My kitten is a Licker

My kitten doesn't know how to eat kibble, he keeps licking it. How do I help him with eating? 

He is 5 months old

Haley, welcome to The Cate Site.

Um, maybe your cat is trying to tell you something

Kibble (dry food) isn't that great for cats, wet food is much better.

Have you given him wet food and if so what does he do with it?

If he licks the juice/gravy part of the wet food, then try giving him pate kind.

Ritz said:

Haley, welcome to The Cate Site.

Um, maybe your cat is trying to tell you something

Kibble (dry food) isn't that great for cats, wet food is much better.

Have you given him wet food and if so what does he do with it?

If he licks the juice/gravy part of the wet food, then try giving him pate kind.

Click to expand...

Hi well, I have to blend his wet food in the blender so he can lick it"eat it" 

And I really want him to start eating dry because I want to leave it for him when I'm not home.

That's funny about the blender.  What we do for our furbabies!

I would give him wet food in the morning, leave out a measured amount of high quality (no grain, high protein) dry food for him to snack on, and then give him more food when you get home.

Wet food is much better than dry, but I understand work schedules and kittens need a lot of food.

Ritz said:

That's funny about the blender.  What we do for our furbabies!
I would give him wet food in the morning, leave out a measured amount of high quality (no grain, high protein) dry food for him to snack on, and then give him more food when you get home.
Wet food is much better than dry, but I understand work schedules and kittens need a lot of food.

Click to expand...

Great advice Ritz! In addition, I'd give another wet meal in the evening. :nod:

Thanks! But I tried leaving dry even when he is hungry, he keeps licking it hoping the kibble will jump to his mouth!!! 

He needs to bite and swallow but he doesn't know that  

Interesting.

Have you taken him to the vets; what is his background?

I wonder if something medical is going on in his mouth--make it hurts his teeth to bite.

(My philosophy is to look for the obvious, and then the really out there possibilities.)

Ritz said:

Interesting.

Have you taken him to the vets; what is his background?

I wonder if something medical is going on in his mouth--make it hurts his teeth to bite.

(My philosophy is to look for the obvious, and then the really out there possibilities.)

Click to expand...

The vet said nothing is wrong with him

My cat is a licker also.  She likes her wet food mixed up so that it's like gravy.  I don't mind this since it is a way to get more water into her, but she doesn't get enough calories this way so she eats dry food also. 

You could try different brands to find a knibble that he likes and can swallow easily.  Some cats like small knibble.  Royal Canin makes dry food in different shapes and sizes.  Does he like treats?  If he does you can mix a few treats in with the regular knibble.  One thing that you shouldn't do is, mix knibble in with the wet food.  I have tried this and it caused choking.  You can sprinkle catnip on the knibble and see if this helps. 

That's all I can think of for now.  Good luck!