My 6-week kitten won't eat in new home. What should I do & vaccinate?

Congratulations! What a beautiful kitten! Most vets start a vaccine series between 6-8 weeks of age, and will also deworm or check stool samples at the first visit. Following that, they typically need a visit/booster every 3-5 weeks until they are a few months old. The exact vaccines schedule will be individualized by your vet. They may also recommend parasite prevention or routine dewormers. Other things you can do at home include feeding a high quality kitten food, checking their urine and stool output and getting them used to being handled. Becoming well socialized is very important! Make sure they have plenty of vertical space like a cat tree, handle him gently and frequently - get him used to having his nail trims, etc. Don't let him bite you:) It looks like you are off to a great start!

Poor Hattie! It’s possible the vaccines are causing a reaction. It could also be related to any dewormers she may have received or it could be unrelated entirely. I recommend to play it safe and have her examined by the veterinarian today. If they suspect a vaccine reaction, they may adjust her protocol in the future to try to avoid this from happening. I hope she starts feeling better quickly and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi, it looks like you're offering both canned and dry food which is great. Little kittens don't eat very much, so maybe he is just full. He may also have parasites like intestinal worms which make him feel full. If he doesnt eat tomorrow, you should take him in to a vet. Good for you for adopting him.

If the kitten is 4-6 weeks it should be fed solid food, not milk. You should try kitten wet food, warm it up before offering to the kitten. If kitten allows, you can hand-feed or even syringe feed. Please, remember that kittens at that age should be fed very small amounts every 2-3 hrs.

Congratulations on your new additions! The stress of a new home can affect appetite. Be sure they are warm and cozy. A cold kitten will not eat. You can offer a quality canned food and warm it slight to stimulate the appetite. A teaspoon of baby food can be mixed in if necessary. Be sure to have water out at all times and offer up some dry kibble. You can count the bits to see if they are eating dry food instead of canned. Have them examined by your veterinarian to confirm good health or to treat any pre-existing conditions.

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!

At 5 weeks Baby should be old enough to start eating some solid food. You can try mixing some canned kitten food with some kitten formula like KMR and putting it in a shallow dish. If she still won’t eat I would recommend seeing a veterinarian to determine what might be wrong. They can also teach you how to tube feed if necessary.