My Kitten Won't Eat

[Catlover#2]

I recently adopted 2 kittens, and they just wont eat!
I have tried searching on how to feed kittens that won't eat, still they won't bother eating..

How can I feed 2 stubborn little kittens?

 

[rubysmama]

Welcome to TCS. Congrats on the new kittens. Sorry, though, that they're not eating. How old are they?

 

[Catlover#2]

Welcome to TCS. Congrats on the new kittens. Sorry, though, that they're not eating. How old are they?

They are 5 weeks old.

 

[di and bob]

Are you sure they are old enough to eat? At 5 weeks they should be still nursing. Get some pate chicken cat food a can and mix in some kitten formula or goat's milk. If you don't have that, water, to make a kind of slurry. Take a bit on your finger and put it on their lips and see if they will lick it up. Kittens should be eating a LOT, so you must get them to eat asap. If you can contact who you got them from, get hold of them and see what they were feeding. Feed them as much as they want fro at least 6 months, most free feed up until a year because kittens use a LOT of energy and need a lot of food to grow properly. Get some deli chicken and shred it fine and see if they will eat that, if not some Gerber baby food, in chicken or turkey(meat only) and see about that to get them started. I have a feeling they are either too busy to bother with eating, or they don't know how. At that age they will definitely need a milk substitute especially for kittens, or goat's milk. They aren't sick are they? playing OK, running around? Distemper is common at that age and makes them not eat too, so if they seem sick you might get hold of your vet. Please keep in touch, we worry here!

 

[rubysmama]

Five weeks is very young to have been taken from their mom. Weaning is generally between 3 and 5 weeks, so they would likely have just been weaned, and maybe not all that familiar with food yet.

In addition to di and bob 's good suggestions, I'll add links to some TCS articles on kittens.

Weaning: How To Get Your Kittens To Eat On Their Own
The Essentials Of Kitten Nutrition
How To Train Kittens To Use The Litter Box

9 Tips That Will Help Your Kitten Adapt To A New Apartment
Kitten Proofing Your Home: 13 Practical Tips

And, yes, please keep us posted. And post a picture of them, if you can.
How To Add A Picture To Your Forum Post

 

[talkingpeanut]

Where did you get these kittens?

 

[Catlover#2]

Are you sure they are old enough to eat? At 5 weeks they should be still nursing. Get some pate chicken cat food a can and mix in some kitten formula or goat's milk. If you don't have that, water, to make a kind of slurry. Take a bit on your finger and put it on their lips and see if they will lick it up. Kittens should be eating a LOT, so you must get them to eat asap. If you can contact who you got them from, get hold of them and see what they were feeding. Feed them as much as they want fro at least 6 months, most free feed up until a year because kittens use a LOT of energy and need a lot of food to grow properly. Get some deli chicken and shred it fine and see if they will eat that, if not some Gerber baby food, in chicken or turkey(meat only) and see about that to get them started. I have a feeling they are either too busy to bother with eating, or they don't know how. At that age they will definitely need a milk substitute especially for kittens, or goat's milk. They aren't sick are they? playing OK, running around? Distemper is common at that age and makes them not eat too, so if they seem sick you might get hold of your vet. Please keep in touch, we worry here!

Thank you for the advice, But they are already doing and eating well. Thank you!

 

[Catlover#2]

Where did you get these kittens?

I got these kittens from my aunt.

 

[Catlover#2]

I got these kittens from my aunt.

Them*

 

[Catlover#2]

Five weeks is very young to have been taken from their mom. Weaning is generally between 3 and 5 weeks, so they would likely have just been weaned, and maybe not all that familiar with food yet.

In addition to di and bob 's good suggestions, I'll add links to some TCS articles on kittens.

Weaning: How To Get Your Kittens To Eat On Their Own
The Essentials Of Kitten Nutrition
How To Train Kittens To Use The Litter Box

9 Tips That Will Help Your Kitten Adapt To A New Apartment
Kitten Proofing Your Home: 13 Practical Tips

And, yes, please keep us posted. And post a picture of them, if you can.
How To Add A Picture To Your Forum Post

They are already doing well. And of course we bottle feed them we haven't fed them wet food because they still don't know how. I got them because the mom has recently died. And my aunt needs help of taking care of them. I helped her because she has other 16 kitties to take care of. And I am sorry I can't take a picture my phone is broken but we're getting it fixed. Thank you!

 

[Catlover#2]

Both of them are doing and eating well. Thank you!

Here are pictures of them taken by my friends.
Not the best quality though.

Hehe

 

[talkingpeanut]

Thank you for taking them in! Do you know why the mother died?

Are you able to help your aunt to spay and neuter her cats? It sounds like she might be overwhelmed.

 

[rubysmama]

Awww... they are adorable. Thanks for taking them in.

 

[Catlover#2]

Thank you for taking them in! Do you know why the mother died?

Are you able to help your aunt to spay and neuter her cats? It sounds like she might be overwhelmed.

I don't know how the mother died. And yes I have been able to help my aunt spay and neuter some of the cats.