New Kitten, not sure how old, not eating...

Well, as some of you know I've been thinking about getting another kitten. My friend's neighbor's cat had kittens, then the mom got outside and hasn't been back in over a week . So the neighbor has been getting rid of the kittens and asked me to take one. She's not exactly sure how old the litter is (she's kinda weird and flighty...).

I fell in love with this little guy...he's grey, white and a bit of tan/orange. Dilute calico? From the minute I saw him I knew he was meant for me. He's really spunky and playful!

The only problem is, he seems really young. I'm not sure how young he is. He isn't interested in dry food. I picked up some KMR and he's eaten 1 tsp. Is he just adjusting? He's so tiny and skinny. When should I be worried? I'm going to try to schedule an appointment with the vet as soon as possible.

He also won't fall asleep unless I hold him and stroke him (which is okay with me for now).

Moses has been taking all of this great. He's very curious and a little apprehensive, but there's been no mean or aggressive behavior. They were actually playing hide-and-seek earlier.

The pictures aren't that great...I'll try to get some better ones tomorrow.

Oh wow - he is SO cute!! I'd give it a couple of days, tops, before I was worried. Definately take him to the vet ASAP just for a check-up...

Yes take him to the vet before he has any more interaction with Moses. He looks like a 7-8 week old kitten to me. He should be eating. The vet needs to check him over.

Also he looks like a blue tabby/white to me. The "cream" spots are the patina color undercoat in a blue tabby.

I'd get him some high quality canned kitten food and mix it till its soupy (with warm water). Yes it will be sloppy, but it should start him eating. Also get some Royal Canin kitten food or other high quality kitten food. You might try some boiled chicken breast that is shredded up fine for him to nibble on.

I'm calling the vet first thing in the morning. From what I can tell, he looks healthy....clear eyes, nose, ears, etc. but I know there's a lot I don't know.

I'm planning on offering him some wet food when he wakes up. (sleeping on my chest now) I don't have any kitten wet food though, just cheap grocery-store food, as Moses just eats a bit as a treat every day. Is this okay to give him?

I also have Royal Canin babycat, but at the moment its mixed with the food he was getting at my friend's neighbor's house. Its a huge all-stage kibble...not extremely appetizing. I dont want to give him the runs though, so I'd like to gradually get him off that other food. He's not interested in the food or water dish.

Should I mix the wet food with water or with kitten formula?

Oh how cute. Maybe he's just nervous. He looks healthy. I would think you just want to get to eat anything right now. If he's truly a dilute calico,,,,wouldn't he be a she?

I'm not sure if he's a calico or not. Probably not. We'll see if the orange stays.

I tried some wet food mixed with formula....he's completely uninterested. How long can I leave the food out before it goes bad?

Couple hours I would think... Have you got a kitten bottle??? Its worth a shot! he looks big enough to eat soft food but maybe he's still wanting a little drink!

Have you got a kitten bottle??? Its worth a shot!

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Yeah, he doen't suck on it, but I squirt it into his mouth and then he drinks it. So far he's had about 2 1/2 Tbsp of formula, that's it.

Thats better than nothing!! I guess I would try some of the wet food no matter what kind it is and maybe warm it up a little bit so the aroma gets his attention!! What a little stud he is!

I'd mix the wet with warm water and KMR added. You can also get Nutrical (paste) - its got lots of vitamins in it.

If the kitten has no cream patches in the body (noticable) then its not a blue cream/calico. People mistake the patina (soft creamy) color for blue cream on tabbys. He's a blue tabby/white

Well whatever he is, he's stolen my heart!

So far has only eaten 4.5 Tbsp of KMR. I'm going to try a different flavor of wet food later this morning. To my knowledge, he hasn't used gone to the bathroom either.

I'm just waiting for the vet's office to open.....

Have a vet app scheduled for this afternoon.

I think he may have peed behind the tv stand....Moses was trying to bury something this morning. I couldn't smell anything (but couldn't get back there to really get a good whiff), but I took a sanitizing wipe to the floor. (Its hardwood). It's closed off now so he can't get back there anymore, until he figures out how to jump over it.

Used the litter box this morning and at some kibble! Woo-hoo!

Here's a better pic:

He looks old enough to be on his own, more or less. I would guess he's about 10 weeks old. But you should probably put him in a small room with his own litter box for a day or two, just to get in the habit of using it.

Worst case scenario, you COULD give him a little milk in a shallow bowl. If he doesn't seem too interested in it, put his nose and mouth down in it, gently. Usually this gets them started eating.

Can't figure any good reason why he wouldn't be eating, unless he wasn't eating before you got him.

By the way, he has gorgeous markings, a very pretty kitty!

What a little doll.

omg what a cute kitty. When I got my little sophie I brought her home and she wouldn't eat and wouldn't potty. All she did was walk around and cry looking for her mom and siblings. I went across the street where she came from and got her sister Olive the next day and they swiftly ate and pottied. lol Sometimes they just need to adjust to a new place.

what a beautiful baby!!! No wonder he stole your heart. Just curious what the vet said, and best wishes for a long and happy life together.

Thanks everyone! I think he's pretty adorable.

Here's the update. Vet said he's a 7 week old dilute calico, healthy and happy, and obviously adjusting well to the adoption as he's very snuggly with me.

He said to not worry too much about the eating. At his size (1.5 lbs), his tummy is so small that even a little bit of food is fine.

Noah (finally named him) has been eating and drinking very well. He actually took over Moses' wet food plate the other day...Moses was looking at me like "Hey! Did you see what he did!" so I gave Moses another plate.