kitten not eating!!

Hello! I have a pretty scary situation here with a 15 week old kitten "Loki". Hopefully somebody has some advice.
Back in February we adopted a very pregnant stray. She delivered four healthy kittens who are now 16 weeks old. We were lucky enough to find homes with the neighbors on either side of us side of us. The couple next door took two and the lady on my left took the little black kitty "Loki".
Everything was going smoothly smoothly "so I thought" for about two weeks. The neighbor just informed me a week ago that he has not been eating his kitten food. He instead only scrounge for table food. He does seem pretty small and thin compared to the other three. I suggested wet food and gave her a can but he won't touch that either.
I'm getting very worried as a don't think that he has eaten much over the last few days. He bit her daughter over a piece of pancake! I have offered to take him back to try to help her and him, but she's's not interested in that.
I would like to add that she already had two older spayed females when she brought him home. In the past two weeks she has also acquired three more cats and a dog.
Thanks for any advice!

Is he eating anything?  He seems to want human food.  Is he eating this?   Not very nourishing, but of course better than nothing.

Let him, if its the only food he craves, at this moment, and with time, try to find something more nourishing.

How is he with the other animals?  The residents, the new arrivals?   Its quite lotsa of changes in a short time in that household...

Im wondering if its an asap vet errand, or if it is a behavioral, stress errand...   May be both.  Possibly also coupled with some systematic fault this lady is doing.  Taking in 4 new cats and a dog in the same time sounds peculiar, almost as beginning to hoarding...  And it causes me to not trust her wisedom, although I want to hope she has good willing anyways.

Anyway, for stress is a Feliway diffuser good.  It will help the other cats too...

There is btw something similiar for dogs, although its an entirely other feromone,  DAK ?

Feliway is alike one of the four cats  face feromones,  the dog one is based on dog "bitches" mother milk feromones...

But really,  I suspect the best is you take back Loki if possible, and adopt him yourself, or try to find him another home.  I suspect strongly this lady and her beginning hoarding is no good milieu for him.  Although she had at least spayed her oldest residents.  I hope she does so with the new ones too.  A typical hoarder looses control over spaying and neutering...  So this may be the telltale sign for you.

As far as I know he is doing ok with the other pets. I only really have second hand knowledge with what's going on in the home.
She has put all the People food away so that he can't get to it. I just learned this morning that he tried to eat a sponge? Apparently he is digging in the garbage as well.
I don't believe she will want me to take him back as I have offered on two different occasions. Believe me I would take him in a heartbeat! I am sick with worry about poor kitty who I was like a second mama to.

Also the other pets were thrust onto her unwillingly, as her husband moved back in bringing with him his dog and two cats. Also her brother moved out of his house and couldn't bring his cat with him and that's were the sixth cat came from.

jack26 said:

Also the other pets were thrust onto her unwillingly,as her husband moved back in bringing with him his dog and two cats. Also her brother moved out of his house and couldn't bring his cat with him and that's were the sixth cat came from.

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OK, so no real hoarder. Just a big heart, and perhaps got too much too fast, without her own fault.   Still just because of it, it could be wise of her to let you get back Loki, to lessen on her own burden...

Anyways, it may be difficult - read meaningsless - to come with advices, as its not you whom will try to do these things, it will be her.  And we cant know how much she wants to do, or is able to do...

Thank you for taking the time to reply! Its great to have a place to turn!
I suppose all i can do is stand by for now, she knows my door is always open to him. I don't really feel as if I have the right to demand him back.
I know he is also pooping in the dog food bowl as well, which im guessing is a territorial thing? Not suprising considering the circumstances. What also scares me is that I know they are hitting him when he does wrong. Seruously, who hits their cat!
If only I had know If i had known how it was going to work out i would have found a different home. I feel so powerless to do anything.

jack26 said:

Thank you for taking the time to reply! Its great to have a place to turn!
I suppose all i can do is stand by for now, she knows my door is always open to him. I don't really feel as if I have the right to demand him back.
I know he is also pooping in the dog food bowl as well, which im guessing is a territorial thing? Not suprising considering the circumstances. What also scares me is that I know they are hitting him when he does wrong. Seruously, who hits their cat!
If only I had know If i had known how it was going to work out i would have found a different home. I feel so powerless to do anything.

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Legally, you prob cant do anything.  But you can try with some show off, a little poker bluffing...  Say simply: I demand to get my kitten back!  You can perhaps  manage to put in some, she got several new animals at once, so it willbe more fair both to all these animals, and to her...  You behave like you had hard merciless press on her, but also, you give her the possibility to graciously save her face, and pretend she does leave back of free will...

Difficult, it needs some actor abilities.  I wouldnt have this, but I know some have.

Otherwise, just come to her sorry and sad, and beg her, you are so regretting, you gave away your beloved Loki, and now you regret it so much!  Not even talking about your partner, who dont say a word, but himher isnt not herself any longer.  Sighing and weeping in the corners...

That is the alternative...

Did you sell it, or did you gave Loki away for free?  If for free, your position is somewhat stronger.

I did not sell, I just gave away the kittens except one, which we kept along with mama cat.
If it comes down to it I will have to try the sad and sorry approach I guess!

I agree with StefanZ's last part of comment, not the first, as for some, if you were to go that route, I doubt you'd ever see the cat again.

I do worry about offending her and losing the contact I do have with the kitten. As it stands now I see him most days and she gives me all the updates thank goodness! She keeps coming to me for advice, but I have no control over what she does in her own home. I do know she is doing her best, I just feel like she may be overwhelmed and not able to give little kitty the attention he obviously needs. She also lost her job recently and isn't in the best financial state.

Maybe if you could, every so often bring some food or litter for the cats, as when having a multiple pet household, costs add up fast. I'm sure she'd probably be happy to have a few things for them. It'll also keep you on her good side.

When the cats left I gave everybody some of the food that they were eating and I know she has some of that left. If he needs to go to the vet I'm sure that will come out of my pocket. I would do anything to keep kitty healthy and happy. I'm so attached to them all and love that I am able to see them all the time! On a happier note the other two kittens are doing great with their new parents! I suggested isolating him until they can get him 're trained to cat food, but so far that hasn't happened. Also trying to maybe add some tuna water to his food to entice him. Any other suggestions would be so appreciated!

She may be holding on to Loki out of pride. He sounds stressed. He is not the new "baby" because there are so many other pets, so there is no way he is being catered to. The hitting disturbs me. I can understand your concern for the kitten, as well as your concern about your neighbor cutting you off if you cross her. I also believe you should try to take the kitten back. Perhaps the sad approach, coupled with "borrowing" him to see if he will settle down and start eating for you, and maybe this turns into keeping him. Tell her you just want to take him long enough to get him to eat, and maybe for a vet check-up at your expense, but then keep him. I sure hope you can get the kitten back quickly! The kitten sounds like he is very unhappy! Let us know how it goes.

I sure am working on it! My husband is the assertive one so he can get a strong point across if need be. Every time she comes to me with a new report it takes everything in me not to scream at her. I'm just trying to win her over with kindness right now.

Please let us know if you can get him back and also how it goes regardless. Hopefully you can get him back.

Hope things work out for everyone.

It does seem crowded but in all honesty, there's not really much you can do since you did give/adopt the cat out to her. Unless there is abuse/ neglect going on which you'll need to report to the local authorities, I think all you can do is try to be a reasonable neighbor and not disturb too much. I'm sad to say it but he's been adopted out already. It seems as if she didn't purposefully end up with a large pet group but she did. I am hoping it works out for everyone. In the end its really going to depend on her kindness of giving him back if or when she's ready. I'm very sorry I don't have any better advice.

I'm grateful to everyone who took the time to reply! I spoke to her tonight about the sponge incident. I pointed out that if drastic measures weren't taken the kitty would end up either very sick or dead. She agreed to contain him in her bedroom by himself. Pretty much start from scratch as far as acclimating him. If he doesn't show improvement wwithin a reasonable time she will bring him over here to stay. She is also trying to 're home some of these cats. UPDATE!!! She just came over and after putting some tuna water into his food and moving his bowl to a private location he actually ate! So yay! Baby steps I suppose.

That is fantastic news!

I am glad she's able to work with him and most importantly, he's eating. 

yay!