Sick Kitten

I need some advice/help. Yesterday we adopted a kitten from petsmart who is 9 weeks old. We were advised to feed him Iams kitten food and 1/8 a can of wet cat food twice a day. We set up his litter box and got him everything he could possibly need. Last night I noticed he had not touched his dry food at all. So i decided to try the wet food, he would not eat that either. My boyfriend noticed that when he would go into the litter box he would try and go to the bathroom and either he wouldnt go or just a little bit of feces would come out. Now im not sure how much kittens are suppose to defecate, but im starting to worry. Today he hasnt been as playful as he was yesterday, but doesnt seem in distress. He drinks PLENTY of water, but i have not witnessed him eat anything all day. Should i be worried about my new kitten? Please help!

I have seen him pee multiple times and even poop, it wasnt much poop, but he did poop.

Welcome to TCS . I understand your concerns and they are valid. Pet stores like Petsmart aren't the best places to adopt from, the advice they give you is as good as the Inquirer. They have only had the kitten for a week at the most before you, and chances are their concern is $, vs your concern which is . It is very important to make an appointment with your vet, kittens should have thorough examinations and their first round of shots at this age.
Was his poop solid? This is a good sign, diarrhea can cause dehydration, life threatening for kittens. I would try a different wet kitten food, the most important thing is for him to eat at this point, but you want him to eat healthy. Also it is important to keep a new kitten/cat in a confined area when first introducing them to a new home, a room with the litter, food and water and where you will be. Sometimes a new introduction to a home can be very stressful......
Hope this helps.....

He has already had his first and second shots and he gets his third round of shots in the beginning of July. His poop isnt diarrea, but it isnt hard. Im not sure how cat poop should be, but it looks normal to me. The wet cat food we have for him is what they gave us and said that he has been eating it. The lady we adopted him from said she has been fostering him for a couple weeks now along with his two sisters. Our house is pretty open so its hard to keep him in one room. Is it normal for him to sleep a lot?

He has played today, but not as much as yesterday. He has been sleeping a lot.

No he is following us around and always cuddling up in our laps. He is a very affectionate cat and loves our attention. If we arent there for him to sleep on he will sleep on the couch of our chair.

Kittens are much more active, the normal complaint we hear from people with new kittens is that they can't get any sleep ! He is young, it is important for him to feel loved, cuddling, and constant acknowledgment. It is very important to get him to eat. In the morning when you feed him, sit close by, encourage him to eat, even pretend to try some and love it, it may sound bizarre, but it often works!

It is normal for the cat/kitten to not eat normally for the first couple of days at the new home - it is very common. Since you just adopted him on Saturday, he is still on a "normal" time frame. Watch him closely tomorrow, and if he doesn't eat, than I would take him to a vet. Make sure to take him to his food, now that he is still new at home... It is very important that he eats tomorrow though; even if you need to mix some tuna juice into the wet food... You can give him more than 1/8 can, if that's what he wants.
Please see a vet if he doesn't eat, drink and use the box normally by tomorrow. Good Luck!

Originally Posted by carolinalima

It is normal for the cat/kitten to not eat normally for the first couple of days at the new home - it is very common. Since you just adopted him on Saturday, he is still on a "normal" time frame. Watch him closely tomorrow, and if he doesn't eat, than I would take him to a vet. Make sure to take him to his food, now that he is still new at home... It is very important that he eats tomorrow though; even if you need to mix some tuna juice into the wet food... You can give him more than 1/8 can, if that's what he wants.
Please see a vet if he doesn't eat, drink and use the box normally by tomorrow. Good Luck!

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Agree with above, just want to add make sure it's tuna in water, not in oil!

Is he an only cat? If he is, he might be feeling a bit down from not having anyone his size to play with; maybe a littermate (actual or adopted) is in order. I remember Squirrel was much more active after I brought Panther home (they're actual littermate sisters but I caught them a few days apart). I think she ate more after that too; makes sense, she was running it off.

I'd say take him in for a check-up (my Petsmart, where I adopted my kitties, advised taking in within the first three days, assuming you had no other pets at home). I wouldn't overly panic right now, but you'll feel better once he's gotten the once-over. Also, it's good for you to build up a relationship with your own vet. I wouldn't change the food from what he's been eating - should you decide to change down the road, you'll probably find a slow transition is best. And re sleep - depending on how frazzled he was during his first day home, he might be making up on a little sleep now...but, again, you'll feel better once vet tells you all is well, or what to do if all is not perfect. But, best wishes and welcome to your new little one!

I had a totally different experience with Petsmart than the one poster. First, they work with many many different shelters throughout the US, and have done a lot to make sure pets are adopted. Secondly, my cats were there for a few weeks (senior cats) and many of the staff were able to give me quite acccurate personality analysis, as well as a lot of advice for a new owner. I had mine in for vet checks and they were totally healthy. And, there were things Petsmart told me not to buy (like beds) since kitty would probably like my bed better. They have a wonderful return policy (much better than PetsSuppliesPlus in my area), and all around, I'm pretty happy with them and their approach.

Sure, the more pets adopted mean more money spent to purchase things for those pets, but I sort of wonder how much is sheer profit on their part - staff and floor space isn't cheap, and Petsmart (and Petco) are usually right there donating large amounts of emergency supplies whenever there's a natural disaster in the US.

Also remember.....no food in tummy means no pooh in butt.....On that note, a trip to the vet never hurts. Also not eating for a day or two is okay, he could be scared. By day three, his tummy should win over nerves.

Well I hope he's ok........ If you check in please let us know