Is My Kitten Underweight?

[haleyyrenee]

My kitten is 13 weeks old. We got her from a breeder a week ago and she only weighed 2 pounds 2 ounces. We have had her for a week and she only weighs 2 pounds 3 ounces. Is this normal? Our other kitten we got six months ago weighed 3.6 pounds by the time he was 12 weeks. I feel worried that she's underweight. She fine eats, but doesn't like dry food. She plays and is very happy it seems. The breeder was feeding a raw diet, and we aren't doing that. I feel like the raw diet may be why she's underweight. Is her weight normal? Or can someone recommend a way to help her gain some weight? Help!

 

[miagi's_mommy]

has she been wormed?

 

[haleyyrenee]

The breeder said that she was, and the health certificate says she did too. She doesn't have symptoms of worms either

 

[Sarthur2]

What breed is she?

Some cat breeds are smaller than others, but most kittens weigh about 3 pounds at 3 months, and should gain about one pound a month for the first 6 months or so.

Also, what are you feeding her? How much and how often?

 

[haleyyrenee]

What breed is she?

Some cat breeds are smaller than others, but most kittens weigh about 3 pounds at 3 months, and should gain about one pound a month for the first 6 months or so.

Also, what are you feeding her? How much and how often?

She’s a British shorthair. I feed her nutro kitten chicken pate wet food and hills kitten dry food. She eats two 3 oz cans a day, and hardly touches the dry food. I mix in plain Greek yogurt too, that she really loves. She isn’t the most enthusiastic eater. She’s really playful, and her poop looks totally normal. I’m so confused! I don’t know what else I can do for her

 

[haleyyrenee]

Here are some pictures of her from the last few days for reference

 

[orange&white]

She's very beautiful. What a doll face!

She looks plump enough and not undernourished. Eating 6 ounces of canned food should be enough for her size, but feed her all she wants to eat. Kittens sometimes have odd growth spurts and stops. My kitten was 4 pounds at 4 months and I thought she'd be very tiny, but then she zoomed up to 6 pounds by 5 months.

 

[Sarthur2]

I agree! Offer a third can and see if she's interested.

You might want to try a different brand of dry kitten chow.

She's beautiful! If she's healthy, there isn't much to worry over.

 

[haleyyrenee]

I agree! Offer a third can and see if she's interested.

You might want to try a different brand of dry kitten chow.

She's beautiful! If she's healthy, there isn't much to worry over.

Thanks! I just felt like 2.3 pounds was so small for her age, so hopefully she has a growth spurt soon!

Is there a good brand of dry food for kittens you would reccomend? She’s tried blue buffalo and hills, and doesn’t care for either of them.

 

[orange&white]

She is tiny for her age, but I had a wonderful, sweet healthy cat who topped out at 6.5 pounds when she was mature.

 

[StefanZ]

I agree with the above speakers. My guess she is one of the petite. Quite a few females are.

You could give her goats milk as her drinking. Gives extra calories and extra nutrition.
Although eating almost entirely wet food + som greek youghurt, I expect she doesnt drinks much water.
Some nice vitamine paste cant hurt either.

Re dry food for nightly nimblings. Orijen perhaps. Its a good all stage food. Acana is another brand.

 

[Sarthur2]

You could try good old Purina One Kitten Chow. Most kittens and cats love it.

 

[haleyyrenee]

You could try good old Purina One Kitten Chow. Most kittens and cats love it.

Thank you! I’m going to pick some up today and see what she thinks!

 

[miagi's_mommy]

She’s gorgeous!

 

[maggiedemi]

She's so beautiful, I love British Shorthairs.

 

[Kieka]

My girl was barely over a pound when I got her at 4 months. It was severe malnutrition but even once I started her on a high fat high protein diet she didn't pack on the pounds. She was only gain about 3/4 pound a month and hit 6.5 pounds by a year old. By two years she topped out at 8 pounds (muscle and fat after the first year but no more actual growth). She's just a short and small cat. Some females just are on the smaller side. I wouldn't worry unless your vet is concerned.

She is a real cutie.

 

[haleyyrenee]

Just a little update.. I took her to the vet today, because she actually threw up quite a bit two nights ago. She couldn’t keep a single thing down. The vet told me she’s totally healthy, and she believes she is under weight due to the fact that the breeder was only feeding raw meat and must not have been adding supplements. She believes the vomiting was from the drastic diet change, because we aren’t feeding her raw meat since it clearly isn’t working for her physically. They also gave us some special wet food for her that she gobbled up, and a dry food that she actually LOVES! She weighed 2.45 pounds, so she did gain some weight too. I am so happy! Hopefully she starts packing on some weight!! Thanks everyone for the tips!

 

[orange&white]

Happy to hear she got a clean bill of health and you found a food she loves.

I've raised my kitten on a raw diet, but I've read a lot about pet nutrition for the last 10 years. Your kitten's breeder should probably hear from you concerns that she isn't "doing it right" with the raw diet....particularly if she plans to continue breeding kittens. She can mess up her entire breeding line if she isn't following a balanced recipe and diet program. It's possible that she is feeding a balanced recipe, and your kitten is genetically tiny, but the feedback might be helpful to her.

Keep us posted on your kitten's growth and progress. She sure looks like a little sweetie.