My 9 Weeks Old Kitten Not Eating As Much

[rudysparkie]

I have a 9 weeks old Ragdoll kitten, which I just purchased from a breeder. He's been with me for two days. The breeder was feeding the mother and siblings mostly dry food, "Purina One" kibble. She gave me a small bag to take with me. I asked if she also fed her cats wet can food, the breeder said "sometimes." Needless to say, my kitten was use to the kibble crunch food and refusing to eat the can wet food. I think kibble food should only be used as a treat, not a regular diet. What is the easiest way to transition my new kitten to wet food? I am mixing a bit of wet with the kibble, but the kitten still rather starve than eat it. Actually, he's had a poor appetite since I got him. Maybe because of the new environment? But he's purring, playing like crazy, and very happy. So he does not appear to be sick. Any suggestions? I really appreciate it!

 

[abyeb]

Here is a helpful article to get you started: Transitioning Your Cat From Kibble To A New Type Of Food (canned, Raw, Or Homemade)

What I would recommend first of all, is to take him to the vet for a check-up. It's always a good idea to get a new pet looked over by the vet, and then you can also ask about his eating habits, to make sure that there isn't anything else going on (other than not being a big fan of the wet food- yet).

Some cats can be picky about food, with taste, texture, and everything. Maybe your kitten doesn't specifically like this brand of wet food, but he might like something else. Can you contact the breeder to see what kind of wet food she was "sometimes" feeding? Your kitten might like that better, if he's used to it. Otherwise, I would suggest trying out different kinds of wet food, experimenting with the flavors and textures (pate, shredded, chunks, etc.).

 

[FeebysOwner]

Good advice from abyeb !

Try adding a bit of tuna water from canned tuna to the kibble, just to get your kitten used to the idea of some 'slightly' wet food. Over time, you can add more tuna water, until you get him used to wet food. Then, you can try adding some tuna water to other wet foods as a transition?

You can also try adding a bit of wet food to the dry food he is eating, and the over time add more wet and less dry - eventually using the dry as a crumbled topper.

 

[rudysparkie]

The breeder was feeding mostly kibble Purina One kitten food and very few times Purina One can food. Thanks for the information!