Worried About Feeding 6 Week Old Kitten?

[billtabas]

Hello,

So a co-worker found a kitten at work yesterday and after work the kitten was still there. I decided to take him home and to the vet. Vet estimates the kitten is around 6 weeks old.

So I got her home, keeping her in my bathroom away from my other cats. She's not eating much. Only solid she is eating is the raw food I have, and not touching wet food. Not even going to bother with dry.

She weighs 19.5 ounces. I guess my only choice is to give her kmr? And if so should I use a bottle or something more like this?


I currently use the former, but I'm confused when I read other people's story about their kittens not wanting anymore. I suppose with a syringe they don't have a choice?! Should I then get a bottle then, and if so what brand?

Any other thoughts?

 

[Willowy]

Try giving her a dish of KMR. She may be able to lap it up. Also try mixing some KMR with canned food to make it soupy. If that doesn't work, yeah, a syringe may be easier than a bottle. You can also try a makeup sponge, cut into a wedge that fits in her mouth, soaked with KMR. Some kittens prefer that to a rubber nipple.

 

[billtabas]

Try giving her a dish of KMR. She may be able to lap it up. Also try mixing some KMR with canned food to make it soupy. If that doesn't work, yeah, a syringe may be easier than a bottle. You can also try a makeup sponge, cut into a wedge that fits in her mouth, soaked with KMR. Some kittens prefer that to a rubber nipple.

What wet food do you recommend for someone so young?

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to The Cat Site. Thank you for caring about, and bringing the little kitten home.

TCS has a few articles on kitten nutrition that may have some helpful ideas:
Weaning: How To Get Your Kittens To Eat On Their Own
The Essentials Of Kitten Nutrition

 

[maggiedemi]

When Demi was about 6 weeks old, he could only eat pate canned food and kitten chow.

 

[Kieka]

When Fury was that age we had him on a slurry of blue buffalo kitten pate and kmr mixed to a consistency that was like a shake or smoothie. Link at that age was taking chunks of wet kitten food. It depends on the kitten. He may take to a bottle but if it he it will only be for a few days (most likely).

 

[billtabas]

When Fury was that age we had him on a slurry of blue buffalo kitten pate and kmr mixed to a consistency that was like a shake or smoothie. Link at that age was taking chunks of wet kitten food. It depends on the kitten. He may take to a bottle but if it he it will only be for a few days (most likely).

Yeah she still hasn't eaten any solids, besides a bit of raw food that I spoon feed her. Tried mixing wet and kmr and still no luck. She also hasn't pooped yet, but has peed twice. Has only being 22 hours since she came to my home, so not too worried yet.


Would it be that bad if I kmr fed her only until she got to 8 weeks?

Also she slept in her litter box for a bit...

 

[Kieka]

If she will do it, it isn't terrible. It isn't the best and most kittens will want to switch before 8 weeks.

 

[Willowy]

Maybe try some chicken baby food? Most kittens will take that, might get her started anyway. Make sure there are no dangerous additives (like onion or garlic), but I've never seen a meat baby food with additives. Worth checking for though.

I've always used Fancy Feast kitten food and they do well on it. Royal Canin Babycat is also good, very smooth and easy to make into a soupy mixture.

She can live on KMR for as long as necessary, as long as she's getting enough calories.

 

[maggiedemi]

Did you try mashing down pate with a fork and slide back up into a pile? Demi couldn't eat chunks when he was a baby, they just fell right out of his mouth.

 

[Sarthur2]

Does the kitten have baby teeth? Try Gerber turkey or chicken baby food in the jar.

The kitten is probably frightened in her new environment and will eat better soon when she relaxes.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi - you've gotten a lot of good feedback already, and there is also a website by The Kitten Lady, kittenlady . org there may be some info there as well, the dropdown menu is in the upper RH corner of the home page. Hang in there!

 

[billtabas]

Hi - you've gotten a lot of good feedback already, and there is also a website by The Kitten Lady, kittenlady . org there may be some info there as well, the dropdown menu is in the upper RH corner of the home page. Hang in there!

Yeah sadly she still isn't eating solids at all. Tried making all sorts of mixture, and the only she will eat is the kmr. And I sadly have to kind of force feed the kmr.

 

[Furballsmom]

I'm glad she has you

 

[billtabas]

I'm glad she has you

So what should I do? Getting really worried now. She left her previous home yesterday at 12:00 PM, and since then she's only had a few tiny meals here and there. Still no stool either. Just a tiny bit of raw food she ate from my spoon, and a bit of kmr that I "forced" her to drink.

 

[billtabas]

She did just eat 3.5 human spoons sizes of raw food. She did gain a few grams from yesterday. At 42 days old she weighs 572 grams compared to 558 grams from yesterday.


Being in contact with previous owner, and she says if things aren't better by tomorrow noon she wants her back, which is understandable.

 

[Furballsmom]

The previous owner being the other co-worker?
Well, it sounds from your last post that things are looking up a little bit from this morning, and there's a lot of hours left before noon. Are you able to spend that much time with this little thing?

 

[billtabas]

The previous owner being the other co-worker?
Well, it sounds from your last post that things are looking up a little bit from this morning, and there's a lot of hours left before noon. Are you able to spend that much time with this little thing?

Yes the cat's original owner. I really don't know, she is exactly 42 days old today. Is 572 grams okay for someone of that age? Apparently she was the runt of 9 litter?

Will try feeding her again at 11:00 PM, and try tomorrow at 8:00 AM and then again at 11:00 AM.

I'm not doing anything tonight or tomorrow till noon.

 

[Furballsmom]

Kitten Care Take a look at this web page

 

[billtabas]

Kitten Care Take a look at this web page

Okay thanks! Reading now, so what would you do in my scenario?