Help - my kitten won't eat

[maybemore]

He's 10 weeks old and he literally will not eat anything except kitten milk (we have had him from a very very young age).

The vet suggested we just stop the milk but he went for two days without eating nearly. In despair, we have reintroduced it but only a little and he is now really skinny and cried for food all the time. ALso he 'eats' paper and material but not food.

Have vet's appointment on Monday but they have been bugger all help so far. Am v worried for him - he can't have milk forever.

Have tried: mixing milk with dried foood, mixing it with kitten food, taking milk away, changing cat food brand (waitrose, sainsburys and tesco).

Have you tried steamed/tinned fish or plain roast chicken? Mine love those (stupidly expensive) cat sachets (but they're not kittens and have never had a problem eating.)

Have you tried some pate type kitten food (so not chunks with gravy or jelly) add some boiled water and mush up so that it's a warm liquid that he can lap rather than chew? It works with older cats that are poorly so may help with a kitten.

Thanks. I don't really want to start him on human food as I have a feeling he'll have a liking for it! I will have a go at the pate and report back!

This might sound a bit silly but if he will eat paper...have you tried putting one tiny peice of paper on top of kitten food??

When one of my kiitens was about the same age as yours (they are 5mths now) she would not eat either and only wanted milk (from her mother who was owned by next door)

On advice from vet we removed her from mother (who was refusing to nurse her anyway) The only thing she would eat was tiny peices of pasta, and I mean tiny IE one pasta shell all day etc...

But what worked was putting a few pasta shells in with her kitten food and bingo it worked!!!

Oh and my kitten is a fussy bugger and will only eat Pets at Home stuff

Was a nightmare when they were out of stock recently

I think I spoon fed my kitty a few times (ie kitty on lap with tiny about of food on tea spoon) just to get them used to doing it iyswim.

Could you put kitten milk on tea spoon and add tiny amounts of food each time spoon is lapped up, mixed in the milk??

Try warming foods, try different fresh foods and/or tinned tuna/pilchards etc. Also try different food bowls - offer on a small plate instead of a bowl. Cats are such funny creatures and will literally refuse to eat from some bowls if they really take offence to them for reasons unknown!! You can also try hand feeding and if needs be rub a tiny bit inside his gums to get the taste in there.

How are you getting on?

Hi just seen this as we got a new kitten last week (now 8 weeks old) and she is not eating as much as she has been, although still eating small amounts. She is pooing tons though... is 8 times a day normal????

I hope you got on ok at the vet yesterday and your boy is doing well now.

Just wanted to say in response to beautifulgirls that I read in my "Dummies Guide to Kittens" (or whatever it is called) that you shouldn't give tuna to kittens /cats.

Sprinkling a tiny amount of goldfish flakes on top of food might tempt him. I used to do this with my cats when they were under the weather - soon they wanted it with every meal. [smile

Hi well some improvements:

I am still mixing milk with food but now with mushed up pate. As usual he licks off the milk but I think he just might be taking in a bit of pate too. I am going to try the goldfish flakes idea aswell. Also have been warming itup slightly so thanks for that tip.

Still a bit to go though!