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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

kitten wont drink!

39 replies

WelshCat · 06/05/2012 16:07

I just bought a kitten yesterday from Gumtree, the owners were not very forthcoming with information and when I got it home I realised it seemed quite small.

Its old enough to eat/play etc and he seems happy enough.

I'm having a few problems though. I got it dry and wet kitten food in case it preferred one. The food is in the kitchen. He does not go to the food and water. So last night I brought some of the dry food on my hand and he ate it all (so no problems actually eating it). I figured in the night he would have a drink/eat some more.

But he did not! I left it until about three today, figuring if he was hungry he would go eat some food. But he hasn't, so I got some more and brought it into the living room for him and he ate it like he was starving!

My problem is, I have not seen him drink anything, or go near his food and water bowls. He does use the litter tray, although he hasn't pooped yet (tmi, but it might matter!). I'm worried coz I'm a worrier, and coz I know if he is only eating the dry food he needs to drink.

I offered him cows milk (I know they aren't meant to have it) but he just looked at it and walked off.

Am I being silly? Or should I be worried?

By his size I would say he's no more than 6 weeks old. The seller isn't replying to my calls or texts, she was a little on the Jeremy Kyle side of life though..

OP posts:
MrsGrumps · 06/05/2012 16:15

Have you got a medicine syringe you could put a little water in the side of it's mouth?

At 6 weeks it really is too young to be separated from it's mum so I would think you will need to keep a very close eye on him and hand feed him for a good few weeks yet. Even then they need three meals a day until they are about 4 months old.

Give your vet a call for advice or alternatively call the Cats Protection helpline for advice on how to feed it.

Wheresmycaffeinedrip · 06/05/2012 16:23

Can u put him on the wet kitten food and add water to the food? Also serve water in a plastic or ceramic bowl metal makes it taste funny. ( my cat wasn't drinking much at one point and this is what a vet told me. ) :)

oneistomany · 06/05/2012 17:41

6 weeks is so very young for a kitten to be away from its mother, we just sold the last of our 5 kittens, they were all 8-9 weeks, they had only just started eating solids at 6 weeks, try mashing his food with a little lactose free milk, make sure both the milk and food is at room temp, and give it to him little and often through out the day or soak kitten biscuits in warm water, but always make sure there is water available all the time..this could all to do with being some where new away from all he has know litter mates and mum cat, if he has not been wormed get him wormed....with all my kittens i made sure the new owners knew everything, i wrote it all down for them.....hope little kitty picks up soon, just be patient its early days

Wheresmycaffeinedrip · 06/05/2012 17:46

Please get him to a vet :( should not have been given away so young poor thing. Hope he's ok

ClaimedByMe · 06/05/2012 17:49

Try standing him at the sink and put the tap on, my cat would and still only does drink running water, toilet water or the water left in the bath after a shower, its a fact that cats dont like fresh water my other 2 cats drink rain water out the garden

Catsmamma · 06/05/2012 17:51

dunk his paws in water and he will lick it off.

Original poster
WelshCat · 06/05/2012 18:02

thanks guys. i think i will call a vet or something tomorrow. i just gave him cat milk in a syringe and a couple of spoons of baby food, which he gobbled down.

he didnt eat the wet food, which was why i was giving him the dry.

im really sad :( poor kitty. what worries me is the ad said he was the last one left! i wonder how old the others were when they were sold!

im gonna keep with the cat milk and baby food until i have spoken to a vet.

OP posts:
ClaimedByMe · 06/05/2012 18:17

Its still early days for your kitten, mine was a flea ridden, inbred, last of the litter kitten too and it took her a wee while and many kinds of cat food to find one she liked, def take her to the vet, it took us a while to discover she was drinking from toilet/sink she also used to dip her paws in her water bowl and lick them.

And they dont like metal bowls for their water!

Original poster
WelshCat · 06/05/2012 18:26

he has a plastic double bowl. I dont think he knows how to drink from a bowl! i put cat milk down and he looked confused.. but he'll drink it from a syringe.

how much does the vet cost?

OP posts:
Wheresmycaffeinedrip · 06/05/2012 18:28

A vet will be around forty quid maybe for consultation and treatment on top will be more. Out of hours call out charge will be £75-80

ClaimedByMe · 06/05/2012 18:31

Our vet offers a free first check up, so im not sure, maybe ring around a few local vets for prices.

Original poster
WelshCat · 06/05/2012 18:49

argh. ok, well theres always the cats protection league i guess.

poor kitten. he's wolfing down the baby food now. i just wish the seller would get back to me!

OP posts:
Pinot · 06/05/2012 19:08

Dont give cows milk to kittens. Goats milk if you need to give milk, but food and water should be fine.

Agree he should lick water off his feet.

You need to see a vet ASAP, regardless of cost. He needs a check-up and to have his vaccinations booked in, as well as microchipping and neutering when he's old enough.

Original poster
WelshCat · 06/05/2012 19:13

i only gave cat milk because he wasnt drinking anything at all.

i cant afford vet, lone parent on benefits so literally dont have the money. i will make sure i speak to a vet though.

OP posts:
Pinot · 06/05/2012 19:15

You're going to get vaccinations though?

DameHermione · 06/05/2012 19:16

Rupert hasn't drunk at all i don't think. He had a bowl of water next to his food bowl. I think he gets his moisture from his food (a mix of kitten pouches with a few crunchies). He eats about 8 times a day, a third of a pouch at a time. And is growing so fast you can slmost see it.

ClaimedByMe · 06/05/2012 19:18

CPL wont look at him, they are not a vet, search for local PDSA, the kitten will need vaccinations in the next few weeks, PDSA will treat him for a donation if you can prove your on benefits

Original poster
WelshCat · 06/05/2012 19:20

yes am going to get vaccinations.

you think if i just try to get him to eat the wet food (ill put it in my hand if i have to!) i wont need to worry about his drinking?

also, a question about the feet in water thing.. how many times must i do it? shall i keep doing it if he gets mad?

OP posts:
pegster · 06/05/2012 19:24

Are you giving him human baby food - if so please check it doesn't have any onion in the ingredients - onions can cause anaemia (red blood cell destruction) in cats. Stick to kitten food, dried is fine but you can soak the biscuits to a mush if you want to increase fluid intake. X

Pinot · 06/05/2012 19:26

I think OP meant kitten food not baby food as in human baby food. I HOPE!! :o

Just a tiny bit of water is fine OP so just dunk his feet once :)

Original poster
WelshCat · 06/05/2012 19:28

erm i actually meant human baby food. should i not give him any more then?

oh im just so worried about him and i just remembered its an effing bank holiday tomorrow so i cant take him to the vets!

right, new plan: spoon feed him the wet KITTEN food and dip his feet in water.

OP posts:
Original poster
WelshCat · 06/05/2012 19:28

also thank you very much for all your help.

my mums advice about the baby food was obviously not good!

OP posts:
Pinot · 06/05/2012 19:30

OMG :o Nooooooooooooooooo! Kitten food for kittens. Promise me, OK?

ClaimedByMe · 06/05/2012 19:33

My mum was told to feed her orphaned kitten heinz baby food but that was 25 years ago but that was because the kitten had no mum it also had to be fed kitten milk from the vet not the whiskas stuff out the supermarket but that was only until about 6 weeks until she could eat kitten food.

I would stick with the plan of the wet food and dipping paws in water until you get him checked, maybe try and encourrage him to eat the wet food himself.

Wheresmycaffeinedrip · 06/05/2012 19:35

Cats need meat. If he won't eat the wet stuf make it into a paste and spoon/syringe/ put on paws. But please see a vet ASAP cos baby animals can crash soooo quickly. Fleas can kill a small kitten too so get combing. Not trying to sound bossy or pushy but if you know nothing about the mum/dad or litter mates you can't assume all is well with them and kinda need to act as uf he might not be. Really needs a full work up at a vets :(