I need Help!?

Question

I found a stray kitten last week and no1 has claimed it and RSPCA no I am looking after it. I have been told by a few cat owners that she looks around 6 months old. For starters I cant tell what sex the kitten is, secondly she wont drink water or kitten milk from her bowl? she wont even drink water from the faucet. I have been adding water to her kitten food and she has been drinking/eating that ok, but how can I get her to drink liquids out of her bowl. I tried putting her nose in it but she doesn't like it. But she will lick it off my fingers. Please help : )
Thanks

Thank you all for your answers.

The food bowl and the water bowl are the same, and sorry if i did not explain myself well about dippping her nose in the water (I didnt mean i put force on her or did it in a bad way, i just gently made the tip of her nose wet with the water)

I have now changed the water bowl to a saucer so I will see if that works.

And just to let you all know its a GIRL!

And I think I have already got attached to her. : ( It will be a shame if she goes but its her family

Answer 1

As a cat owner of 6! lol Keep doing what your doing with the water in her food. Someone mentioned a eye dropper those work great if you feel she sint getting enough. Don't force her though. And most important keep water next to her food. As she gets older she will use it. It was also mentioned that some cats cant see the water. That is true so sit with her next to the water if u use the dropper. One of my cats puts her feet in the water to drink and most all of them use there paw to actually make the water move so they can see it. A new thing on the market is a water bowl that is constantly flowing to keep fresh. Also remember she needs shots and will need to be fixed at 9 months old. Best of luck to you and your new pal ;)

Answer 2

Hi there.

To tell if your kitten's male or female, you need to lift up their tail and look at the back end. Both sexes have two holes but on a female the holes will be fairly close together, whereas on a male there will be a space where the testicles will develop (obviously that's not much help when you don't have a male and female one to compare)

It's probably a good idea to take it to the vets as puberty in cats can occur between five and eight months, so it may need to be neutered if you intend to let it outside and don't want any additions to the family! Also they'll be able to tell the sex of the kitten and sort out any vaccinations.

My cat doesn't particularly like drinking water from a bowl, but like your kitten she will lick it off my finger. Cats are also quite secretive and your kitten may be drinking when you don't about it (at night etc). You could try getting the kitten to lick water off your finger and gradually move your finger towards the water bowl after each lick, until you're finger is touching the water. Hopefully the kitten will learn to drink from the bowl eventually. You could also try putting a very thin layer of water/milk in the bowl, my cat prefers this to a full bowl.

Hope this helps! I'd take him/her to the vets though just to be safe.

Answer 3

First off, never force a kitten or any animal to do something, they will not like it and may retaliate against you and will most likely never do what you want.
Your best bet is to keep associating the water on your fingers with the water in the bowl, meaning dip your fingers in the bowl, and let the kitty sip the water. A quick question, is the water dish the same look as the food dish, if not, you should make them similiar.
If you are soaking the food in the water, make sure that you're putting the water dish right next to the food dish, this way, the kittens can start associating the food with the water.
Also, you may need to put a pen or something plastic that can withstand water and is colorful. One of my kittens didn't realize there was water in the dish, he couldn't really see it. After taking him to the vet, I was told to put something that can float and withstand the water in it so that he could see that there was water in it.
Make sure you get in touch with your kitten's vet or the SPCA, they can offer advice on such things.
Good Luck!

Answer 4

A cat's "manhood" is near his bottom end, if you don't see two little balls there, then it's a female. The female and male have a belly button a little lower towards the middle. Your cat is probably getting enough water. My cats seem to go a couple of days without drinking any and then all of a sudden their bowl is empty. I still don't know if they are drinking it or if it's evaporating, lol. But they aren't going to dehydrate. It is very nice of you to take care of the cat. Be advised that you will fall in love and end up keeping it.

Answer 5

She will drink on her own in time..just make sure you have fresh water down..
If she is that old she should be taken to the vet for a check up and vaccinations etc...
Ask the cat owners giving you advice what sex the kitten is, you should probably get advice from them since they are there near you and we can only give you our opinions without seeing the kitty
just make sure she knows where the fresh water is..don't stick her nose in it though......
Don't force feed her either because it could go down her windpipe and kill her...She might just be anxious because she is in a new home...give her time.

Answer 6

First-cats really don't require a lot of water.Chances are what you put on the food is enough.
Second-you could try the water out of a can of tuna.Some cats are finicky.
Third-you could try putting the water in a saucer instead of a bowl.Some cats don't like deep water,don't ask me why.
Good luck.

Answer 7

try buying some special formula from the vet... or try putting some warm milk down for it. Also to tell if it is male or female... You need to put the cat on its back.. and look for two lumps. If there is lumps... a boy... u found testies. If no testies a female. I should let you know that some male cats grow there testies later then 6months. Yu can tell a cats gender upon birth. I hope that helps

Answer 8

You could try an eye dropper and shoving it in (gently of course!) or get one of the bottle things. Maybe she has something stuck in her throat.

Also, some cats can't see the water in the bowls? something to do with color blindness? try sticking an ice cube in the water bowl so they know it's water. Or my mom bought elevated bowls they sit up a few inches and our cats really like that.

or maybe try getting a shallower bowl? i know they make them. or like a little kid bowl. I'm guessing she's pretty small..maybe it's an arm length issue? Sorry i know that's a lot.

here info on the sex:
http://cats.about.com/cs/catmanagement101/f/catslifespan.htm

Answer 9

Is the kitten afraid of bowls and think that the bowls are alien abduction rays or just plain nasty?

Answer 10

If she is eating wet food (canned) it is OK that she doesn't drink any water. She gets the liquid she needs from that. If she eats dry food, she will drink water, won't she?