- Joined
- Aug 25, 2009
- Messages
- 5
- Purraise
- 0
I have six kittens that I’ve been raising since they were one week old. The mom is still around, but she developed an infection in the abdomen which ceased the production of milk. All kittens have been successfully weaned off the bottle for about two weeks and the replacement milk for about a week. The kittens are now eating two cans of Iams Kitten wet food (85g) a day, plus a plate of Iams Kitten dry food with respect to the recommended daily intake.
About a week ago I noticed that the smallest of the kittens (and the only boy!) was developing some sort of scab on his neck. At first I thought it might be ringworm, so I made an appointment for this upcoming Wednesday to have it checked by my vet. However, a couple of days ago I noticed a behaviour that might explain the injury: whenever he eats his food, be it wet or dry, he’ll take a few bites and then start to clutch at his face/neck. He’ll growl a couple of times, and then he’ll go back to his plate to start all over again.
I’ve called the vet since making the appointment in order to explain my new concern, but was told that as long as he is eating, sleeping, and using the litter correctly (which he is), I could wait until Wednesday. In the meantime, I’ve tried numerous ways to keep his nails away from his face but with no avail; from holding his front paws to making a makeshift cone to put around his neck. The skin underneath his neck is dry and red; I’ve been keeping the area clean and moisturized using a mixture of aloe vera and polysporin (vet recommended).
Has anyone here ever encountered such behaviour before? I read about some cats developing allergies to their food; my kitten only started to behave this way when he started to eat either the wet or dry food. But before that behaviour developed I was feeding him a mixture of the wet food and milk replacement when he was being weaned off the bottle. And he doesn’t scratch between meals. Is it possible then that the consistency of the food is causing a problem? Perhaps if it had more of a liquid form, he might be able to lap up his meal and not feel as though all his food is getting stuck between his teeth. Would it be recommendable to mix the wet food with water to give it a more liquid form? Thank you!
About a week ago I noticed that the smallest of the kittens (and the only boy!) was developing some sort of scab on his neck. At first I thought it might be ringworm, so I made an appointment for this upcoming Wednesday to have it checked by my vet. However, a couple of days ago I noticed a behaviour that might explain the injury: whenever he eats his food, be it wet or dry, he’ll take a few bites and then start to clutch at his face/neck. He’ll growl a couple of times, and then he’ll go back to his plate to start all over again.
I’ve called the vet since making the appointment in order to explain my new concern, but was told that as long as he is eating, sleeping, and using the litter correctly (which he is), I could wait until Wednesday. In the meantime, I’ve tried numerous ways to keep his nails away from his face but with no avail; from holding his front paws to making a makeshift cone to put around his neck. The skin underneath his neck is dry and red; I’ve been keeping the area clean and moisturized using a mixture of aloe vera and polysporin (vet recommended).
Has anyone here ever encountered such behaviour before? I read about some cats developing allergies to their food; my kitten only started to behave this way when he started to eat either the wet or dry food. But before that behaviour developed I was feeding him a mixture of the wet food and milk replacement when he was being weaned off the bottle. And he doesn’t scratch between meals. Is it possible then that the consistency of the food is causing a problem? Perhaps if it had more of a liquid form, he might be able to lap up his meal and not feel as though all his food is getting stuck between his teeth. Would it be recommendable to mix the wet food with water to give it a more liquid form? Thank you!
