amount of yellow or green mucous discharge, eye(s) maybe crusted shut | | | Eye Squinting or Excessive Eye Blinking | Occasional squinting or excessive blinking | Constant squinting or excessive blinking | Eye(s) closed most or all the time | | | Corneal Ulcers (sores on the surface of the clear part of the eye) | Barely visible spot on cornea | Spot on cornea | Very easily seen spot on cornea, may have blood vessels growing toward it | Ruptured cornea (eye suddenly decreases in size, fluid leaks out of eye, eye is very painful) | | Oral Ulcers
(sores on the inside of the mouth, including
the tongue) | Barely visible small and/or flat sore(s), minimal redness, no drooling | Visible larger and/ or deeper sore(s), moderate redness, occasional drooling | Very easily seen large deep sore(s) that maybe blood tinged, lots of drooling, refusal to eat | | | Nasal Ulcers (sores on the outside of and/or on the inside of the nose) | Barely visible small and/or flat sore(s) on nose, minimal redness | Visible larger and/or deeper sore(s) on nose, moderate redness | Very easily seen large deep sore(s) on nose that may be blood tinged | | | Lethargy (weakness or lack of energy) | Not as active as usual | Not active, sleeping more than usual | Sleeping excessively, limited movement, disinterest in surroundings | Barely moving, difficulty holding head up, lying flat out, and/ or not responsive | | Body Temperature Temperature 1 :
0-1 week 95-99°F 2-3 weeks 97-100°F 4 weeks 99-101°F Normal Cat Temperature:
>4 weeks 100.5-102.5°F | Temperature is 0.5 degrees above or below normal | Temperature is 1 degree above or below normal | Temperature is 1.5 degrees above or below normal | Temperature is at least 2 degrees above or below normal | | Appetite | Slightly decreased appetite | Significantly decreased (eating or nursing 50% less than normal) | Not eating and/or not nursing and is 4 weeks of age or older | Not eating and/or not nursing and is younger than 4 weeks | | Age of Kitten or Cat with URI Symptoms (The urgency of seeking veterinary care varies with age) | 6-8 weeks | 4-5 weeks | Younger than 4 weeks | | 1 Maddie’s Kitten and Puppy Temperature Chart [MaddiesFund.org](MaddiesFund.org)

FAQs

How does the chart decide whether veterinary care is needed immediately?

Any score of 4 (emergency) means the kitten or cat needs emergency veterinary care immediately.

What is the recommended timing for a score of 3 (severe)?

Unless improving, a score of 3 indicates veterinary care is needed within 12–24 hours.

When is monitoring without veterinary care appropriate?

A score of 1 means mild symptoms; continue to monitor and no veterinary care is needed now.

Oct 12, 2026

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