Please help "8 week" old kitten only wants to play and not eat

[hfbeckett]

I was given a kitten by my neighbor. She is a lovely kitten. I've had kittens before... she doesnt look 8 weeks old and is very light. Not even 1lb

The previous owners told me she eats dry food and coffee creamer.

When I brought home I gave her some KMR and she only had a little. She did not like the brand of dry food we had so I bought what the owner had.

Well i give her small amounts and she doesnt finish them and isnt interested in eating really.

It may be just bc everything is new and she wants to explore but her not eating is really worrying me. I have never had a problem getting a new kitten to eat before, they seem to always want food.

 

[Willowy]

Try some canned food. She was probably still nursing and not eating a lot of solids. A good beginner food is canned Fancy Feast kitten food mixed with KMR until soupy. If you can't get her to eat, see if the neighbor will take her back for a few weeks, although I'm a bit reluctant to put her back with someone who was feeding her coffee creamer :/.

(By saying to take her back, I'm asssuming the neighbor owns the kitten's mother? Or did they get her somewhere else?)

 

[sivyaleah]

First, have you brought her to a vet yet? I would think this would be the first course of action. It could be so many reasons - she may not be really 8 weeks old and not properly weaned yet. Have you tried any wet food to see if that is more interesting to her? Obviously kibble and coffee creamer is not an appropriate diet, especially the coffee creamer. If by creamer you mean half and half, cats should not be drinking cow milk and if you mean that stuff like Coffeemate, well that's just corn syrup and vegetable oil. She could could have parasites or any number of potential diseases which are affecting her ability to eat. A vet is in order.

 

[hfbeckett]

I have tried the wet food, I'm sorry I failed to mention that. It was Nulo chicken kitten pate.

I will try mixing it with the KMR and see if that helps...if not I will go get the FF.

Was also thinking about returning to neighbor so she could eat but this kitten is so skinny I'm sure she wasn't eating well there

 

[hfbeckett]

I have made an appointment with the vet but the whole quarantine deal bas made things difficult. It is in 8 days

 

[susanm9006]

You can try mixing pure chicken baby food with KMR until it is soupy - if she eats it then you can start mixing a little wet food in and start reducing the baby food. If she doesn’t eat it I would try a bottle. I question whether she is 8 weeks just based in her weight which is about that of a 4 week old kitten.

 

[StefanZ]

You had got good advices and observations. I react to this, lesser than 1lb but presumed to be 8 weeks. At that age they are nearer 2lb, because its not unusual they are spayed at that time - which they do when they are 2 lb....
she may be a runt, but more probable, she is undernourished or less then 8 weeks.

So, whatever the exact reason, call it for Yellow Alert, and do your outmost to feed her!

You mentioned KMR, goats milk is good too, and these baby food and cat wet foods mentioned... Almost whatever, but she must get it in....
Full fat unsweetened yoghurt should be OK too if she takes it.

 

[Sarthur2]

I agree that she may not be fully weaned. Try a bottle with KMR in it. Also try Gerber turkey or chicken baby food mixed with KMR on a flat plate for her to lap. If she won’t lap, feed her the baby food/kmr glop slowly with a needleless syringe. She must eat.

 

[hfbeckett]

HELP!!

The vet told me to try bottle feeding and to start weaning her slowly. This did not work well. She but the nipple of her bottle.

We rushed her to the ER. They see the nipple in there but she is too small to try and get it out just yet. They are not for inducing vomit or laxatives to prevent dehydration.

 

[hfbeckett]

We also noticed her breathing irregularly and quickly, 85 breaths per minute at rest at some point and she was panting yesterday. There was a change in temperature in our apartment and it got very hot. We put the a/c in and when she is in deep sleep her breathing is at 30-32 breaths per minute. While at rest and not fully sleeping it is still high.

Weve only had her for 2 and a half days. She is at the vet currently. Theyve done 2 xrays on her chest and abdomen. No signs of pneumonia. However, she has a heart murmur but the vet said it is common in tiny kittens her size. But it doesnt explain her breathing.

 

[Sarthur2]

Did she swallow the tip? She will pass it in her stool.

 

[Sarthur2]

If she does not have pneumonia then her breathing should be okay.

 

[hfbeckett]

On the drive back home she started panting again and I think it was because the car was overheating and her labored breaths began. I opened the windows immediately. I feel very bad

Yes she swallowed the nipples tip. I am concerned though bc the vet made it seem very ominous

 

[Sarthur2]

It’s not ominous. One of my kittens did this a few years ago and passed it easily. We’ve had a few other threads with this issue and they all turned out fine. Try to relax. Does your kitten’s breathing slow when she is relaxed?

 

[hfbeckett]

When she is sound asleep its perfect, 30-32 breaths per second. When she is at rest, not yet sleeping but eyes closed it can get very high, -as high as 85 breaths per minute.
The vet did not put any special concern on her breathing rate, and said it was normal when she was being taken care of. However on the ride back it was fast. Im starting to think its a heating issue or maybe stress.

 

[hfbeckett]

It’s not ominous. One of my kittens did this a few years ago and passed it easily. We’ve had a few other threads with this issue and they all turned out fine. Try to relax. Does your kitten’s breathing slow when she is relaxed?

How long did it take for your kitten to pass the nipple and did you have complications like vomit and diarrhea? Those are the symptoms the vet told me to look out for incase of obstruction. And also how old was your kitten/weight. I'm just worried because she is so small

 

[Sarthur2]

I agree that the breathing fast may be from stress or when she gets excited.

As I recall, the nipple tip passed within a couple of days. She’s 5 years old now, but was probably 7-8 weeks old at the time.

 

[happykitty]

I have had at least 5 kittens swallow nipple tips and never had a problem. They are soft and flexible, not likely to cut into the intestines. Lots of soft wet food with formula mixed in to prevent constipation and help it pass. Kittens 5 weeks an older tend to chew on nipples because they are aging out of bottle feeding. Try lots of different flavors of wet food and plain meat baby food, putting a little into the mouth and having a buffet for variety. Vitamin B shot may be helpful at this point, could be deficient.

 

[hfbeckett]

I will try all of those things and plan on buying many, many flavors

I'm glad you've all had success with your kittens passing the nipple. It's just concerning for me bc she really hasnt figured out how to eat food and doesnt understand food on plate. Like I'll hold it in my hand shell eat just a bit, put it on plate and it disappears. I've tried to just feed by hand but she wont do it after a few bites

 

[Sarthur2]

Try Gerber turkey or chicken meat baby food. Let her lick it from your finger. She’ll be eating like a champ soon!