Spoiled rotten kitten - won't drink water

My kitten is about 6 1/2 weeks old - maybe 7 weeks, named Pixie, whom we thought was 6 weeks when we got her ended up being about 3 1/2 weeks old per the vet (we took her to the vet the next day because she was not eating). So, for a time she was eating GNC brand kitten milk by syringe then we got her started on wet food and just introduced hard food a few days ago. The bulk of her food is wet food right now. I switched her to goats milk a couple of days ago (she gave up the syringe quite awhile ago) and so now her supplement is goats milk.

Basically, Pixie's diet is some milk, mostly wet food, and some hard food. Her wet food is Royal Canin brand kitten food and also Wilderness wet kitten food, her hard food is Royal Canin. 

She will NOT touch water. She tries to cover it up. haha! I am thinking "spoiled rotten" but maybe at this stage is okay that she just drinks the goats milk rather than water???

Any thoughts on whether or not she MUST drink water or taking away the goats milk or how to introduce water?

She has been dewormed, her fur is recovering from her malnourished state when we got her and seems to be thriving just fine the doc said. She was 10 ounces when we got her and she was up to 1 pound 5 ounces when  we took her back two weeks later for a check up. 

Thanks.

There's no need for her to drink water right now - she's likely getting enough liquid from the wet food and the milk.  Is there a reason she's on dry food at all?  An all-wet food diet is really the best diet.  Once she starts eating totally food on her own (no milk), you might think about a fountain.  Cats seem to like to drink from them - I think the moving water helps attract them.

Good luck and thank you for taking such good care of her!

Whew! I'm glad to hear that she doesn't have to drink water. I will keep her on the milk.

To answer your question about dry food - I haven't ever had my kitties on a wet food diet (past the baby age). Years and years of having a cat even growing up I haven't ever done that and I guess I never thought much about it other than the type of dry food we feed. I have been very against things like meow mix. The one time I switched them from science diet to another pet smart brand then Skittles had a urinary blockage about 7 years ago. For a time we were with the Urinary SO, Biscuit had liver failure (about four years ago) from an infection and we had to keep them on the urinary SO (so? Is that right? I might be wrong) Royal Canin prescription brand until the price reached an unbelievable price. I free feed three cats. At any rate after years on the SO I switched them to Taste of the Wild and have been on that for about a year. I had never entertained the thought of a wet diet until some of the things I have read on here.

So that's the answer to the dry food question.

My cat only drinks water when she eats dry food, which is very rare. I still leave fresh water out for her and change it regularly, but typically, she gets all her moisture from the food. I can't remember which site it was (possibly www.catinfo.org, but I'm not positive), but there was one site that said that cats ONLY drink water when they're already partially dehydrated. So I actually worry more when she does drink water. I do want to get a fountain sometime, though.

It just seems so odd and it challenges everything I have ever known about an animal needing "fresh water" that I can't fathom the cats not needing the water while on the wet food but I hear you guys talking about it with some evidence to back it up so while I probably won't change my cats to wet food because I am the lazy lady that I am - I kind of equate it to breast feeding versus bottle/formula feeding a human infant, I am not one to say never say never either. I will keep baby Pixie on the wet food and stop offering the dry for now.

Thanks for all the advice.

The reason is because canned food is 78% water :tongue2:. So if you fed 6 ounces of canned food, that would be more than 4 ounces of water, so you can see how easily they get their moisture needs met that way. In the wild, cats get most of their moisture from the blood and flesh of the animals they eat, with only an occasional drink of water to cleanse the palate :lol3:. www.catinfo.org explains their moisture needs pretty well.

If you're concerned about her water intake, you can always add a couple of teaspoons to her wet food to make it the consistency of thick oatmeal.  I do this for my kitties, but they're 8, 3, and 2.

That is a great idea bout adding the water to the wet. I guess right now she is just doing okay with the goats milk and the wet and I have taken away the dry for now. I doubt I will keep her on the wet forever but for now she is.  

I totally get why some people choose the wet. I was just saying it is hard for me to grasp the concept. It might be like when you are one "religion" and get indoctrinated but then you hear something different later and even if it is the truth it is still hard to totally "grasp" it? That is probably how I feel. I have had cats since I was born and I will be 40 years old soon with just some wet food here and there. Jasper lived to be 19 but maybe it was just great genetics? Shadow was 16 years old when she passed away. Both were on dry food, but high quality dry food. It has just been what I am used to. I would have never thought it could be such a heated debate but it seems to be but I respect everyones decision no matter what they do. I am not one to judge.