Kitten doesnt like water? HELP!?

Question

I Got a kitten shes aprox 8 weeks old now, we had her since she was 6 weeks, she was parent reared,

I Have noticed she scoffs like a pig but yet when it comes to water she does a runner she has this thing about sticking her nose in it, which makes her sneeze then she runs off.

Its been hot past 2 days and 2day she keeps meowing i moved her to a cool room as she was real hot, and tried offering her water but she wont have it (i havent even seen her drink water since ive had her)

Her skin is tight to her body so im assuming shes dehydrated? or could this be because shes so small?
so ive had to force her to drink using a syringe,

So now ive resorted to putting about 5ml of water in with her food, which she obviosly licks because of the taste,

I Read that the moiture in cat food would mean she wouldnt drink as much? but she doesnt seem to be drinking, how do i get her interesed? tried kitten milk but it gave her really smelly trotts......

Maybe vets to get rehydrayed?

Sorry moisture in kitten food not cat - shes on whiskas kitten pouches.....

Answer 1

Many cats take one good long drink daily and no more. If her appetite is fine and she acts like life is good, all is probably well, especially since you don't mention any other symptoms. If she has a seperate water bowl, does the level of water in it ever drop?

Dehydration is detected by lifting the skin, usually between/over the shoulder blades. It should go back into place within a second or two.

Putting extra water in her food won't hurt her. This is a very hot summer in lots of places, so it's good that you're keeping an eye on her. If she pants or gets lethargic or her skin "tents" (doesn't go back in place after being plucked up), or she won't eat, you may have a problem. But she sounds OK, and it's great that you keep such a close eye on your pet.

Answer 2

Hi there, what to do is, put a small amount of cold water on your finger, let her lick it off, keep doing this, I know it is annoying and time consuming but stay with it, leave a saucer near to her while doing this so she can see where you are getting the water from. She might have been frightened by water when she was a baby and it will take time to bring her round.
Alternatively you could buy her a cat fountain, you can buy them on ebay and the water runs down a dome so when she licks the plastic dome she will get water and this means she doesn't have to put her wee nose in the water. I have to say though, all kittens start off this way, by sticking their head into the water bowl and sneezing because the water gets up their nose. This does not mean to say that you go ahead and stick her head in the water, ( I know you wouldn't). They do learn eventually. They will get a little water from the wet food but not enough. So for now do the finger thing. You also said she is scoffing her food, has she got a distended,(fat, round. tubby) belly, if so, she needs wormed. She has been given to you before vaccinations so probably hasn't been wormed either. Unless of course, she is yours. Then in that case worm her ASAP, and vaccinations at 9 and 12 weeks, she will be due her first vaccination so check with your vet and get her a wee check up.

Good luck, and well done for looking after your pet so well. I wish there were other people like you.

Deb

Answer 3

You're cats not drinking? And the skins really tight? Well...here's an easy answer. Get her to the vet, and fast. When a cat's skin is very tight, that means there isn't enough fluid in her. If you thought she was dehydrated, you should have brought her to the vet earlier, especially in this hot weather you seem to be having. Don't give her milk, it's not good for the digestive system. Keep adding the water to her food untill you can GET HER TO A VET and please make it fast. And if your trying to put your cat in the water, chances are you won't have any luck. Cats don't like water.

Answer 4

You can try a couple of things:
1) keep squirting water into her mouth
2) also squirt Pedialyte in... it's electrolyte balance
3) put a little tuna fish water in the water to see if that flavor will tempt her.
4) get a kitten baby bottle and feed her KMR kitten formula.

If you're still not having much success getting her to drink, or if she starts looking like she's losing more weight, then have the vet rehydrate her. Water is critically important to her being a healthy kitten.

Answer 5

Cats don't drink much water when they are on wet food. My cat had not drunk ANY water for months when he was on canned food. However, little kittens usually drink water, but they usually don't like it at first, when they are first weaned. Nature will work though. Don't force feed the water to her, as at this age it may go to her lungs and die if she is force fed, just add some water to her food if you think she is dehydrated (and if the vet thinks so too). Also, try feeding her some dry food for kittens, at first with some water in them. You will see that when she is on dry food she will drink water.

Answer 6

My cat goes through fads with water, although I do the same as you, and add water to her food, if I'm concerned.

Otherwise, now she's older, she ferrets around outside and in the house, drinking from taps, pools etc - so I often don't know how much she has really consumed.

Certainly, avoid pushing her face into water, as this will deter her even more - maybe she has had a bad experience in the past, in her former home.

I'd steer clear of any dried food, until she seems healthy though.

good luck! Rob

Answer 7

Stella my cat wouldn't drink water either just bat it aaaround. But her skin should be loose so she must be a little dehydrated. If your really worried you can take her to the vet and they'll put her on an I.V. but as long as shes having regular bowel movements she should be fine. She will start drinking more in the next few weeks I should think.

Answer 8

She sounds dehydrated, so this has to be addressed asap.
Add lots of water to her wet food so that it is very sloppy, this will ensure she gets enough moisture. Feed her three - four times a day with the extra wet food, specially if the weather is hot.
I also suggest you get her to the vet to have her checked out. If she is badly dehydrated they may want to put her on a drip, but feeding her the extra sloppy sachet will tide her over until you can get her there.
She may have other issues, so a trip to the vet would also be indicated.

Answer 9

I had that problem with a kitten, we went to the pet store and got her this stuff that's like cat milk. She drank that for a while and then started drinking water. Maybe try that if you're still concerned.

Answer 10

cats/kittens like FRESH water - if its been sitting in a bowl too long it has accumulated dust.. this is why some cats prefer to drink from the sink or a dripping tap..
use a stainess steel bowl for water - NOT plastic (which can retain bad smells) and keep the water fresh
unless she is sick and dehydrating - DO NOT force water with a syringe - you can actually kill them if you do it wrong or too fast (It can get into their lungs)

mixing some water in with their canned food is a good idea. dry needs to be kept dry (dry food cleans their teeth and is imprtant)