Hello everyone,

I'm new here and i got a little problem with my new kitten

We got 2 kittens they are 6 and a half weeks old, i know alot of you here dont like it if they are taken away to early, but we had to due to unseen events.

Now one of them is fine and healthy but the other one doesnt seem to be eating very well. we put down cat's milk, water , dry food and dry food with milk. But she doesnt like any of it the only way we can get her to eat is by putting milk on a spoon and she sits there quite happy drinking away. We try lowering the spoon into the bowl / saucer but she gets really close so she touches it has a sniff and begins to shake and get really scared.

We are really worried about her, we have tried so much stuff like putting the food on her paws and stuff. She just seems so scared of food and anything to do with it.

she seems happy in herself tho she runs and fights with the other one and really holds her own.

We phoned a couple of vets for advice and they said sometimes kittens can develop slower then others but if this continues she wont survive on cat milk, and that we need to try and force feed her

and anyone of you give me some ideas or tips to get her eating please, we really are worried sick.

thanks!!

Hi there and welcome to the forum!!

Have you tried wet cat food?? She might not be used to dry cat food.
If you put the wet food in her bowl and dip her nose in it she will naturally lick it off to clean herself. She will then get a taste for the food.
You may have to do this a few times before she does it by herself.

You could also try tuna, boiled white fish, pilchards, cooked chicken etc? Make sure this is just the meat only with no additives (i prefer to cook it myself so i know whats in it)
Normally these foods should only be given as a treat tho - but if it helps her to start eating then I dont think its a problem to start her with it.

If you want to feed dry food eventually after a few weeks of eating wet food you need to introduce it gradually. Try 75% meat & 25% dry food for a few weeks. Then decrease the wet and increase the dry gradually over the weeks.

Great advice

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Dogs have owners, Cats have slaves

Burnthwaites Siamese

Awww thanks hunni!

6 and a half weeks is so young I would give some rice pudding with pilchards mixed, or try scrambled egg with pilchards

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Mazpahs Siamese & Orientals

I would get a few tins of feline A/D from the vet. I had a young kitten wouldnt eat and that got her going again, they love it so much they'd lick it straight out from the tin. If it comes to force feeding this is the stuff you will need as it will also suck up into a syringe. It is full of essential nutrients too.

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www.freewebs.com/saynamore/

Hiya can i just say i got my kitten just over a week ago she was 7 weeks old and she wouldnt drink at all she was playing and eating but she wouldnt drink she was goin up to her water and putting her nose in but as soon as she could feel the water she would shake her head and back off as she was scared of the water, we tried putting her near th water and tried putting sum on our finger but she wasnt interested so we decided not to put her near the water we let her go herself and she started drinkin she still gets a bit scared of it but then she goes back for a drink, i hope your kitten will be ok coz no how worried there can make ya. was your kitten drinkin on its own or was it still drinking from its mother coz if it was still drinking from its mam it wont no how to drink on its own, just a thought.

Have the kittens been wormed regulary??

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Linda
www.lynsragdolls.co.uk

Yes they have both been wormed every 2 weeks i believe.
We got some good news yesterday tho, she now sits and drinks the milk from the saucer on her own, she just started doing it. so at least its an improvement. she still shakes while shes eating tho.

When she finishes she kinda paws the floor around the food, any idea why she does this?
I know its not solids yet but it made us happy at least now when she is hungry she will drink it.

When you say Paws around the food-this sounds like she's burying her food so others don't steal it-in the wild they'd do this to stop preditors Just means she's had enough and she'll finish up later-a good sign-shows she's settling in a bit

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Dogs have owners, Cats have slaves

Burnthwaites Siamese