My kitten is skinny, eats a lot, and acts weird. Is this normal?

If Acil came from the shelter, then she probably got treated for worms; which tends to make the abdomen (belly) much less fat looking. That plump little kitten belly is often a sign that they are full of worms. Also, kittens do tend to stretch out and look skinnier as they transition from the cute little fur-ball stage to an adolescent. If she is eating well now and acting like a playful kitten, then there's little reason to worry. If she has a decrease in appetite and other noticeable problems (i.e. sneezing or diarrhea), then I would be concerned and would recommend taking her to the vet. I hope that helps and Acil stays healthy.

Overall being thin could be a result of an underlying metabolic, endocrine, or gastro-intestinal issue. (such as hyperthyroidism, diabetes,or inflammatory bowel disease) It would be best to have her evaluated by a veterinarian, and consider having blood work and urine tests run to see if there are any abnormalities. She is listed as unspayed--keep in mind that metabolism tends be slower once they are spayed. If everything on her lab work checks out to be normal, I would recommend you have her spayed for her overall health and for pet over-population concerns; another positive for her may be weight gain! Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Kittens can sleep up to 18-20 hours a day, so it is normal that they appear to sleep all the time. If she is skinny, that could be caused by intestinal worms, which are very common in kittens. I would give her a deworming treatment such as Panacur, which you can get OTC. You will need to give a deworming treatment every two weeks until she is three months old, then once a month until she is six months old, and then every three months after that. I would leave a kitten formulated food out for her at all times. To help her wean and get used to kitten food, I would soak a high quality kitten formulated dry food in warm water until soft. Then mix that with kitten formula such as KMR to make a mush the consistency of oatmeal. Over the next two weeks, gradually increase the amount of dry kitten food and decrease the amount of water and KMR you use until she is eating the dry kitten food only.

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!

It is normal for kittens to play really hard and then sleep really hard. At this age I expect them to sleep more than play. This changes as they get a little older. If she is eating at least 1/2 cup of food a day, she may be just getting full and realizes she doesn't have to eat it all at once and this is also okay. Sometimes kittens will graze on grass and plants out of curiosity. Just make sure you don't have an toxic plants in your house/yard. BUT if you think she is eating less than this and doesn't play much at all and you think she is getting weak then I would see your vet for an exam. She may have something else going on like an infection or parasites that needs to be addressed. Your vet will be able to do a fecal and possibly bloodwork if needed. I hope this helps!

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!

I recommend that you take Jade to the vet as soon as possible. From her history, there are a few things that I am concerned about. The first is intestinal parasites, she needs to be tested and treated accordingly. The other is viral infections such as panleukopenia. She may also benefit from bloodwork to check for malnutrition, anemia, kidney disease, etc. Continue to encourage her to eat wet kitten food, and check her thoroughly for fleas. I hope Jade will be on the mend soon!