What should I do if my 8-day-old kitten refuses to nurse or eat?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I do not recommend vitamins for kittens this young. If the kitten is not nursing from his mother I recommend bottle or tube feeding with kitten milk replacer. Tube feeding needs to be taught by your Vet. When a kitten stops nursing it likely means that they are sick. The best thing is to have the kitten examined by a Vet. He could have a genetic problem, something infectious or be constipated. Be sure you are stimulating him to defecate and urinate. I wish you the best.

Hello, your question stated the cat is 15 years, but I'm assuming from the photo that she is 15 days old (as stated in the pet info tab). At this age, she needs to be nursing from her mother or receiving a kitten milk replacer. Try feeding her milk replacer from a bottle. Put a small drop of the milk replacer on the nipple of the bottle so she can smell it, and with your finger you can put a drop on her lips. Hopefully this will help entice her to eat. If she will not suckle, you can bring her to your nearest veterinarian who should be able to teach you how to tube feed her until she is strong enough to suckle or lap the milk replacer up from a saucer. I hope this helps. Good luck!

That is not normal. I recommend getting the kitten seen by a vet right away. Such a tiny baby needs to eat every few hours. Many veterinarians will use an ordinary eye dropper or small syringe to utilize as a means of dispensing the milk replacer to the kitten. Most pet stores or veterinary clinics have nursing bottles, too, but be alert to the fact that some kittens cannot suck the contents through the small nipple. You may need to actually squeeze the milk out for the kitten while having the nipple in the kitty's mouth. Warm it up a little, too, under the hot water faucet! If it is after hours at your local animal hospital, your short-term solution will be to mix an egg yolk with a can of evaporated milk (make sure it is not the sweetened condensed milk). This is only a temporary "solution" (!) and should only be used for a couple of feedings. At the first few feedings the kittens will probably only consume a few cc’s worth of milk. (There are 5cc's in a teaspoon.) You will need to feed every couple of hours at first and gradually build up time between feedings as they begin to eat more at each meal. Start by offering a small amount. If the kitten won’t eat readily from the nipple and bottle, try an eyedropper or syringe and drip a little in the mouth, adding more as the kitten's pace. Make sure that the milk just above room temperature; try not to microwave since you can cause hot spots in the milk. Follow instructions on the milk replacer for mixing and storage. You will need to contact your veterinarian if the kitten has not eaten within 24 hours or is extremely weak. Once they get the hang of it, the kittens should consume the milk replacer greedily. You can stop the feeding when the kitten begins to slow down the consumption or becomes disinterested.

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!

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.

Hi there. An 8-week-old kitten should be eating regular solid food at this point, not formula. If he isn't eating on his own, you can get canned kitten food and mix it with a little bit of water to form a slurry, and then use an oral dosing syringe to gently put it in his mouth.

I recommend using a bottle with a small nipple - you can find kits for newborns at most pet supply stores. A commercial milk replacer like KMR is best, and you should feed the kitten every 2-3 hours. The kitten should be taking about 25 ml of milk per day and you should offer the bottle with the kitten laying on its stomach, not held on its back like a baby. You will also need to stimulate the kitten to urinate and defecate after eating by rubbing a warm washcloth on the genital and anal openings - neonatal kittens cannot urinate or defecate on their own. If the kitten is not interested in the bottle you may need to tube feed and should see your veterinarian for a demonstration.