[PinkPaws]

Hi everyone.

One of our kittens is having problems eating. The other two started eating straight away but she was always reluctant, I just kept trying with her and caught her trying to eat cat litter a few times. They are now almost 8 weeks and she still isn't eating properly, we started to try her with a bit of mashed up weetabix with some warm water and cimicat but she wasn't interested so we started syringe feeding her and she liked it and tried munching on the syringe. We then tried her on raw meat and she loved it, would have a few little pieces but then stopped eating it. We started to lightly cook it and she loved that but now she's gone off it again. We are feeding her weetabix and cimicat again now. I'm really worried about her because she is getting too skinny and it's so upsetting, sometimes she just sits there looking up at me and meowing but doesn't want anything. She's supposed to be going to a new home tomorrow but I'm not letting her go yet.

It's got to the point where I think she needs to go to the vets. I'm ringing them tomorrow. Has anyone else experienced this with their kittens? Any advice?

Thanks
Danielle

 

[IndysMamma]

weetibix is *really* bad for cats... they are not supposed to eat grain

try a good quality wet *cat* food and maybe just water it down a little to make it softer though at 8 weeks she can actually cope fine with a high quality kitten or cat wet food. look for the highest meat percentage you can find.

 

[HelloKittys]

When my Gizzy was a baby,she was really fussy..she was always the kitten just sat there not eating just watched the others.I mentioned this to a friend who suggested i try her on meat flavoured baby food.This worked,she loved it,but the only problem i had then was trying to get her off it

 

[ChinaBlue]

You could go back to basics and mix a little of the kitten (wet) food with a little evap or cimicat and try to encourage her by getting her to lick it off you fingers if she doesn't immediately try it (I'm sure you are already doing this).

Warm the food in the microwave for just a couple of seconds at a low setting.

 

[The Twins]

When my Gizzy was a baby,she was really fussy..she was always the kitten just sat there not eating just watched the others.I mentioned this to a friend who suggested i try her on meat flavoured baby food.This worked,she loved it,but the only problem i had then was trying to get her off it

I really wouldnt use this - it contains too much salt and possibly some flavours have onion/onion powder in them which is REALLY bad for cats - especially little ones...

 

[HelloKittys]

no,i wouldn't of thought of using it either but she was fine..no bad belly,sickness or anything :confused1:

 

[HelloKittys]

Raising A Kitten: Advice on Feeding Small Kitten IF YOU READ SECOND PARAGRAPH IT SAY'S IT'S FINE

 

[Milly22]

Raising A Kitten: Advice on Feeding Small Kitten IF YOU READ SECOND PARAGRAPH IT SAY'S IT'S FINE

Great website, I haven't read this one. :thumbup: I must have gave you rep already as it won't let me.

 

[The Twins]

Raising A Kitten: Advice on Feeding Small Kitten IF YOU READ SECOND PARAGRAPH IT SAY'S IT'S FINE

Fair enough - no need to shout!

However, if you read it again, you'll see that this is an american website quoting american brands of baby food - Gerbers and Beechnut isnt a UK brand.

For example, some baby food in the uk might contain onion or onion powder - ingredients in one of Heinz's chicken meals says it contains 'natural flavourings' and it doesnt say what those are... could poss be onion...?!

 

[HelloKittys]

Fair enough - no need to shout!

However, if you read it again, you'll see that this is an american website quoting american brands of baby food - Gerbers and Beechnut isnt a UK brand.

For example, some baby food in the uk might contain onion or onion powder - ingredients in one of Heinz's chicken meals says it contains 'natural flavourings' and it doesnt say what those are... could poss be onion...?!

Sorry,didnt know i had cap lock on :confused1:

 

[HelloKittys]

Fair enough - no need to shout!

However, if you read it again, you'll see that this is an american website quoting american brands of baby food - Gerbers and Beechnut isnt a UK brand.

For example, some baby food in the uk might contain onion or onion powder - ingredients in one of Heinz's chicken meals says it contains 'natural flavourings' and it doesnt say what those are... could poss be onion...?!

Yes,i know..but also..baby food these days have got less salt in them.There was a big thing about it in the newspapers a few months back..I'm not saying its right but it worked for my kitten with no bad effects,and i was really worried about her at the time so seemed like the only option :confused1:

 

[HelloKittys]

Great website, I haven't read this one. :thumbup: I must have gave you rep already as it won't let me.

Oh really thanks...wots a rep???Sorry im new and don't know what that is?? :confused1:

 

[billyboysmammy]

Hiya hun

please please please dont feed her baby food. It will contain vegetables and grains that she really doesnt need and shouldnt eat. Some as have already been mentioned my be toxic. Weetabix is highly unsuitable too.

How much does she weigh? Is she very underweight? (you mention she is skinny)

Small kittens seem to get into a vicious cycle. They stop eating, get weaker, and wont eat, get weaker etc - its like they dont recognise the signs for hunger.

She really must eat but this is what i would be feeding now...

1 - high meat content wet cat food (mixed in a blender with cool boiled water)
OR
2- hills a/d

Both will be a smoothe runny paste which you can suck into your syringe and literally force her to eat. Feed her this way every 3 hours. You should find that within a few days she is taking the food herself, at which point you can switch to feeding from a saucer and slowly increasing the consistency to be more natural.

Here are a couple of threads which deal with weak kittens and how to feed them. Theyre not exactly the same as your kitten situation but the practice is the same.

http://www.petforums.co.uk/cat-health-nutrition/91107-ill-kitten.html

http://www.petforums.co.uk/cat-chat/97035-hello-proud-new-kitten-owner-here.html

Now i do agree that she needs checking by the vets to ensure there is no illness causing the problem. You can also buy a/d at the vets. (a/d is the ONLY hills food you will ever see me reccomending lol).

 

[The Twins]

Yes,i know..but also..baby food these days have got less salt in them.There was a big thing about it in the newspapers a few months back..I'm not saying its right but it worked for my kitten with no bad effects,and i was really worried about her at the time so seemed like the only option :confused1:

With regards to the salt content thats probably right re baby food being ok. But i was specifically talking about onion or onion powder - it is TOXIC to cats, and would be especially bad for little kittens.

I agree with BBM about liquidising cat food with cooled boiled water - this is much better and more likely to work.

 

[HelloKittys]

With regards to the salt content thats probably right re baby food being ok. But i was specifically talking about onion or onion powder - it is TOXIC to cats, and would be especially bad for little kittens.

I agree with BBM about liquidising cat food with cooled boiled water - this is much better and more likely to work.

Yes,i'd give that a try to..I did not try that with my kitty as she was just funny when it came to any type of cat food.Hope it works :thumbup:

 

[PinkPaws]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I know weetabix isn't good for them but it's the ONLY food that she would eat. I tried Hi life, natures menu, royal canin etc and she wouldn't touch any. She also wouldn't drink milk by itself so it was either weetabix and cimicat or nothing at all, at least she would be getting some nutrients. She just will not go near any type of cat food, she goes and sits next to the bowl with the others when they are eating but won't eat it, I tried mixing kitten food and cimicat but she wouldn't eat it and if I syringe fed her she would spit it all back out. She knows that it's hunger because she meows at me when she's hungry but is very picky about what she eats.

I'll try her with some kitten food again and post an update

Thanks!

 

[thompsonk]

Maybe try her with some mushed up mince? My lot loved raw and were chowing down on ox heart from a very young age

xx

 

[HelloKittys]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I know weetabix isn't good for them but it's the ONLY food that she would eat. I tried Hi life, natures menu, royal canin etc and she wouldn't touch any. She also wouldn't drink milk by itself so it was either weetabix and cimicat or nothing at all, at least she would be getting some nutrients. She just will not go near any type of cat food, she goes and sits next to the bowl with the others when they are eating but won't eat it, I tried mixing kitten food and cimicat but she wouldn't eat it and if I syringe fed her she would spit it all back out. She knows that it's hunger because she meows at me when she's hungry but is very picky about what she eats.

I'll try her with some kitten food again and post an update

Thanks!

That is exactly how my Gizzy was,would just sit there watching the others and not eat herself...That's why i did try baby food,as i was really worried about her.Good luck with trying cat food again,hope it works :thumbup:

 

[billyboysmammy]

this is why i suggest using a syringe and force feeding her.

If you continue with weetabix you will kill her. Yes thats harsh but its the bottom line. She isnt getting any nutrients from weetabix as a cats digestive system is not designed to extract them from grains. She must also be quite low on taurine, so there is a risk of heart disease, blindness and even death from that too.

PLEASE please liquidise her proper food or buy some a/d and "make" her eat it. I cannot stress this enough. Its not just a case of putting it in front of her and expecting her to eat. You will need to syringe feed her for a number of days, every 3 hours.

 

[IndysMamma]

another thing to try is sardines in spring water... they have a very strong smell and may kick start the eating again. Remember spring water and not brine. can blend to make it a paste.

Is she a very clean kitten? if she is then use whatever food you like, watered down and dip her paws in it so she washes it off.