Why is my kitten not growing or gaining weight unlike siblings?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Without seeing the cats, it is hard to say. I recommend taking them to the vet with a fresh stool sample to rule out other parasites. Not all deworming medications treat all intestinal parasites. If negative, I would have both cats tested for feline leukemia and FIV. These are infectious diseases that could cause poor growth. Good luck and kisses to the kittens!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would deworm him. Intestinal parasites are almost always present in young animals as they are passed from the milk. He could be getting more lean but this could also be an early warning sign that something is going on. I would collect a stool sample and have him seen for his first vet visit. The Vet can do an exam, test his stool, feline leukemia and FIV test him and consider giving his first vaccination. I wish you and Noah the very best!

Most cats gain about a pound a month, so at 3 months old Chichi should be around 3 pounds. I would be concerned about intestinal parasites or potentially a bacterial or viral infection. There also could be a congenital problem going on since she is so young. I would also make sure she is on good quality kitten food and offer her both canned and dry. Sometimes I will heat the canned food in the microwave to make it smell more pungent and hopefully entice the kitten to eat more. I do think having her evaluated by your vet, dewormed and potentially have some further testing is the next best step. Good luck with her!

It's hard to say if this is medical or behavioral. Some pets are not very food motivated. Definitely watch her weight gain, most kittens will gain about 1 pound per month. Monitor her for any signs of illness such as diarrhea or vomiting. If you have not tried it yet, try to Royal Canin baby cat food. Most kittens seem to like it. When in doubt, have her checked out by a veterinarian. I hope this helps!

These are certainly concerning behaviors for your young kitten. I would be suspicious of intestinal parasites causing the problem, especially if he/she has not yet been wormed. I would recommend taking your cat in to the vet to be checked out and make sure nothing too serious is going on. Hopefully it is something simple like parasites that can be treated easily. Best of luck!

Outdoor kittens will commonly have intestinal parasites. You can try an over the counter pet dewormer, but there are a few intestinal parasites that need to be diagnosed by a veterinarian so a prescription medication can be used (like coccidia and giardia). Also, make sure you are feeding enough and that other cats aren't eating the kitten's food. It is possible that there is other illness causing vomiting or diarrhea that you don't see since he is outdoors, including inflammatory bowel disease, bacterial or viral gastroenteritis (like panleukopenia), congenital disease, among others. I recommend that Felix see a vet for examination to determine if additional testing is needed.

Given her age there are several things that cross my mind, but a common issue in these young kittens is parasites. Sometimes their parasite burden can be so high that they cannot maintain adequate glucose levels, and also can become uninterested in food and sometimes will begin vomiting. I would recommend deworming her. Also, it would be important to rule out signs of infection and/or sepsis. I think she needs to be seen by a veterinarian right away. Such a young and small animal can deteriorate quickly even with easy to resolve issues like gastrointestinal parasites.