Help! 6 Week Old Kitten Not Eating Food (Mom Isn't Around Either)

I know that 6 weeks is pretty young but a friend I used to work with gave him to me today and said they were ready to go so I gladly took him! So on to the topic, I've tried feeding it Friskies cat food, I never knew there was a kitten version. It won't eat it, it just smells it and walks away. I'm worried because I'm clueless on what to give it. She told me she was feeding it formula or something like that but she called it "cat food" instead of saying a formula milk. I'd really like some help because I'm scared he won't eat and I have no clue how to help him! Could someone please help us!?

Also He kept crying and crying which I know is normal for a little kitten and especially his first time away from his mother and siblings. I put him in my bathtub with a blanket laid down, my shirt I wore today, some water, some of that Friskies cat food, and his litter box. He used the litter box 10 mins ago which made me very happy! Is this a good place to put him until the crying stops, and if so, how long before he stops?

PS: I've never tried to keep a kitten inside so this my first go around. I had a beautiful kitten a while back but she stayed outside. I hope I'm successful because I've never had an indoor pet!

Kitten formula is often called KMR.  Did the friend say if the kitty was eating it from a saucer or a bottle?  If you can; ask them questions about exactly what the kitten was eating.  6 weeks is very young to leave Mom; but using the litter box is a good sign.

I would consider a canned kitten food instead of dry.  On a low saucer or small plate. The kitten may get messy when eating and need some help cleaning up at first. 

I hope this helps you get started till our experts can advise you. It's been a while since I had such a tiny one!

MoochNNoodles said:

Kitten formula is often called KMR.  Did the friend say if the kitty was eating it from a saucer or a bottle?  If you can; ask them questions about exactly what the kitten was eating.  6 weeks is very young to leave Mom; but using the litter box is a good sign.

I would consider a canned kitten food instead of dry.  On a low saucer or small plate. The kitten may get messy when eating and need some help cleaning up at first. 

I hope this helps you get started till our experts can advise you. It's been a while since I had such a tiny one!

Click to expand...

Yeah, I plan on calling her up and asking what she was feeding it and such. It is canned food btw, I've been putting it on a paper plate. Thanks for the quick response and I'll keep working with him!

You can also try with baby food, Gerber nr 1, the sorts without onion. feks  Chicken, they say are irrestisible to kittens.

Minced meat is another typical beginners food.

If you can get goat milk, this is an useful alternative to kmr - if you want to continue with kmr - which is ok to do, even if she began with real food.

Having her in the bathtube is a smart way to have her in one place, and easy to clean, if that is what you want.  But if you want her to stop crying - you shall have her with you, on you.

She needs human warmth now, she needs a mommy, her mommy. That is YOU.  (even if you happen to be a male, that cant be helped - you must be the Mom, or at least, the Dad).

ps.  Good if she has somewhere to hide a little too, and have a little darker in there. A cat igloo is perfect. Or a sideturned cardboard box with something nice to lie on.

You can also give her a stuffed animal as company, say a teddy bear. Or better still, a teddy cat or puppy.

Good luck!

Welcome to our Forums!

StefanZ said:

You can also try with baby food, Gerber nr 1, the sorts without onion. feks  Chicken, they say are irrestisible to kittens.

Minced meat is another typical beginners food.

If you can get goat milk, this is an useful alternative to kmr - if you want to continue with kmr - which is ok to do, even if she began with real food.

Having her in the bathtube is a smart way to have her in one place, and easy to clean, if that is what you want.  But if you want her to stop crying - you shall have her with you, on you.

She needs human warmth now, she needs a mommy, her mommy. That is YOU.  (even if you happen to be a male, that cant be helped - you must be the Mom, or at least, the Dad).

ps.  Good if she has somewhere to hide a little too, and have a little darker in there. A cat igloo is perfect. Or a sideturned cardboard box with something nice to lie on.

You can also give her a stuffed animal as company, say a teddy bear. Or better still, a teddy cat or puppy.

Good luck!

Welcome to our Forums!

Click to expand...

Yeah he whines until I pick him up and let him sit on me and then he just goes to sleep allllllll dayyyyyy longggg! I don't think he likes the cat food though, my dad gave him some little pieces of ham and he ate it all up quickly. I'm amazed that he uses the litter box so much! I'm glad there is a whole site and community of nice people, all for cats!

A little update, since he has been eating the ham all day. He hasn't let it out, sorry if that's a bad choice of words but I didn't know what to put lol. Is that an issue? He has been peeing a lot though.

With lotsa of proteins, there will be a lot of peeing as everything got used, not so much residues in the boweld who must be poo-ed.

But it is good he do poo somewhat reguralry, so yes, it may be a concern.

When did he had poo latest?  How often do he has it usually?

StefanZ said:

With lotsa of proteins, there will be a lot of peeing as everything got used, not so much residues in the boweld who must be poo-ed.

But it is good he do poo somewhat reguralry, so yes, it may be a concern.

When did he had poo latest?  How often do he has it usually?

Click to expand...

Well the last time he did was last nigh, or maybe this morning. I can't remember =/

Ok, so it is not constipation yet.  But good you do have your eyes open!

You can write up in a diary-book what happens, if you want. 

You will have it as good help when you write your memories for your grand children, or especielly - if you ever publish a book about your life.

StefanZ said:

Ok, so it is not constipation yet.  But good you do have your eyes open!

You can write up in a diary-book what happens, if you want. 

You will have it as good help when you write your memories for your grand children, or especielly - if you ever publish a book about your life.

Click to expand...

That's intense lol. He's doing fine now, I was just worried! He had one accident where he climbed up on the couch with my parents and pee'd between them =/

You will have to use an enzyme cleaner to clean the couch or he will probably keep going there. Is he eating anything other than ham now? This is fine for a day or so but he really needs a complete food right now. You should get some goats milk or kmr like others have said and try to mix it with wet food. Friskies isn't the best so he might like fancy feast classic which is also a relatively cheap food but has better ingredients. You can also check out www.catinfo.org for more info on diet.

I also agree with others that you have to hold him to you as much as possible because he was taken away from his mother way too soon and make a nest for him out of a box.

Franksmom said:

You will have to use an enzyme cleaner to clean the couch or he will probably keep going there. Is he eating anything other than ham now? This is fine for a day or so but he really needs a complete food right now. You should get some goats milk or kmr like others have said and try to mix it with wet food. Friskies isn't the best so he might like fancy feast classic which is also a relatively cheap food but has better ingredients. You can also check out www.catinfo.org for more info on diet.

I also agree with others that you have to hold him to you as much as possible because he was taken away from his mother way too soon and make a nest for him out of a box.

Click to expand...

I've still been feeding him ham and he gobbles it up. I really don't have anything else right now. I'll look for Fancy Feast at the dollar general tomorrow.

Ham is not bad in itself, but its not complete, being essentially pure proteins.  He must have also quite a lot of fat.  (so use fat ham if you can!  dont cut away the fat pieces).

And also a good source of calcium is needed.   Goat milk, plain youghurt (for example turkish youghurt), cheese... 

If salomonella in eggs is not a problem at your place, raw egg yolk is good.  I suppose boiled egg yolk is also good, but all recipes talk about raw.

Crushed egg shell are useful as such source of calcium mentioned above.  Boil the egg so all bacterias are gone, and crush the shell thoroughly into  powder.

Or, easier and best, a good canned cat food and if you want, some kmr or goat milk as a fill up as long he is young and may need it.

It is easier to make a decent wet food than a decent dry food, so you can take almost any wet food and it will be OK.

Although with small kittens, make sure it contains much meat and much fat. No low fat variations.

StefanZ said:

Ham is not bad in itself, but its not complete, being essentially pure proteins.  He must have also quite a lot of fat.  (so use fat ham if you can!  dont cut away the fat pieces).

And also a good source of calcium is needed.   Goat milk, plain youghurt (for example turkish youghurt), cheese... 

If salomonella in eggs is not a problem at your place, raw egg yolk is good.  I suppose boiled egg yolk is also good, but all recipes talk about raw.

Crushed egg shell are useful as such source of calcium mentioned above.  Boil the egg so all bacterias are gone, and crush the shell thoroughly into  powder.

Or, easier and best, a good canned cat food and if you want, some kmr or goat milk as a fill up as long he is young and may need it.

It is easier to make a decent wet food than a decent dry food, so you can take almost any wet food and it will be OK.

Although with small kittens, make sure it contains much meat and much fat. No low fat variations.

Click to expand...

I've got some Fancy Feast cat food. Is that good?

The fancy feast classic is a pretty good food. 

CrossBones3129 said:

I've got some Fancy Feast cat food. Is that good?

Click to expand...

I suspect there are better, but it shall work, at least the canned version.

It will be surely better than living on just ham.  

You didnt managed to get  Gerber nr 1, turkey or chicken?

StefanZ said:

I suspect there are better, but it shall work, at least the canned version.

It will be surely better than living on just ham.  

You didnt managed to get  Gerber nr 1, turkey or chicken?

Click to expand...

Lol yeah I agree and no, I didn't get any gerber =/ Forgot all about it!

The Fancy Feast flavors I got were Chicken feast in gravy, chicken classic, and ocean whitefish/tuna classic.

The classic is good and try not to feed fish too often it has a high mercury content and cats get addicted, but once or twice a week is fine.

Franksmom said:

The classic is good and try not to feed fish too often it has a high mercury content and cats get addicted, but once or twice a week is fine.

Click to expand...

Any others I need to stay away from?

He finally started eating the chicken, I put it in paper plate and it took him about 5 mins before he started eating. I'd rub it on his mouth so he could lick it and get the taste cuz he'd lick it off my finger. Finally he figured out where it was coming from I guess lol. How many spoons should I feed him, 3 or 4?

CrossBones3129 said:

Any others I need to stay away from?

He finally started eating the chicken, I put it in paper plate and it took him about 5 mins before he started eating. I'd rub it on his mouth so he could lick it and get the taste cuz he'd lick it off my finger. Finally he figured out where it was coming from I guess lol. How many spoons should I feed him, 3 or 4?

Click to expand...

You want to try to stick to foods with mostly meat and not many grains as cats are obligate carnivors. The cheaper foods that are good are fancy feast classic, Sheba and I think the friskie pâté version is all right too. If you can spend more money on food there are a lot of good grain free foods at pet stores like natures variety, hound and gato, Welness and tiki cat. Raw is actually cheaper than some wet foods and homemade raw is very cheap ( see www.catinfo.org for recipe)

I think with kittens the rule is to feed them as much as they will eat and do multiple feedings through the day.