Why wont my kitten eat?

Question

I have tried giving her milk, wet food, kitten chow, and all combined. she just looks at it and continues to cry. i j ust got her today, she is about 5 weeks old. HELP ME!

Answer 1

That is so young for a kitten to be taken from its mother!

Use canned kitten food and even add a little filtered water to that. Feed her from your fingers. If she doesn't take it, open her mouth and kinda smear a little bit in.

Do not use cow's milk with the kitten. It can cause diarrhea in some cats and that can make her very sick, even cause severe dehydration which can be life threatening.

Get the kitten replacement formula from a pet store (maybe even groceries carry this now). Put that on a little saucer for her. If she doesn't drink it you may have to get a bottle for her to nurse on for another week or so.

Answer 2

You really should ask a vet questions about such a baby kitten, but I've had my share of kittens.....

She is only five weeks old, you just got her today, and she's crying because she misses her mother and doesn't know anything about where she is now. She needs to be snuggled and kept feeling very safe and warm, and she should be spoken to in a gentle, calming, friendly voice.

It is possible she ate before you got her, and she just may not be hungry. She's probably too little for canned food right now. Very small kittens sometimes are only used to milk. This is why you should call some vet and just ask someone in the office what you should be feeding such a young kitten.

Again, though, its possible she isn't particularly hungry right now, although its also possible she doesn't quite know how to do anything other than be fed by her mother.

I know her age is the age they separate them from their mothers, but that's still pretty young.

Anyway, I'm sorry I don't feel I should advise on feeding her because milk can have enzymes that make some cats sick, but at the same time, milk can be easier for kittens to drink from a saucer than, say, dry food is to eat. Please ask a vet about this even if you just call and say "I just have a question." Someone should answer you.

The only reason I decided to answer (in view of my reluctance to offer any advice on the food) is because I have seen so many five-week old kittens that are separated from their mothers, and they do kind of walk around crying. Sometimes they'll snuggle in someone's arms for a while and seem content, but then first thing you know they're crying again. Hold her nice and warm tonight, and pat her head etc. as much as you can (and for the next couple of weeks in particular as well). Give her a small box (like a shoe box or one slight bigger) to sleep in because it makes them feel cozier. Put someone soft like a folded towel. Keep the box near you if you can. Then tomorrow ask a vet's office what you should do about the food.

Who knows..... maybe if she starts to calm down and feel safe and comfortable she may take it upon herself to go crunch a couple of dry food bits or take a little milk.

Answer 3

She is very young and may not have been weaned yet. This is a gradual process. I would get kitten milk replacer (not cows milk) and feed her with a bottle or from a dish, so you may have to use a dropper. NEVER force fluids into their mouth, just a drop at a time as it is very easy for them to aspirate (get the fluid in their lungs). Keep offering her a little of the canned food on your finger, mixed with kitten milk. You can get kitten milk from the vets, an all night emergency hospital should be able to sell you a can, and stores like Walmart have kitten milk in the pet section. They like WARM milk, so this might help. If she is not eating well by morning, please take her to your vet for advice and a check up. She should have already been dewormed by this age too, and could have a tummy full of parasites upsetting her.

Answer 4

She doesn't know that what you are offering her is actually EDIBLE ! She's too young to be away from her mom just yet, all her nutrition should come from mother's milk.
The person you got her from should have kept her a few more weeks until the mother cat teaches the babies to eat on their own. This kitten has no idea what to do.
If you can't get the kitten back to it's mother, you will need to buy a kitten nursing bottle/nipple/kitten formula. Follow the instructions on the can of liquid. The brand I know of is KMR (Kitten Milk Replacer).
Waiting for the kitten to "figure it out" is a sure death sentence !
Please hurry...Best Wishes !

Answer 5

At 5 weeks, kitten is too young to do anything but nurse. Try a doll bottle with formula. At 5 weeks, they don't drink water yet. Mother cats lick the kittens and consume their waste. You might try a damp sponge to simulate the mothers tongue. Other wise, the kitten will become constipated, etc. Lucky you!
Incidentally, baby formula is good as kitten formula, preferably no iron.
Kittens are completely helpless till about 8 weeks.

Answer 6

Your Kitten is too young to be away from it's Mother-it should still be nursing.If all else fails-get a small baby bottle and some goat's milk. Warm it up and fee like you would a baby.Goat's milk is very high in things the kitten needs.

Answer 7

If you are unsure how old she is then I assume you had her as a rescue cat. If not then take her back right away. She is fretting as she is too young to be seperated. This means that she will not eat and will die of starvation in front of you. If you cannot take her back then another idea may be to try to find another nursing queen in your local area and an understanding owner who will give her the comfort that shee needs for at least the next month or so. Vets recommend AT LEAST 12 weeks before Queen and Kitten are seperated.

Answer 8

For one it's too young to be away from it's mother. Take it to a vet and have it checked out right away. Even though it's young, it still should be able to lap a little by now. It may be in the beginning stages of a virus, it's not even old enough to have it's shots, which is why it should be with Mom, her milk gives it protection. If it doesn't eat, you're risking it getting hepatic lipidosis, a liver disease which can be fatal.

Answer 9

At five weeks she is too young to be away from her mother. If possible take her back to the mother cat and leave her there for another three weeks at least. Giving a cat milk will cause it to have diarrhea. If you cannot take her back to the mother, call the vet now and get advice on what to do before your kitten starves to death.

Answer 10

She might not be hungry yet. Its a new place, smells different than what she is used to. Be patient. Can we try to feed her on a more natural diet so as to combat dis-eases down the track? Try organic chicken mince, to that add, cut up lettuce, grated carrot, cooked brussels sprouts, add some cooked brown rice, you can add some grated apple (cooked or raw), raw egg yolk, you can also add some grated cheese ( you will find she will love cheese on its own). Now what are you going to call her?