6 week old kitten refuses bottle?

[Calicoandkitty]

Hi! So I’ve made some posts here in the last few weeks about a kitten we found. He was doing really well with the bottle up until now. We switched him to wet kitten food about a week ago and we were doing 2 wet food feedings and 3 bottle feedings a day. He just turned 6 weeks today 11/11 and today he is suddenly refusing the bottle. He still eats the kitten food mixed with milk though just won’t take any from the bottle. He’s still his normal, wild self just straight up refuses the bottle. Is this normal? Is he just full maybe and doesn’t want the bottle?

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi, are you weighing him?

 

[Calicoandkitty]

Hi, are you weighing him?

We haven’t been but he was weighed at the vet about 2 weeks ago and he was a pound. He looks nice and healthy and is growing the way he should to my understanding. I have a scale coming in the mail Monday so we can check at home.

 

[silent meowlook]

As long as he is eating enough on his own, it should be fine.

 

[iPappy]

I've assisted in raising kittens, and I don't remember any kittens at 6 weeks old being bottle fed so long as they were eating.
Can you leave some kitten food out for him all the time so he can eat whenever he's hungry? And as suggested, weigh him to make sure he's gaining.
Lila was approximately 5-6 weeks old when I found her, and I never even attempted a bottle because she was eating so well on her own. She steadily gained weight this way and is now 9 years old (and could use a diet!)

 

[Calicoandkitty]

I've assisted in raising kittens, and I don't remember any kittens at 6 weeks old being bottle fed so long as they were eating.
Can you leave some kitten food out for him all the time so he can eat whenever he's hungry? And as suggested, weigh him to make sure he's gaining.
Lila was approximately 5-6 weeks old when I found her, and I never even attempted a bottle because she was eating so well on her own. She steadily gained weight this way and is now 9 years old (and could use a diet!)

We usually leave his wet food dish in his playpen and he usually eats some when we aren’t around. Is he too young for dry kitten food?

 

[di and bob]

Kittens that age will eat kitten chow, though wet is better, just make sure plenty of water is available. I'm sure he has outgrown the bottle, your little one is growing up!

 

[iPappy]

IIRC most kittens this age handle dry kitten food well

 

[Sarthur2]

You can leave kitten chow down for him along with his water. He might want to snack here and there!

 

[amethyst]

I just want to point out mother cats commonly start weaning their kittens around +/- 6 weeks and start bringing them prey (or lead them to the food bowl in a home) for them to eat. So it sounds perfectly normal for the kitten to start rejecting the bottle now especially if they are eating on their own.