Why won't my kitten eat?

Question

I have a 9 month old kitten, who my partner and i take very good care of. We give him Whiskas to eat and follow all the appropriate ways to feed a kitten. But he just doesn't eat! He'll eat our food but if left alone he'll barely eat the food given in a whole day. whats up? and what do i do??

Answer 1

Naughty little kitten worrying his mum and dad like this. If you don't feed him any scraps from your plates for a couple of days and only offer him whiskas he will soon start to eat. If you're really worried try him with some of these posh little trays of cat food that are made up from mostly fish, bet he'll love them but trust me, he's having you on and has decided that he would just prefer to share your goodies, which by the way are not good for him as they won't contain all correct vitamins etc that a kitty needs. Stick with it and he'll soon decide he's more hungry than he is stubborn!

Answer 2

First - stop feeding your cat (he is no longer considered a kitten) people food.

Try a different food. If the pet stores in your area have sample bags of the different brands, pick those up until you find one he likes. An animal doesn't always eat every single day & some just don't eat much (which is better in the long run because they won't be overweight). Don't be tempted to buy the canned food unless the situation warrants it. Once cats have that, they tend to get even pickier. Buy him some toys to chase around so he gets exercise. Those little plastic springs are great toys as is a catnip filled mouse.

The cat will not starve itself. He'll eat when he's hungry. Make sure there is plenty of water available to him and just keep a dish of the dry food beside it.

Answer 3

What do you mean by 'our' food. You should not be giving your cat anything but cat food especially when they are that young. Make sure that you are giving him a variety of food because tey can easily get bored. My two cats hate any 'supermeat' varieties and they would rather starve than eat it, there is no tempting them at all.

You could also try putting dry food down during the day when you are out because meat will go stale and then he wont eat it. He may have a sensitive stomach at the moment so you could try him on some cooked chicken and see if that works. If youn try all these and hes still not eating then take him to the vets. They can try and find the root of the problem.

good luck and give the kitten a cuddle from me!!

Answer 4

Are you aware of the ingredients in Whiskas dry cat food? If you read the label on the bag you will see: (1) ground corn, (2) chicken by-products, (3) corn gluten meal.

By-product meat is feet, entrails, feathers, necks, etc from the chicken - the lowest quality protein parts of the chicken. This "meat" must be treated with chemicals (some known carcinogens - ethoxyquin, BHA, BHT) and labeled "unfit for human consumption".

Since ingredients are listed in order by weight 2/3 of the food is corn.

A cat is an obligate carnivore and its diet needs to be 2/3 (60%) wholesome meat protein. The Whiskas formulation for their canned food is no better as it is mostly the by-product meat.

So kitty needs a better food for sure. For 50 cents more a bag you can get Solid Gold (Katzen-Flocken), Natural Balance, Blue or Eagle Pack. A male cat should have 50% of his diet in canned food to forestall the possibility of urinary problems in future.

Natural Balance has a good line of canned foods, as does Wellness, Lick Your Chops and probably the Blue.

The first two ingredients in the foods mentioned is wholesome, human-grade meat protein. The supreme diet for a cat is home-prepared raw meat. I will give some references below for you to read about cat diets that will meet the feline's special dietary requirements.

Answer 5

Any kitten, come to that any cat, will eat your food rather than theirs if it's offered. Well who wouldn't !!

How long have you tried to insist he eats his own food?

Unless ill they will eat their cat food. He will eat if he's hungry.
At 9 months, the same age as my two kittens, you can afford a maximum of 2 days trying to insist he eats what he's supposed to. Just put his food down, resist the cute looks and plaintiff cries, and don't give him your food.

If you think I'm being to harsh, mix the cat food in with yours, and then gradually reduce that lovely stuff saving it for treats only.

If there's any other symptons then it's off to the vets - Litter tray ok?

Answer 6

If you had a choice of a chicken breast or cat food you'd pick the cat food too.Never give him people food. Try a different brand of cat food and don't give in and let him have people food.You say he is a 9 month old Kitten is he neutered? He is almost grown!

Answer 7

KITTENS are such lovely cuddly little bundles,
but are still picky when it comes to food.
Try "Oscar's" food for cats etc. they have for cats some very tasty food, without the 'additives' that some big brands have.

Answer 8

u r feeding ur kitten too much people food, its just a kitten and fills up quickly, u might try a different kind of food but sometimes it makes them gassy until they adjust to it and always keep a little dry food for them but watch and make sure ur kitten doesn't have a dramatic weight loss

Answer 9

Not all cats like Whiska you know. Have you tried it on Felix
kitten food or the cutlets they sell in pouches.

Answer 10

Hi there...when cats are fed table scraps it creates fussy/finicky eaters. Table scraps are the leading cause for why cats no longer want to eat their own foods and contributes to feline obesity as well as other related health problems. Most human foods contain ingredients which are very toxic to cats such as onions, garlic ...causes Hemolytic Heinz Body Anemia; salt causes electrolyte imbalances, etc.

More on why table scraps are very bad for cats: http://www.peteducation.com:80/article.cfm?cls=1&cat=1399&articleid=833

Sample list of food ingredients which cats should avoid eating: http://www.peteducation.com:80/article.cfm?cls=0&cat=1276&articleid=1029