Young Kitten Refusing To Eat

[Crazygamer2018]

Hello, i have 3 kittens and their mother, kittens are about 4 months old.

When they were younger 2 of them got used to being near humans really fast, only one of them was always running away from everyone, you couldnt even touch him
It took time but he got used to being around people now and everything was fine for about a month after he got used to being picked up and touched but just a few days ago i noticed he does not eat anything.

When i bring them food (i tried few different cat foods both wet and dry food etc.) other 2 eat everything but this one just wont eat anything i try to give him, he just looks at food and sometimes smells it a bit and then just turns around

He does drink water so i tought maybe he cannot eat any solid food so i tried to give him some milk (yes i know milk is bad for cats but i just wanted to see if he would drink it since seems to be able to drink water) but he wont even try to drink milk, i also tried yougurt and he refuses that too

Its been days since he last ate anything, im worried that he will starve to death i dont know what to do anymore

At the moment i do not have money for a vet so i really dont know what to do

Most of the time hes just sleeping when his mother is not here and when she comes he is just following her nonstop, i dont know but it hink this behavoiur is verry wierd....

Anyone have some suggestions, i really dont want him to die


English is not my first language so sorry if its bad

 

[kittyluv387]

Yes it would be best to take him to the vet to get him checked out. But have you tried enticing him with other human food? Fried/roasted chicken, cheese, or cooked fish? Something smelly and yummy. Of course theyre not the healthiest options but he does need to eat something.

 

[Crazygamer2018]

Yes it would be best to take him to the vet to get him checked out. But have you tried enticing him with other human food? Fried/roasted chicken, cheese, or cooked fish? Something smelly and yummy. Of course theyre not the healthiest options but he does need to eat something.

I have read somewhere to mix a bit of boiled egg to his normal cat food and i have tried that but he still just turned around and didnt want to eat

I will try to get some money for the vet but i am currently not in the best money situation so i dont know if i will succeed....

I will also try what you suggested with some cheese or roasted chicken, hope he will eat.....

 

[kittyluv387]

I have read somewhere to mix a bit of boiled egg to his normal cat food and i have tried that but he still just turned around and didnt want to eat

I will try to get some money for the vet but i am currently not in the best money situation so i dont know if i will succeed....

I will also try what you suggested with some cheese or roasted chicken, hope he will eat.....

I'm not surprised the boiled egg didn't work. Doesn't have a strong scent. You have to tempt him with the really yummy stuff. Even junk food. Like fried chicken from a fast food place. Be creative!

 

[Crazygamer2018]

I'm not surprised the boiled egg didn't work. Doesn't have a strong scent. You have to tempt him with the really yummy stuff. Even junk food. Like fried chicken from a fast food place. Be creative!

Thank you for suggestions, i will try this as soon as i get home

 

[Columbine]

Hi C Crazygamer2018 Welcome to TCS I'm sorry it's such a worrying reason that's brought you here.

A vet visit is needed at this point, but it's even more important to get some nutrition and fluids into this little one. Go to a pharmacy and get some small syringes without needles. You're going to need to syringe feed this kitten by hand if he's going to stand a chance. The best things to try right now are kitten milk replacer (KMR) which is a cat equivalent of human baby formula, or full fat goat's milk. Raw milk is ideal, but pasturised is fine if that's all you can get. Another option is to go to your vet and get some special food designed for syringe feeding, such as Hill's a/d or Royal Canin Recovery. They'll need thinning down a bit with water or goats milk before use, but that's pretty easy to do. The vet may be able to provide you with syringes too.
Hand Rearing Kittens: What You Need To Know To Save A Newborn's Life
Why Has My Cat Stopped Eating And Is It Dangerous?
How To Get Your Cat To Start Eating Again
Syringe Feeding Lucky Video/If your Cat is not eating

*Edited as I read 4 months as 4 weeks

 

[LTS3]

I wouldn't give fried or rotisserie chicken from a store. Those can contain garlic and onion which are harmful to cats. Try chicken poached in water. Many cats love plain chicken. Meat only baby food pecan be temporarily fed. Furballsmom has a list of other foods to try.

Many vets offer some sort of payment plan for bills, at least in the US. Ask your vet for payment options. You can also try these places for help:

No Money For Vet Care? How To Find Help And Save Your Cat's Life
Financial Aid for Pets

 

[Notacrazycatlady]

Have you tried baby food? Another idea since the kitten does drink water--when I first got Angus, he wouldn't eat hardly anything and I realized that he was drinking the gravy from the wet food, licking the food dry but not touching the chunks. I got pate style canned food and added water, stirring it to the consistency of a milkshake and he ate that with no problem. He's now eating normally, but that lasted from when I got him at just under six months until he was about nine months.

 

[mschauer]

I'm afraid I have to agree with others, a vet needs to see the kitten. A kitten that age should be eating tons. Not eating is more than likely a symptom that something is wrong. It may not be something expensive to treat. He could just need to be wormed.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

One of my girls cannot resist plain meat baby food. Chicken is her preference but she likes turkey too. Just be sure it is plain meat; no onions or garlic.

How does the kitten act and look otherwise?

 

[Kieka]

Has he lost weight? Is he more lethargic then the other kittens?

I'd agree with trying human meat baby food or making a slurry of wet kitten food with water mixed in. I am just wondering if he just isn't eating when you are around or not eating at all. My girl is a very cautious one and she wouldn't eat with a person in the room for a good year. Even now, other then their wet meal she won't eat in front of people often.

Which isn't to down play the situation. It is important that kittens are eating. At four months old I can't see Mom allowing him to nurse enough. If he is significantly less active then the others or has lost weight you do need to find a way to get him to a vet. At the least he would need an exam to make sure there isn't something medically wrong driving the food problem.

 

[StefanZ]

Meantime you could give him clear flavorless pedialyte to drink.
Its no remedy but it will keep him alive several days.

Better bough because glucose sugar in it is just weakly sweet.

While honey often used for homemade pedialyte is sweet.

 

[Crazygamer2018]

Just to let everyone know, i tired milk using srynge (only milk i currently had is normal kind you buy in every store, can remember how this kind of milk is called in english cause english is not my first language) and tried feeding him a bit to see if he can swallow it and he can

I live in smaller village so i will go to town tomorrow and visit vet to see if they have any milk and food for cats that can be fed trough srynge, i just hope he survives night with a bit of normal milk trough srynge


I will also see if i can ask familiy member to borrow some money for vet as i am currently in bad financial situatuion (dont have job at the moment)
I really hope i can get him to vet as soon as possible, i love animals and i would hate myself if this cat dies because i didnt have money for vet


Thank you everyone for suggestions, i will post updates here on how everything goes tomorrow

Thanks again everyone

 

[Crazygamer2018]

And sorry guys if i didnt reply to every post but i have read all your suggestions and i will keep everything in mind and do best i can to help him

 

[kittyluv387]

We know you're doing your best. Goat milk is also safe for cats by the way.

 

[catwoman707]

It is alarming that a 4 month old kitten is not eating and not tearing through the house wrestling and interacting with siblings.
There is an underlying cause for this which is critical for you to find out, the only way to do this is by taking him to a vet, if you possibly can. If not then he might very well not live and it is probably something simple, worm treatment etc is an easy fix.
Surely he has lost weight, and kittens that age do not have much to spare since they burn off what they eat with activity.
So it's not about finding something he likes, but fixing the reason for his not eating and sleeping so much.
I also wonder if he is possibly nursing from mama. If mom allows it a 4 month old will definitely nurse too.
The problem with feeding him milk is that cats do not tolerate lactose, milk will cause diarrhea, and at this point that will cause him to be in worse condition than he is now.
So stop the milk, and get a can of pate food (pureed, no chunks), add water to it and syringe feed. Or use turkey or chicken baby food add water and syringe feed.
He would need at least 1 jar a day, or 1 can a day, add enough water so that it will suck up in to the syringe without trouble.
If he fights it and I bet he will, wrap him in a towel and do it.
Syringing is not feeding down his throat, because he will resist he can inhale the food and will get pneumonia.
So small amounts in to his cheek area and wait for him to swallow it and repeat.
The food should be room temp or warmer, so adding hit water will make it nice and warm and more enticing rather than cold.
Continue throughout the day until he can be seen by a vet or he starts acting normal.
This will help ensure that he does not die before he is seen by a vet. He can't be in good condition if he has not eaten in days, so please do this asap.
All 3 should be vaccinated and dewormed asap too.
Momma needs to be spayed when you can too.

Be sure he is going peepee. A urinary tract infection will cause him to sleep too much and lose appetite and is dangerous if not given treatment, so keep an eye on that to know he is peeing.

Let us know!

 

[1 bruce 1]

It is alarming that a 4 month old kitten is not eating and not tearing through the house wrestling and interacting with siblings.
There is an underlying cause for this which is critical for you to find out, the only way to do this is by taking him to a vet, if you possibly can. If not then he might very well not live and it is probably something simple, worm treatment etc is an easy fix.
Surely he has lost weight, and kittens that age do not have much to spare since they burn off what they eat with activity.
So it's not about finding something he likes, but fixing the reason for his not eating and sleeping so much.
I also wonder if he is possibly nursing from mama. If mom allows it a 4 month old will definitely nurse too.
The problem with feeding him milk is that cats do not tolerate lactose, milk will cause diarrhea, and at this point that will cause him to be in worse condition than he is now.
So stop the milk, and get a can of pate food (pureed, no chunks), add water to it and syringe feed. Or use turkey or chicken baby food add water and syringe feed.
He would need at least 1 jar a day, or 1 can a day, add enough water so that it will suck up in to the syringe without trouble.
If he fights it and I bet he will, wrap him in a towel and do it.
Syringing is not feeding down his throat, because he will resist he can inhale the food and will get pneumonia.
So small amounts in to his cheek area and wait for him to swallow it and repeat.
The food should be room temp or warmer, so adding hit water will make it nice and warm and more enticing rather than cold.
Continue throughout the day until he can be seen by a vet or he starts acting normal.
All 3 should be vaccinated and dewormed asap too.
Momma needs to be spayed when you can too.

Be sure he is going peepee. A urinary tract infection will cause him to sleep too much and lose appetite and is dangerous if not given treatment, so keep an eye on that to know he is peeing.

Let us know!

IMO, I would hold off on vaccinating this particular kitten that seems very unwell until the problem is resolved.

 

[catwoman707]

I agree and should have clarified, I don't mean vaccinate the kitten when he is not doing well, I just meant at some point all 3 need it.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! To the OP C Crazygamer2018 You're doing fantastic, both with the language as well as a very challenging situation
(was at the dentist this morning, and then my car went in the shop )

In any case, I see that there have been a few mentions already of Gerber stage 2 or beechnut baby food - try the ham flavor if you can get it, and eggs.
Homemade Pedialyte can be a lifesaver;

tent test for dehydration and home-made pedialyte recipe - The Daily Kitten

Kitten Glop Recipes - Supplementing Cats and Kittens with nutritious formula you make at home: presented by Bengal Cat breeder Foothill Felines. --This website has a number of kitten glop recipes, with ingredients that you may very well have available.

I realize you don't have access to a lot, but I'll go ahead and post my entire list, just in case you're able to get something (and also for any readers/lurkers

These can be used on their own or combined with food. Also, if you heat the food a little - stir it so there aren't any hot spots from the microwave. Or you could heat some water, about a tablespoon, and add that to canned food. A shot glass works to stir it all up.

• Chicken or beef flavored baby food such as Gerber Stage 2 - make sure there is no garlic or onions in the ingredients

• Tuna and/or the juice, a low mercury/low/no sodium brand is called SafeCatch

• Salmon, mackerel

• Sardines (make sure there are no bones)

• boiled cut up chicken or turkey with no seasonings

• canned kitten food any brand - it's usually smelly. See if it's eaten on its own, then maybe mix it in or put on top

• Try mixing in Kitten Milk Replacer - there are recipes on the internet or store bought

• Fish, tuna or BBQ flavored canned wet food (I personally have never seen BBQ flavors, but...)

• Lickable cat treats or pouch treat 'gravy' poured over the food

• kitten glop (recipes in website link above)
• Bonito flakes
• fortiflora
• fish oil
• green beans, asparagus mushed up

• goat milk, or no lactose cow milk
• whole cooked eggs (the white must always be cooked) or raw egg yolk now and then
• broth with no salt and no garlic or onion or seasonings of any kind
• There are also commercial toppers, Applaws is a brand that can work well as a topper
  
• Some good treats would be freeze dried Purebites, Orijen, Meowtinis, Meowables

• There are also Lickimats that you could spread types of soft food onto, even yogurt, and even freeze it. Licking something helps a cat to feel better emotionally The LickiMat - Food Puzzles for Cats
• Not so much for hungry kittens, this last point is for cats that need calming; brew some chamomile tea (from the little bags - it's safe for cats), a couple teaspoons a couple times a day or so

 

[LTS3]

If you're not sure which meat baby foods to feed, here are some pictures of Gerber and Beechnut, two popular brands: My Cat May Need Surgery

If your local supermarket or big box store (Wal Mart, etc) doesn't have either brand or you live outside the US, look for a plain meat baby food that only contains meat and water. It's usually a "stage 1" type pureed baby food. Avoid food that contains rice or cornstarch if possible and definitely avoid garlic and onion.