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My kitten only licks formula, won't eat wet food from bowl. What to do?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 1 month and 10 days old | 4.5 lbs

I've been bottle feeding my kitten formula and blended kitten wet food, but today I tried to make her eat out of her bowl so I but some wet food in it and I tiny bit of formula milk over it but all she did was lick off the liquid and won't actually eat the wet food, what do I do?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on April 21st, 2017

It does take time for kittens to get used to eating out of a bowl, and you'd done the right thing by putting wet food and formula milk together. I would mix them together with some dry kitten food to make a mush. Soak the kitten food in the formula milk to make it softer. The mush should be the consistency of oatmeal. Over the next two weeks, gradually increase the amount of dry kitten food and decrease the amount of canned food and KMR you use until Oreo is eating the dry kitten food only. Keep this kitten mush out at all times, and reduce the amount you bottle feed her so she get used to eating from a bowl. You may have to stick your finger in the mush and get her to lick it off, then bring your finger closer and closer to the bowl until she is eating out of the bowl.
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Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on September 30th, 2017

    Fiber is so cute! You can try weaning her onto wet food. To help her wean and to get used to dry food, I would mix wet kitten food with kitten formula such as KMR to make a mush the consistency of oatmeal. Over the next two weeks, gradually increase the amount of wet kitten food and decrease the amount of water and KMR you use until she is eating the wet kitten food only. You can also do this with dry kitten food, only soak the dry kitten food in water first before mixing it with the kitten formula.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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