I have found a kitten in my garden .it doesn`t belong to any one living close by ,and i think it might be a wild cat( (it`s very scared of people )The thing is it will drink milk but i can`t get it to eat anything .How can i tell if it`s old enough to eat ? .it`s very tiny and thin ,but it doesn`t seem to be ill And also what should i be feeding it .
2006-12-03 12:53:30 · 11 answers · asked by keny 6 in Pets ➔ Cats
i`ve got it in the house,it wouldn`t have lasted the night outside it`s freezing and pouring with rain here ( UK) but i`ve had to give it evaporated milk watered down (tinned)because thats the best i could do on a sunday here .all the pet shops are closed untill the morning.Its just a bit bigger than the size of my hand .
2006-12-03 14:42:12 · update #1
I would say the kitten is about 4 weeks old and would only just be moving onto soilid food if it had still been with mum. Buy Whiskas cat milk as cows milk is not good for a kittens tummy (causes runny poo) and try to wean onto cat food. At first, it may not want to know but try putting some milk on your finger and let cat lick. Then put on a tiny amount of food and let cal lick again. This should work.
2006-12-03 22:57:07 · answer #1 · answered by Amy_Lou 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It has to have been weaned so it could be around five to six weeks old at the youngest - otherwise it would not be alive. The other ways would be to weigh it (wouldn't really work if it's underweight; or check tooth development which you can't do.
Maybe it is young enough to just have been weaned and that is why it will drink the milk. STOP giving the kitten cow's milk as it can get diarrhea and die from that. You must give KMR special kitten milk which you can get from a pet store.
Start with some canned kitten food, Max kitten if an OK food. Make it very soupy with filtered water or the KMR when you get it and see if the kitten will lap that up.
It sounds like it won't survive unless you can catch it and get it inside - especially with the short days and cold temperatures. Food in a humane trap could work if you can get one from animal control or a humane society. If you have cats in your house you might let them take the kitten as it wouldn't be safe to bring a stray into your house unless you can keep it absolutely separate from your cats till the kitten has been seen by a vet.
2006-12-03 13:15:07 · answer #2 · answered by old cat lady 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would suggest trying to put some moist food out for the kitty. One that my kittens love is Iams wet Turkey flavored Kitten formula. Also, if you haven't already, replaced the human milk with specially formulated cat milk. Whiskas makes the milk in the size of a juice box and it's only about 60 cents at my supermarket. Regular milk isn't good for kitties.
If kitten doesn't eat the wet food chances are its not old enough yet. You would have to bottle feed it, but if you are unable to catch it, then it might be kinda hard. At that point, call a shelter or rescue group or even a vet to see how you could try to capture it.
Good luck!
2006-12-03 13:02:41 · answer #3 · answered by bosnjgal 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Have you tried wet food? Also, you could try putting some bread in with the milk. If the kitten is the size that will fit in your hand, it is too small to be on its own just yet, so will need extra special care, and lots of milk. It could also be smaller from not having enough to eat though, so just keep feeding him as much as you can, and if you are still having problems getting him to eat anything, I would take him to a vet...there may be some underlying problem that keeps him from wanting to eat. I hope you find the solution. :)
2006-12-03 12:57:06 · answer #4 · answered by whooblue42 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
DO NOT feed a kitten of that size proper cat food, there is special food that can be obtained by a vet that gives a kitten that small, all the nutrients it needs. the best way to get proper advice without being charged is by phoning your local vet, the receptionist should know the basics of what is needed. you will need to get kitten wormers and flea stuff as well or your house will be crawling!
2006-12-03 19:37:44 · answer #5 · answered by Unhinged.... 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you think it is too young to eat, make sure you don't give it plain milk. Some cats are lactosintolerant. You can, however, buy special kitten milk called KMR (kitten milk replacer) at a petsmart or pet store.
2006-12-03 13:14:08 · answer #6 · answered by wildgrywolf 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Take it to a vet, they can tell the age by the teeth and you can feed it a hard kitten food wet down in a little warm water. No milk.....just water.
2006-12-03 12:58:14 · answer #7 · answered by lola 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well, you could just bring it in to a vet, but if the cat was suffering from malnutrition, than it may appear to be smaller than its age. If you are able to catch it, bring it to a vet and if you want to keep it, make sure it's healthy and doesn't need any medical attention.
2006-12-03 12:59:25 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
bring it to the vet to check it out. I know it might cost you some, but if you do want to keep it, then i suggest you go have an apponintment
2006-12-03 13:09:52 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
in the event that they are beginning as much as consume familiar nutrition they seem to be a minimum of four weeks. they could like to nurse as quickly as in awhile, so i might supply them a bottle a pair of cases an afternoon.
2016-10-17 16:19:34 · answer #10 · answered by sachiko 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋