14 Week Kitten Not Fully Weaned..help?

[Misbelle717]

- Im not sure if this goes here or in the Nutrition thread, but considering it has to do with behavior/health, I'll try here. Please bear with me, I'm new -

Hello!

My mom got a kitten from a breeder today, and upon returning home (4 hours away), discovered that he is not fully weaned.

He is avoiding water and has been crying for milk, but hes a bit old to be un-weaned and the breeder is essentially out of the picture at this point.

Any help figuring out what exactly to do with this situation is appreciated, shes obviously not giving him up, so solutions would be appreciated.

I have heard to try KMR mixed with wet cat food and rub it on his lips, but hes also a finger biter, so that is beginning to prove a bit difficult.

Thanks in advance!!

 

[Norachan]

If left with their mothers kitten will nurse for up to 6 months, so it's not that unusual for him not to be fully weaned yet.

How do you know he is crying for milk? Has he been at your house for long? Has he eaten or drunk anything?

I think it's more likely that he is crying because he's in a strange environment and away from his mum. It's not uncommon for cats to refuse to eat or drink or use the litter box for the first 24 - 48 hours in a new home.

The easiest way to help him settle in is to keep him confined to one room until it saturates with his scent. This will make him feel more secure. You can let him out to explore the rest of the house when he's been there a bit longer.

 

[Misbelle717]

Thank you for responding!

It was assumed that he is crying for milk because he has eaten soft kitten food, but refuses to touch any water.

As far as timing goes, hes actually been around since the evening of the 31st, so considering its 1am right now, he has been here for aproximately 24 hours.

Hes also currently in the bathroom for confinement, however keeping him in there is quickly becoming difficult, as he is a Bengal and screams when he is confined.

 

[LTS3]

The canned food is likely giving the kitten plenty of water. Still keep a bowl of fresh water out anyways.

The bathroom is great as a safe room. Just be sure to kitten-proof it because kittens are super curious and can get themselves into all sorts of mischief and possibly injure themselves.

Bengals are pretty active so it's not surprising that your kitten hates being stuck in a small room. When you are home, you can let the kitten out to play and explore. When to stop using the safe room depends on how quickly your kitten settles in. I think I kept my Abt in the bathroom for a couple of days before I stopped. My other cat stayed in the bathroom for maybe 3 days.