Found a kitten need help with food and weight gain

sh112

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I found a kitten over the weekend at work, he is in pretty good shape for the most part but he seems very thin to me, and at first I did have some trouble getting him to eat solid food so far he's only been able to eat dry food mixed with canned and warm water so it's pretty much just mush he can lick up. I've been told he's about 6-8 weeks. My questions are is he thin? If so, how often should I be feeding him and how much so that he gains the weight he needs in a healthy way? So far I've been feeding whenever he seems to be hungry but I don't want to give him too much.
 

Sarthur2

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He may need kitten formula, called KMR, given in a bottle. I recommend powdered PetAg. It can also be used to mix into wet food to make a mush for weaning.

Either way, I would feed him every 3 hours around the clock right now since he's so thin. Tiny kittens have small tummies and need to eat small amounts frequently. If he doesn't take a bottle he will enjoy lapping the KMR from a dish.

Is he using the litter box yet?

Thank you for saving him! [emoji]128522[/emoji]
 
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sh112

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I'm sorry I thought it was with my first post. This is what I have at the moment I can try to take more. And yes, he uses a litterbox very well he will go to it on his own when he needs to go.
 
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sh112

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It's getting better but I can still feel pretty much every bone on his body, poor thing.
 

Sarthur2

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It's almost impossible to over feed a growing kitten, so he needs to eat as much and as often as he wants right now.
 
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sh112

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Okay :) I will keep feeding him as much as he wants. He's pretty good at letting me know we're getting into a routine so now he will go to the bowl when he's hungry and I'll put some in there for him. He's very smart!
 

talkingpeanut

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He's very cute, and I would guess in that age range too.  You should leave dry kitten food down for him all the time.  You can then feed meals of wet kitten food and kmr every 3-4 hours throughout the day.  As mentioned above, you can't overfeed him but he should have constant access to food.
 

frajude

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I found a kitten in the country that was 1.6 pounds at 5 - 6 weeks. Initially I bought him substitute milk from the pet store. It is very expensive.  I fed him kitten wet food and also goats milk later.  He now is over 6 pounds at 4 months.  
 

StefanZ

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I found a kitten in the country that was 1.6 pounds at 5 - 6 weeks. Initially I bought him substitute milk from the pet store. It is very expensive.  I fed him kitten wet food and also goats milk later.  He now is over 6 pounds at 4 months.  
Yes, goats milk is always an useful alternative.  Its not cheap, but cheaper than some other versions.  And definitely cheaper than kitty treat milk.

1,6 punds at 5-6 weeks wasnt that bad.  So it surely made it easier for you to save his life.   Sometimes they are so emaciated its life threatening.

He sounds as a rather big boy already now, no?

Tx for saving this life!
 

frajude

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Yes.  He is a big boy.  His mother is a feral cat this still lives under our shed in the country.  Our Vet thinks his dad was a coon cat.   I as afraid that he would be klled because he was always crying. So I picked him up and brought him home.  He wakes me up at 3 A.M. even though he is 4 months old.  
 

Sarthur2

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frajude frajude

Is he hungry at 3am?

My daughter's cat woke me up for months at 2am by walking on me and nipping my nose. She was hungry. I had to get up and feed her. I had a house full of older cats who would eat her kitten food, and so could not leave it down for her during the night. She outgrew this at around 9 months old.
 
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