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Question

I got a 5 week old kitten yesterday. She is weaned, but will not drink water. She also cries if she cannot see me. Is this normal?

Answer 1

Yes, the kitten is at an age where she should still be with mom. She probably has separation anxiety.

Try a bottle and KMR (sold at any pet store) and see if that will work, something to keep her from getting dehydrated. Do not give a kitten cow's milk, it can cause diarrhea.

With my foster kits who don't have a mom, I fill an old tube sock (with no holes) with white rice. I microwave it for 2 minutes and wrap it in a towel, so the kittens have something warm to snuggle with when they are going to sleep.

Answer 2

Give her soft food. It contains a lot more water than dry food. In fact, cats are designed to get most of their water from their food since living animals are about 78% water.

She may just not like the bowl. If it's plastic, it could be giving off an unpleasant odor.

Make sure the bowl is clean and there's fresh water in it.

My adult male doesn't much care for the water in his bowl. He chooses, instead, to seek out water sources elsewhere. He drinks from the tubs, the toilets, and the bathroom sinks. She's not old enough to get into any of those now, but you may notice her doing so once she's older.

Meowing when she can't see you is normal. She's insecure. She's in a new environment without her mom and littermates. 5 weeks is too young to separate a kitten from its mother, by the way....weaned or not, they need time with their mother and any littermates. It helps them to be more secure and learn proper social behavior.

And DON'T give a kitten cow's milk! "Milk is milk" is VERY bad advice. Try some of the kitten milk already suggested in previous answers.

Answer 3

It is normal for her to cry when she can not see you. However, she should not have been taken away from her mother if she is not drinking water. A kitten is properly weaned when it eats moistened food and drinks water.

You can try and teach her to drink water. First you dip the tips of one of her paws in the water. Do this several times. She will lick her paw and taste the water. If this doesn't work try putting the tip of her nose in the water. She will be startled but she should lick her lips tasting the water. If this doesn't work then you may have to bring her back to the momma cat for a week or two.

I usually would not recommend getting a kitten under 6 weeks of age.

Answer 4

Awwww...your kitty is still a baby! Kittens should be with there mothers for a full 12 weeks! The natural weaning process doesn't even begin until the 8th week! You really should be bottle feeding this little one. Go to the pet store and get some KMR (Kitten Milk Replacement) and a feeding bottle. Your kitty is also so young that she cannot regulate her body temperature very well yet. You need to be sure you provide her with warmth. Good luck...I'm not sure what the circumstances were, but if you can return her to her mother for a little while longer you should seriously consider it. Good luck otherwise.

Answer 5

Five weeks is awfully young for a kitten to be separated, though not unheard of. That is why she cries when you're not in sight......she's not fully independent yet. That will pass in a few weeks, In the mean time, when she cries, find her and reassure her that you are still around. As for the water, my sister's cat will only drink water from a running faucet, so you may want to try that. The pet drinking fountains also work very well, (I use one for my 3 cats).

Answer 6

Oh 5 weeks!! she is just a little thing, what did you name her? I bet she is just adorable. Anyway, right now you are her mom so it is very normal if she follows you around or if she cries all the time, very normal, at this age she might still want some milk, she might not be weaned yet, when my baby girl had her Kitties, she fed them until they were almost 10 weeks. You might want to get her some kittie formula, they sell it in Walmart, you just mix it with water and place it in her water bowl, she should drink that.

Answer 7

That was the exact age my kitten was when I brought him home. I didn't have a water problem, but he definitely cried whenever I was out of eyesight. Once she realizes that you haven't disappeared, and are in fact, just in another area...this will stop. Although, my kitten (now 6 mos old) still cries every time I leave the house for work.

Answer 8

You are not supposed to take a cat away from its mother until (at minimum) 6 weeks. I had to take one from a lady that was blowing pot smoke in her kittens face. The kitten wouldn't drink or eat either once I got her. I would suggest buying cat milk to try and help her get the nutrients she needs. Also, if she won't eat we had to feed my cat baby food, so try that too. Yes, it is normal for her to cry when she can't see you. I suggest you just pick her up and snuggle her at all times.

Answer 9

She is a little young to be away from her mother 6-8wks is more normal. May not seem like much time to us but a week can make alot of difference. She is very scared and insecure. Coddle her ALOT. Treat her the way you would a newborn. It will pay off as she gets older. Make sure she is not consuming water before jumping to conclusions. She may be sipping while you are not there. Keep a small amount of water in her box . Not enough to drown in. They are very fragile at this age. Keep her in her box until she gets out on her own. If she continues not to drink contact a vet. She may be getting dehydrated

Answer 10

omg...........5 weeks is wayyyy too young to be weaned, should be at least 8-10 weeks. Poor lil thing. Go to a pet store or even walmart, they have "Friskies Cat milk" in little boxes (it looks like a juice box) buy that for her, u may still have to bottle feed her, u can get lil tiny bottles from the vet for real cheap. She's probably scared to be alone, even if ur in another room, she's still so young.

GL with her.