New kitten doesn't know how to eat? Super stressed?

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  • 19 July, 2015 at 8:25 pm #834871
    Terina
    Participant

    Hi TDK!

    I just adopted a 11 wk old kitten (from a litter of 5) yesterday and named her Nami. She is the sweetest little girl, generally calm and quiet but happy to play as well. That being said, I think she is on the skinny side (I can easily feel her ribs and hip bones) and isn’t a good eater.

    I got the same food they were feeding her mom and siblings, and she has had approximate 10 kibbles in 24 hours! She takes a kibble, licks it lots of times (can’t pick it up?), and when she finally picks it up in her mouth, she tries chewing and most of the kibble end up falling out as she’s licking and chewing. I tried soft canned kitten food — she licks but not much gets in her mouth. I have tried cooked sliced turkey bits — she was eager and “attempted” eating for quite a while. Same results – I end up with basically everything I gave her, just in smaller bits that fall out of her mouth as she tries to chew.

    Does she not know how to eat solid food?!?

    I called back to check how she was before I adopted her, and the people mentioned that they just leave food out for mom and the kittens, and they all looked like they were eating but they don’t know for sure.

    Nami just pooped out some yellow bubbles. Literally. It’s not even a stream of liquid or anything but a tiny little puddle of yellow-ish bubbles. Please, any advice welcome!!

    Note: I have a 1 year old kitty (Karma) who will sometimes hiss and growl at the door (they are separated, waiting for the slow introduction). Nami occasionally hisses back. Maybe she is really stressed out?

    19 July, 2015 at 8:42 pm #834872
    Kittyzee
    Participant

    Terina, welcome to TDK! I would take her to the vet and have her checked out for parasites (of which she certainly has worms from her mom) and other one celled parasites such as coccidia and giardia causing the diarrhea. Also have them check her mouth for sores or anything that would cause her trouble chewing. I would get some goat’s milk (don’t give her cow’s milk as it does cause diarrhea because of lactose) as it contains good probiotics for her tummy and won’t cause upset. You can find it in the cold milk section or in the baking aisle in cans–you just have to add water 1 to 1 to the canned as it’s condensed. I would also just get some regular wet cat food and try her on it and see how she does. But the first place I would start would be to see a vet. Keep us posted — she’s a beautiful kitten!

    20 July, 2015 at 7:48 am #834885
    kelley
    Participant

    Check her teeth or maybe she just wants milk want milk my cat had 5 kittens and one didn’t want soft food it took her longer to stop drinking from mom so i had to bottle feed her a week longer then she started to eat soft food she was not ready for food

    20 July, 2015 at 4:38 pm #834900
    Terina
    Participant

    Thank you so much for the advice! I went out and got goat’s milk and she is loving it haha. She’s also started eating the other foods in more ernest now. I will still get her dewormed for the soft stool. THANK YOU BOTH FOR RESPONDING!!!

    20 July, 2015 at 6:28 pm #834910
    Kittyzee
    Participant

    YAY! I swear goat’s milk has been one of the best things I have ever fed kittens–it literally has taken some of my sick kittens and turned them around 100%!

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