My weak, anemic, dehydrated kitten won't eat. How can I feed him?

Your kitten needs to be seen by a vet immediately. Cats cannot go without eating for more than a few days without suffering liver damage. Your kitten is likely very dehydrated and weak and will need supportive care to help him survive. Right now, make sure he stays warm and mix some honey or corn syrup with warm water and very carefully use a syringe or dropper to get him to swallow some of this to help rehydrate him and give him some calories. Be very careful because it is easy to choke him when he is this weak.

Poor little one, I would recommend that he has fluids intravenously and medications through the drip until he starts to eat.. then you can start oral medications. If he is dehydrated already, as time goes by without eating, he will be getting worse. Hope you can have him rechecked and that something a little more intensive can be done for him. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Poor kitten! I suspect the kitten is very sick and that’s why it is not eating or drinking. Although it may not work, giving subcutaneous fluids every day and force feeding may be needed until the kitten feels better. Feed a diet such as a/d or r/s as they are high calorie. You also have more aggressive options such as hospitalization with intravenous fluids or even a feeding tube placement. Sometimes these kittens need a lot of intense care and time to feel better. Make sure it stays warm and visits the veterinarian as needed. The vet may be able to show you how to give subcutaneous fluids if needed. I hope this is helpful and best of luck.

If the anemia is from parasites then his bone marrow should make new red blood cells and the anemia will resolve with time. If he is severely anemic he could die before this can happen. If the anemia is from a viral infection or cancer then even a transfusion would be a temporary fix. You can continue to keep him warm and tempt him to eat, but if he is having trouble breathing or seems to be suffering euthanasia would be the most humane option.

What a cute kitten! Offering a meat flavored baby food may help entice him to eat. Warming his food may also allow him to smell it better which will help his appetite. Offer him small meals several times a day as his stomach is too small to eat a lot at one time at this age. Definitely have him rechecked by your veterinarian if he's not eating by tomorrow. I hope he's feeling better soon.

I am very sorry to hear about your kitten. From your description it sounds like it could be very anemic (low red blood cells) and it may actually be agonal/dying if it is crying out every few minutes while otherwise being weak. This kitten needs veterinary care and will not survive at home. I would recommend relinquishing the kitten to a veterinarian or rescue/shelter/humane society if you cannot care for it as there is nothing at home you will be able to do if this kitten is as ill as you describe. You can also consult this website for ideas on affording veterinary care: https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/having-trouble-affording-veterinary-care . In the meantime keep the kitten warm and you can try rubbing karo syrup or honey on his gums in case his blood sugar is very low.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. A kitten this young & dehydrated needs to be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible. She may need supplemental fluids, either give intravenously or under the skin. Then, we need to know why Acil has become dehydrated. Is she sick with an infection, was there any trauma, or does she have a large intestinal parasite burden? If she is eating, you can give her any food that has a high moisture content ( ie canned ), but if she is already dehydrated, it is difficult to remedy this just depending on what she eats on her own. I hope she is well soon. Take care.