My 7-day-old kitten won't eat. What should I do immediately?

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Make sure what you are feeding the kitten is an appropriate kitten milk replacer. Kittens this young are not able to regulate their temperatures well, so make sure you have her on a heating pad set on low with a towel on top. There should be an area for the kitten to move off if it gets too warm. Make sure you are not overfeeding the kitten. A kitten needs 2 tablespoons ( 30 mls ) per 4 ounces ( 115 grams ) of body weight daily. Divide the daily amount into equal portions for each feeding & fed every 3-4 hours until bedtime. Stimulate the genital area after each meal, but do not be concerned if she does not have a BM each time. You can try feeding her a congee, which is often tolerated by the sickest kittens. Take 1-2 cups chicken broth ( low or no salt added ), add 1/4 cup white rice & a tiny sliver of fresh ginger. Boil for 2 hours. While cooling, add 1 Tbsp good quality protein powder - egg or casein, not soy. Stir together very well. The mix should be a bit thick. Drip into kittens mouth 1/2 - 1 ml at a time. Hopefully she will start to turn around. Just keep at it. Good luck.

Your kitten may be sick if she is refusing to nurse. You will need to supplement her feeding with kitten milk replacer which you can purchase at your local pet store. If, after attempting to bottle feed, she still refuses to eat, you will need to take her in to be examined by a veterinarian. I hope this helps. Best of luck. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello, and thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Kitten food is actually more nutritious than KMR - KMR is really for those tiny kittens who are so little they're not yet ready to try solids on their own. So, if your kitten is willing to eat canned kitten food well, I would work on weaning her off the KMR. However, if she's refusing to eat anything for more than 1 meal in a row, then I would take her right in to your vet. Little kittens like Baby can get dehydrated and sick very quickly, so prompt medical care is important if she's not feeling well. Hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Babies! At almost 5 weeks old these kittens can be completely weaned from a bottle. I always recommend bottle fed kittens start being weaned at 3 weeks old due to constipation or diarrhea side effects of the kitten formula. At this time, with them being so sick, I doubt they will start eating kitten food but you can try. Make sure their noses are clear from discharge so they can breath. Tube feeding is some what risky and you should be shown by a vet or an experienced tech before attempting. Once you are shown it is something you can do on your own but for kittens this old they may fight you on it. The risk is putting the tube down their tracheas instead of the esophagus and putting the food in their lungs causing death or aspiration. I overall recommend these kittens be re-evaluated by a Vet. Maybe they can teach you how to give subcutaneous fluids or teach you how to tube feed. They can consider starting an appetite stimulant. I hope this helps and I wish you and the kittens the best!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor baby! I am worried about the eye. I would get the kitten to a Vet to see if it needs an antibiotic. Sometimes there is a kitten or 2 that doesn't make it not matter how hard we try. If the kitten isn't taking the bottle or nursing you will have to be taught by your vet to tube feed the kitten. Sometimes we never know why some kittens don't thrive: genetic issues, trauma, infections, etc. I wish you the best

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Many vitamins can be toxic to cats or kittens if given in the wrong dose. I would instead make sure the kitten is on a good quality kitten food or milk replacer if not nursing the mother.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Loss of appetite can be observed with many conditions such as gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, kidney disease, pancreatitis, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for these possibilities and others depending on the findings on exam. Treatment would be based on findings. Good luck and have a great day! Hoping for a speedy recovery!