Pumpkin is very under weight :(

Oh boy..took the babies to the vet today for their FVRCP and Pumpkin is not gaining well.

She weighs in at only 3 lbs. at maybe 12 or 13 weeks (we do not know for sure with her). I brought her home she weighed .8 ounces and I have had her since the end of Sept. Yet ,the vet said she thinks maybe she is just a small kitty, but said we could do testing to determine if anything else is going on.

The boys are both in at 3.6 lbs and are meaty on the bones. Not much meat on Pumpkins bones...and she eats a lot!

Her stools are formed and she has been wormed and tested clear 2x on BMs.

So I have to see if I want to do this testing on her.
I am worried.She is such a beautiful kitty and soooo loving...she is happy and sweet and plays and runs right along with the boys. She is just so skinny...

I was wondering what any of you fed your babies who were not gaining well to help fill them out?

Are you sure that she is eating her food - is there a chance the boys are getting some of it?
Are her stools normal?

I guess I would talk to your vet about a calorie supplement. PM sharky for a food suggestion. I would also wonder about whether or not the two boys are pushing her out of her food?

How much do the boys weigh, and are they the same age? They are not from the same litter, correct?

When Elsa had 8 kittens, the largest was only 1 pound 12 ounces at 8 weeks. Have you kept a journal of weights to see if she's gradually gaining?

I watch them eat..
They all have their seperate bowls and the boys always leave first and then she eats what is left in addition to of her own food bowl serving.
I also see her go to the dry food bowls and snack during the day.

I looked at her stool this morning and last night and it is formed. It is a lighter brown than the boys's BM's and not as hard formed. Theres seem harder and dark brown.

The boys are younger (and no not from the same litter) but only by a week or two and they weigh 3.6lbs. They also were with their Mamma for a full 7 weeks-Pumpkin we have no idea when she was taken from her Mother.

I did ask the vet about additional food choices and she really did not encourage anything and was very against me giving her a raw diet ( like from Nature's Variety) which I thought would maybe help.

That is why I came here because she was no help on what else to give her and just suggested running some tests.

Pumpkin has weighed in at
.8 ounces 9/21/07
1.8lbs in 10/15/07
and now 3lbs here in 11/12/07

Maybe she's just petite. I've been weighing my kittens since birth (or since I rescued them), and they've all been gaining. But at 6 months old two of girls only weigh 3-3.5 pounds. They are just very petite kittens.

Jack was at the vet about a week and a half ago and the vet guesstimated his age at about 11 weeks and he weighed 2lbs 15 oz. She didn't seem at all worried about his weight--his appetite has been great in the two weeks he has a had a home with us. Your kitten doesn't seem too small to me--I agree perhaps it will be petite.

Leslie

It sounds like she's gaining weight fine. Most people think there is something awful wrong with my OSH mix kittens because they are so thin. They are about the right height for their age just have little stick bodies. She's gained almost 2 lbs in a month thats not bad at all! She's probably just going to be small. You also have to consider that the other two kittens are males and therefor will probably be bigger as adults.

I went back over my spreadsheet and our second smallest girl in the litter was:

2 days 3 oz.
3 weeks 6.6 oz.
6 weeks 14.1 oz.
8 weeks 1 lb. 3 oz.
14 weeks 3 lb. 9 oz.

So I'd say she's probably doing pretty well.

Hey thanks everyone..you all have made me feel much better about this...I too am begining to believe she is just a small pea!