My baby Midnight is approximatly 5-6 months old.A blessing by god. Midnight and her two brothers were found living in a barge with no mother in the dead of winter. When they were taken in they were in bad shape but started on Cap Sip within a few days. Eventually the cats were split up. I recived Midnight (female) who was smallest.My mom recieved Sugar Raye (Middle size) and my step dads friend Dave recieved River (who is huge). Both Sugar and River are DLH cats and Midnight is a Dsh. When I recieved Midnight she was able to drink on her own but couldnt yet eat dry nor moist food. Since she has gotten older it has been a uphill battle with her to eat.At 3 months she weighed 2.5lbs. The vet at that time gave her this high in fat food for kittens which was a moist food but yet Midnight still wouldnt eat it. I have tried Various dry foods from most expensive to least to best quality to worst and she turns her nose at it. If left out she will eat not even 1/3 of a cup a day.She will not eat moist food at all. The only thing that I had found that she will eat is Chunk Tuna in Water but yet I know that isnt good for her all the time so I am at the point where I am not sure what to do. She seems very picky.She isnt given and table food to eat either.It is about time for her to be fixed and declawed and we are running into a problem because she is underweight. Otherwise she is very healthy. She likes to run and play.She is very loving. I wonder what effect of her being so much smaller then her brothers could play a role in her eating habits. I am also wondering what if and comments you may have on things I could try with her to get to eat more food or even just more often. Thanks!Here are a few Pictures of her.
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Weight Problems,Picky eater,underweight
- Thread starter babymidnight
- Start Date
Hi! Welcome to TCS!
Midnight is absolutely beautiful!!! What a lucky kitten to have been rescued from such a desperate situation.
A diet of high quality canned food is the best thing to feed Midnight. When you say you've tried "moist" food do you mean the cans or the type of food that comes in pouches?
There are many high quality foods that you can try with Midnight - just be sure to avoid the brands that are currently being recalled (please see the urgent thread at the top of this forum).
What you can do is use "bribe" foods to get Midnight to eat. Since she likes the chunky tuna, you can try a little of that on top of or mixed into the food you want her to eat. (You're right about the tuna not being good for her as a steady diet, but as a temporary "bribe" food it's ok). Many cats love turkey or chicken baby food (make sure it does NOT contain onion - Gerber Stage 2 is good). Bonito flakes, or even a little catnip sprinkled on food can give a kitty incentive to eat. KMR (kitten milk replacer, a liquid) has lots of calories and even many older cats like the flavor. Bite-sized pieces of fresh roasted white meat chicken or turkey can do wonders.
If Midnight is still very much underweight for her age, you should consider syringe-feeding her, to supplement whatever she does eat on her own. If you decide to do this, I can refer you to a very good website that helped me learn how to do it.
You mentioned that Midnight is still too underweight for spaying and declawing. I'm glad to see that you are being very responsible by having her spayed, but I'm wondering why you think she should be declawed?
I hope some of these suggestions will help. Please keep us updated on how your adorable girl is doing.
Midnight is absolutely beautiful!!! What a lucky kitten to have been rescued from such a desperate situation.
A diet of high quality canned food is the best thing to feed Midnight. When you say you've tried "moist" food do you mean the cans or the type of food that comes in pouches?
There are many high quality foods that you can try with Midnight - just be sure to avoid the brands that are currently being recalled (please see the urgent thread at the top of this forum).
What you can do is use "bribe" foods to get Midnight to eat. Since she likes the chunky tuna, you can try a little of that on top of or mixed into the food you want her to eat. (You're right about the tuna not being good for her as a steady diet, but as a temporary "bribe" food it's ok). Many cats love turkey or chicken baby food (make sure it does NOT contain onion - Gerber Stage 2 is good). Bonito flakes, or even a little catnip sprinkled on food can give a kitty incentive to eat. KMR (kitten milk replacer, a liquid) has lots of calories and even many older cats like the flavor. Bite-sized pieces of fresh roasted white meat chicken or turkey can do wonders.
If Midnight is still very much underweight for her age, you should consider syringe-feeding her, to supplement whatever she does eat on her own. If you decide to do this, I can refer you to a very good website that helped me learn how to do it.
You mentioned that Midnight is still too underweight for spaying and declawing. I'm glad to see that you are being very responsible by having her spayed, but I'm wondering why you think she should be declawed?
I hope some of these suggestions will help. Please keep us updated on how your adorable girl is doing.
Hope Midnight is eating better - please let us know how she's doing.
I am sure that someone will be along soon with some helpful advice on getting Midnight to eat better. I just wanted to add that I hope you will reconsider having her declawed. It is cruel and painful for them and is illegal in many countries (except this one
) This thread has some very good resources and articles regarding problems that can arise from declawing.
http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41954
Maybe mixing a little tuna, or putting some of the tuna juice on her food will help her to eat it? Good luck.
http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41954
Maybe mixing a little tuna, or putting some of the tuna juice on her food will help her to eat it? Good luck.
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Please check with the vet to ensure she is indeed underwt at this pt ..You have some great suggestions if she is ...
Aww she is adorable!!
Maverick had something wrong with his underbite so he would rather leave his food than eat it and was underweight until I started him with soft. I definitely agree that a wet diet would be best for her right now with a high protein kitten food.
With the recall I'd recommend Old Mother Hubbard wet or Cator and Pollux brands.
Also - if she is scratching a lot - try some Feliaway spray or buy a Feliaway diffuser. I have heard from the other posters here this works well. I also bought Maverick a scratching post that I rub with catnip and he uses it exclusively to scratch because (I think) he likes the smell and the feel of the seisel as opposed to my furniture.
Take it from me - declawing is not the best route. Penelope is front-declawed, only 4.5 years old, and she has arthritis pretty bad. Its sad watching her lick her paws constantly because I know its hurting her.
Let us know how you fare with Midnight, the sweetie!!
And welcome!!
Maverick had something wrong with his underbite so he would rather leave his food than eat it and was underweight until I started him with soft. I definitely agree that a wet diet would be best for her right now with a high protein kitten food.
With the recall I'd recommend Old Mother Hubbard wet or Cator and Pollux brands.
Also - if she is scratching a lot - try some Feliaway spray or buy a Feliaway diffuser. I have heard from the other posters here this works well. I also bought Maverick a scratching post that I rub with catnip and he uses it exclusively to scratch because (I think) he likes the smell and the feel of the seisel as opposed to my furniture.
Take it from me - declawing is not the best route. Penelope is front-declawed, only 4.5 years old, and she has arthritis pretty bad. Its sad watching her lick her paws constantly because I know its hurting her.
Let us know how you fare with Midnight, the sweetie!!
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Midnight is precious!! She reminds me of Gracie. I rescued Gracie when she was just a tiny baby, her eyes were still blurry, and had to bottle feed her. The only food she would eat was moist food (and then only Fancy Feast beef) and sometimes we had to put the milk replacement I was feeding her in the food in order for her to eat it. Just try different things with Midnight. Gracie is very finicky and I have to change the type of cat food I feed her nearly every month. I know that's not terribly good for her, but it's the only way she'll eat good. The things we do for our kitties.
She is very cute.
What is "cap sip"? The only thing I can think of is maybe you meant "cat sip". Cat sip is a "treat" milk, AFAIK...not really a meal or "milk replacer". Will she still accept anything like that? KMR is a milk replacer...perhaps if she would still drink that (KMR), you could slowly introduce her to some moist food, much the way a person would with very young kittens. If she would drink KMR from a saucer, then slowly add small amounts of moist food to it, making a "slurry" out of it...that's what I've done to get baby kittens on wet food. Maybe it would help with Midnight.
What is "cap sip"? The only thing I can think of is maybe you meant "cat sip". Cat sip is a "treat" milk, AFAIK...not really a meal or "milk replacer". Will she still accept anything like that? KMR is a milk replacer...perhaps if she would still drink that (KMR), you could slowly introduce her to some moist food, much the way a person would with very young kittens. If she would drink KMR from a saucer, then slowly add small amounts of moist food to it, making a "slurry" out of it...that's what I've done to get baby kittens on wet food. Maybe it would help with Midnight.
