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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 refusing to eat

48 replies

FamilyLawAdvice · 11/02/2019 21:58

So I got this little bundle of joy 6 days ago, all seemed fine when we viewed and we saw both parents. The issue is he refuses to eat and has done since we got him, the lady that sold him to me said he was on Royal Canin digestive food but he literally won't touch it.

We took him to the vets on Friday and he weighed 770g he's gone again today and despite tablets he weighs 750g

I've tried contacting the person who sold him to me due to the fact I've already spent £200+ in vets bills, medication etc and she said to call if there was any issues, however, she is now ignoring my calls/texts

The vets have said if he doesn't eat we'll be looking at thousands (5+) in feeding tubes, round the clock care and trying to find what's wrong etc. Would the woman who was selling him and other kittens known he was ill? If so is there anything we can do?

I paid £400 for him and have already spent half of that in 4 days of owning him we love him dearly but theres no way we'll be able to get the thousands it could take by the time he needs it

Kitten refusing to eat
OP posts:
minkies11 · 11/02/2019 22:01

Have you tried some chicken or tuna? Or any form of wet food?

OlennasWimple · 11/02/2019 22:02

Oh he's lovely!

What happens if you put wet food (or tuna or roast chiken) onto his paws?

dementedpixie · 11/02/2019 22:04

I'd buy different wet foods to try them. One of mine refused dry food at the start so had to get wet food and now they eat a mix of both wet/dry. Try lik-e-lix on top.

viccat · 11/02/2019 22:06

Sadly this happens all too often with these unscrupulous "breeders" who are really just running a "kitten farm"... This is also why everyone should take up pet insurance the day they bring a new kitten/cat home.

How old have you been told he is? That weight is typical of kittens aged 6-7 weeks. Ideally they should be over 1kg when going to a new home... Was he vaccinated when you got him?

Not eating is very dangerous for such small kittens so going down the tests and vet care route is your only option and you have to do it ASAP. I expect you have tried different kinds of foods - wet food, plain cooked chicken etc.?

GiantKitten · 11/02/2019 22:20

Young kittens should really be just on wet food, shouldn’t they? When I first got kittens they had Royal Canin kitten food:

www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/canned_cat_food_pouches/royal_canin_cat_food/royal_canin_kitten/133239

Later graduated to various other wet & dry foods but they loved this stuff Smile

Good luck, he’s a beautiful boy, I hope he’ll soon start gaining weight!

LazyFace · 11/02/2019 22:20

I wouldn't jump on what the vet said. He should have been on kitten food anyway, I believe. I'd just try some grain free food, chicken pieces etc.
What tests has the vet done?

thequeenoftarts · 11/02/2019 22:32

I have hand reared a good few teeny rescue kittens of about 3 weeks old and under sometimes. You will have to syringe feed him until he eats, so get some kitten milk and Royal Canin baby cat mouse, warm the milk and mix the milk and mouse until it is runny. Get a 5 ml syringe and suck up the mix, hold the kitten on its back in your hand head upright (not down)and gently push the syringe into its mouth, the side of it's is easiest. Syringe in little amounts at a time, a ml at a time. It will need to be done every 2 hours during the day. Within 2 - 3 days kitten should be eating on its own, also get Parazole liquid to worm the wee mite. Don't bother wit dry food as yet, wait til he is eating the milk mix first

SciFiScream · 11/02/2019 22:35

If you go with wet food warm it slightly (really, really carefully) as it's all about the smell for cats and slightly warmer food will smell better to them.
Actually you can warm dry food too but you have to be so careful.
I really hope it works out.
Is the kitten pedigree? Is that why there's a £400 price tag?

GiantKitten · 11/02/2019 22:35

“baby cat mouse”?

thequeenoftarts · 11/02/2019 22:36

haha mousse

GiantKitten · 11/02/2019 22:37

Oh mousse? Sorry! Just saw that on the zooplus site but hadn't come across it before!

This stuff, OP

www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/canned_cat_food_pouches/royal_canin_cat_food/royal_canin_kitten/360665

Original poster
FamilyLawAdvice · 11/02/2019 22:41

Yes we've tried chicken, ham, tuna etc and various wet foods but he just sniffs it then turns his head, the vet tried and she got the same reaction.

He wasn't vaccinated no and she told us he was 11 weeks

The vet took a blood test from him and gave him stomach some squeezes and thats it till wednesday

OP posts:
GiantKitten · 11/02/2019 23:00

Try @thequeenoftarts suggestion, then of mixed kitten milk & mousse in a syringe?

Worth a try 🤞🏻

GiantKitten · 11/02/2019 23:01

It’s just about getting food into his tummy, whether he eats it independently or you put it there...

DiaryofWimpyMumm · 11/02/2019 23:02

I used to get mine eating with smelly fish steamed in the microwave, or slightly warmed chicken.

What a worry for you. Is he not eating or drinking at all? Was he eating when you first got him?

chemenger · 11/02/2019 23:06

I would definitely try syringe feeding, possibly even bottle feeding with kitten milk, to try to get something in his tummy. Have you tried smearing wet food (get some mouse type food) on his paw? It seems a long time until Wednesday with such a small kitten.

chemenger · 11/02/2019 23:06

mousse not mouse, why is autocorrect so stupid.

wigglypiggly · 11/02/2019 23:08

Can you put some kitten milk or mousse on his paws, see if he licks it off.

ImNotKitten · 11/02/2019 23:10

Jesus wept I can’t believe you paid £400 to a backyard breeder!! You have no recourse through the woman, I hope you have deep pockets. Next time please adopt from a rescue centre who will make sure any kitten they rehome is in good health and won’t wash their hands of you if a problem later develops.

chemenger · 11/02/2019 23:13

Have you gone back the woman's house? I doubt he is 11 weeks at that weight, what breed is he? Its too late now but £400 for a kitten that is leaving his mum early (even at 11 weeks) and not vaccinated is not a sign of a reputable breeder. I'm not super impressed with your vet either, to be honest, a small kitten that isn't eating at all is at risk.

GiantKitten · 11/02/2019 23:14

That’s not helpful, ImNotKitten Hmm

It’s done now & OP needs help with the kitten she has

Original poster
FamilyLawAdvice · 11/02/2019 23:20

No he's not eating at all.

Jesus may of wept but I have and it's done now so all I care about is making him ok.

I haven't gone back to her house no, He's a Bengal X

OP posts:
chemenger · 11/02/2019 23:33

Have you tried kitten milk? In a shallow bowl or saucer that he can lap, or he could lick drops off your finger or his own paw. Anything is better than nothing.

ImNotKitten · 11/02/2019 23:40

What’s not helpful is to fund the despicable people who use animals as cash cows with no regard for their health or well-being Giant Five minutes on google would tell anyone that kittens shouldn’t be acquired in this way, and everyone wanting to take on the 15-20 year commitment of a cat should be responsible enough to spend time online looking into issues like this.

Family he needs to see a different vet urgently. If he isn’t eating at all he is at risk of a fatal condition called hepatic lipidosis. Not to mention how weak a tiny kitten will get without food. It cannot wait until Wednesday.

OlennasWimple · 11/02/2019 23:44

No, I don't think that he is 11 weeks either

Syringe feed him, smear it on his paws, and make sure that he is drinking enough. Check if he is suckling still - our rescue kitten kept trying to latch on to the buttons on my shirt when I cuddled him, because he was so young when we got him