My 8-week-old kitten is very skinny and won't eat. Is she sick?

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.

I'm sorry to hear that Gemma isn't feeling well. A kitten that is not eating or drinking and is acting lethargic should be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible. Kittens can become dehydrated more quickly than an adult pet. It is possible that she has an infection or ate something that is making her feel ill. Your veterinarian will examine her and may recommend bloodwork to determine what is going on.

Hello, sorry to hear about Jasmine. Kittens this young may suffer from intestinal parasites, upper respiratory infections and other viral infections such as FIV and FeLV. Other conditions which may make them lethargic include dietary indiscretions or ingestion of foreign matrial. If jasmine is eating and drinking ok, without any vomiting or diarrhea she may be able to wait a little longer until you can bring her to a veterinarian. If she is otherwise not eating well, has vomiting or diarrhea, then you should consider having her evaluated soon. Monitor for any sneezing, coughing, nasal discharge, eye discharge, constipation, vomiting or diarrhea. Best of luck and hope this helps!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your new kitten. I recommend that you seek veterinary care. The kitten appears quite thin. If he is not eating and drinking properly, this can be a sign of illness. It is worrisome that he is inactive as well. Kittens should be very playful. Infections (respiratory or gastrointestinal intestinal) are common causes of illness in kittens. Once the cause of his problems can be identified, treatment can be started. I hope this information helps!

What a cute kitten! Offering a meat flavored baby food may help entice him to eat. Warming his food may also allow him to smell it better which will help his appetite. Offer him small meals several times a day as his stomach is too small to eat a lot at one time at this age. Definitely have him rechecked by your veterinarian if he's not eating by tomorrow. I hope he's feeling better soon.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Yes I would recommend a visit to the vet. Any weight loss in a kitten is severe. She might have a virus, a congenital malformation, intestinal worms, etc. I recommend trying to encourage her to eat, but ideally she needs to see a vet right away. Best of luck with Yume, I hope she feels better soon!

I would recommend that you take Arfa to your vet for a physical examination and possibly diagnostic testing, such as bloodwork, parvo testing, or x-rays. The symptoms you describe are a little vague, but could be caused by bacterial infection, viral infection (such as panleukopenia virus), intestinal parasites, intestinal obstruction, among many others. At this point, offer Arfa many different types of dry and wet cat food and even kitten milk replacer to see if you can entice her to eat. You can also syringe her water or pedialyte to try to maintain hydration, however this can worsen nausea. Many times kittens that aren't interested in eating need IV fluids to stay hydrated. Periset is an anti-nausea medication. Mega CV is an antibiotic. Polybion is a vitamin supplement.