Kitten not eating

[andrainwillmaketheflowersgrow]

So, our 5mo kitten has decided to go on hunger strike. He's been picking at his food since yesterday lunchtime and hasn't touched anything since about 2pm, even Dreamies.

He's been to the vets and they checked his stomach etc. and couldn't find anything. His temperature is normal. They gave him an up to date wormer and a steroid injection about five hours ago but he's only eaten about two tiny kitten biscuits since we got back.

He just sniffs his food and walks away. We've tried different flavours, different brands, different bowls and locations, warming it up etc. but he's not remotely interested.

Does anyone have any advice? Vet just said to keep an eye on him and bring him back in if he's still not eaten tomorrow night. He's toileting and drinking okay.

Photo for tax!

Our older cats are eating absolutely fine if that has any relevance!

I've just been told by DH that he gave the kitten our older cats urinary food this morning (and last night) instead of his normal biscuits 🙄

I suspect that isn't helping - ffs!

So he has been eating?
He's very cute.

Could he be teething? One of our 5 month old kittens was like this recently, she seemed really hungry but when you put food down she would only have a couple of bites. A few days later one of her canines came out.

That was this morning/last night - he didn't think to tell me until now 🙈

Thank you! He's a devil really 😂

Yeah I did think about teething - the vet checked his teeth and they seem okay but he wasn't the most cooperative.

He's just had some kitten milk and lapped it up!

So we separated him from the other cats to monitor him overnight - he's had two normal wees but hasn't touched any of the food we put out.

I'm going to try and get some cat soup and some pate-style stuff to see if I can get him eating. He nuzzles like he wants to eat and calls for food but then licks it, turns his head and walks off.

I love the photo! He's adorable.

Could you cook him a bit of plain chicken to entice him to eat?

Rotisserie chicken or a little tin of gourmet. If he doesn’t like his food then you’ll have to find one he does like.

If your good he’ll let you have a leg off the chicken but the breast meat is his.

I went downstairs after I posted that update and he was clearly hungry - fed him his usual and he just licked the jelly (which is an improvement on yesterday). I then tried something in gravy and he did the same with the gravy and left the meat 🙄

So off to Tesco to find to some cat soup or pate/soft style food 🤞

He's also done a poo and is charging around like an idiot so I suspect he's just being, well, a cat 😂

I'll try some chicken or tuna too. He normally loves tuna but we've run out!

If they leave the meat part they do t like the taste or it’s just poor quality in their opinion.

My old girl won’t even eat on hard surfaces, she ignored breakfast for nearly 4 hours once so now she eats on the spare bed.

Is he a house cat, or is he allowed outside?

The reason I ask is that, many many years ago when DH and I moved into our first home together, we got our first kitten. All good for a few months until the wee soul went right off his food, wouldn't eat a thing, although he did "ask" for food all the time 😔

We were so worried, went to the vet twice with him, vet suggested we got some chicken and/or tuna to try etc. We were worried sick.

Turns out that the wee bugger (oops I mean little darling) had been going to people's houses around the neighbourhood and basically letting everyone think he was a stray, so about 5 houses were feeding him!

This was well before the days of social media etc, and because we hadn't lived there long not that many people knew us and our kitten 🙄. Not many people used collars on cats in those days, but we certainly did after that!

Anyway I hope your gorgeous boy is eating properly again soon.

He's an indoor cat as he's not neutered yet.

He's had a little bit of the gourmet pate stuff - not loads but more than he's eaten since yesterday 🤞

Typically he's been eating it fine for months - it's the only food he's had since bringing him home.

He's just demolished a lik-e-lix so I think we can put it down to fussiness 😂

he might have discomfort caused by a hairball he cant cough up - try giving him some soft butter, it can help dislodge a hairball - usually on you best rug or couch!! ;)

Thanks! We do have some hairball paste actually. I'll give him some of that.

He's had a bit of cat soup - just the liquid rather than the meat, and some more cat milk. I've also given him some hairball paste in case it's that, though he hasn't tried to bring one up as far as I can tell.

Why do they always do this at the weekend? 🙈

Weekends, bank holidays and late at night! Favourite cat times to be a bit ill.
If he's still eating a little and drinking then I wouldn't worry too much. Plus generally behaving 'normally'.
Lick-e-lix is my go to with cats off their food. It gets a few calories and some liquid down them.

It is the law to wait until the vet has shut or the weekend. Triple points for bank holiday emergency vet visits.

I read cats are basically designed to do this to avoid nutritional deficiencies and as the only self domesticated animal we can assume we have been putting up with it for a long time. I suppose wild cats would naturally have a varied diet.

Yes - he wolfed down a salmon lick-e-lix this morning and he's drinking plenty - he's had water and cat milk. He's toileting too. His gums look a bit red near the teeth so I am wondering if he's teething as he's going for liquid/soft stuff.

Behaviour wise he's normal - currently attacking my toes!

Now moved on to hands!

Unfortunately he's just vomited the cat soup all over the carpet. No sign of a hairball anywhere in it. I guess I'll be ringing the vets again!

Update:

He's had three more injections (anti-sickness, anti-inflammatory and antibiotic) as well as some antibiotics to take home with him.

She can't feel any issues and said he's bright and alert which is good. Temperature on the upper end of normal but otherwise he's okay.

Hopefully this sorts him out - only cost £70 though so a bargain really!

That anti sickness injection really stings if they dont keep it in the fridge too. Hopefully he will settle now. Break out the smoked salmon, they love a bit of that.

I agree with PP that he might be teething. This can also elevate his temperature. As long as he is getting something in his little belly, he should be okay. Hopefully he feels better soon! What a cutie!