Fussy Kittens

[elinor]

My kittens eat some of their food and then let it sit and wont hardly touch it. They cry and cry for something different.. It has not gone bad in the short time till they are hungry again but they wont touch it. I end up throwing it out and giving them more again and the whole thing starts all over again. I leave dry all the time for them but they wont eat it unless there is canned food mixed in.

 

[sandie]

Elinor, I am sorry I don't remember how old the kittens are. If the kittens are 4 to 8 weeks, they still may be wanting to nurse. The usually dont get the idea of really eating until they are truly forced too or they are about 8 weeks. If they are really young, you may want to try the KMR milk replacer with them. Mix it with a little dry food to make a slop. You can also try just giving them a tablespoon of wet every few hours. Make sure it is room temp and fresh. What kind of food are you giving them right now?

 

[elinor]

Hi Sandie

Rocky is 12 weeks old. We thought he was 9 weeks but the vet said 12. The other is about 10 weeks old.That is what the pet store man said. They get a kitten dry food mixed with canned food. I leave them dry out all the time but they wont touch it.

I do notice though that if I lay on the couch with them they will nuzzle into my neck and try to actually suck on my neck. They just seem very fussy. If I am eating at the table they will jump up on my lap and want what I have.

 

[sandie]

You're okay then. If they are that old, then you just have to be as stubborn as them. Although feeding a human quality diet could benefit them, it is usually too much for one person to meet all the requirements they need. They sucking could have come from being weaned too early and such. It could be a lifelong thing or stop at some point. I have a 1 year old who was abondened at 4 weeks who does this still. I would make sure it's a good quality food they are getting. If you plan to give them wet food all the time, I would get them used to getting a serving in the evening. This way you wont end up with screaming hungry cats at 6am on the weekends. If you plan to feed dry only I would leave it out and keep showing them where it is. Trust me, if they get hungry enough they will eat. Also, if they are fussing still, you may try another brand of food as well. If you plan to do both, I would do the same thing...just keep the dry out and give them the serving you have decided on at night. What they dont eat at one sitting, throw away and show them that they are done if they leave it for more than 15 minutes or so.

 

[elinor]

Thanks I will try it out. I never realized kittens could be so fussy. I thought they did that at an older age.