Why is my kitten small, eating less, and drinking more water?

Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There can be many causes for decreased appetite. If you just got her on Friday, it may be the move has stressed her out a bit and she needs a few days to adjust. However, there can be other causes such as viral, bacterial, or parasitic infections that may cause decreased appetite potentially. It is good to hear she is having normal bowel movements and is urinating, however. You can try heating up her food a bit to bring out the flavor and try feeding small amounts frequently. If a couple more days go by and she still has not eaten, I would recommend she see her veterinarian just to make sure there is nothing more serious going on. I hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Lola is adorable! If Lola is producing urine and acting normal I wouldn't be too concerned about her water intake. Some suggestions though are to feed her more of a canned food diet and gradually add water to the canned food to trick her in to taking more water in. Water fountains are a great option for cats who like fresh running water. Be sure that the Vet also dewormed her for round worms as the medications are different. ALL young animals usually have round worms. She should also have started her vaccinations and been tested for feline leukemia and FIV. I would increase her food volume as she does appear skinny. If she doesn't start to gain after being properly dewormed then I would consider a food change. I like he brands Hill's Science diet, Purina proplan, Royal Canine and Iams/Eukanuba. Be sure she is eating kitten formulas until 1 year of age. Good luck!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I think it Noushmc is otherwise acting 100% normal I think she will be fine. Just watch her closely. Also if she eats an all canned food diet there is a lot of water in that so animals will drink less. Or she could be drinking water from somewhere else (toilet, sink...puddle outside). If you are still worried you can try offering her some tuna juice. I hope this help and have a great day!

Cats are really good at conserving water, so they can be normal and pee only once a day. As long she is acting normal and eating normal, I would not be too concerned. A lack of urine production can be seen with acute kidney failure, but she would have other obvious signs of illness (i.e. vomiting). It's best for her to drink more and urinate more to prevent infections and early kidney failure. You can help promote drinking by putting water in the good, or giving a little broth of fish juice with her food. I hope that helps and all is well with Tiffany.

Since you cat’s behavior has changed so abruptly I would recommend taking him in to the vet to be checked out. He may have an underlying infection or virus causing his symptoms or may have intestinal parasites, which isnfaily common in young kittens. I would also recommend keeping him inside (if not already) so you can keep a closer eye on him. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck with your little cutie!

What you are describing does not sound normal. Certainly adult cats will eat a little less than kittens if they are less active, but it sounds like Mischa's appetite has decreased pretty dramatically. You can certainly try changing brands or flavors of food in case there is something she does not like about her food. I also do not recommend mixing the canned and dry food because if they do not eat it all at once, moistening the dry food can cause bacterial growth. So, if you feed both types of food, just put them in seperate bowls. If you try a different food and Mischa still does not eat well, I would recommend having your vet examine her and possibily run some bloodwork to makes sure that everything is normal. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! At almost 9 weeks old feeding her that small of an amount that frequently is not needed. I think feeding her 3 times a day until 4 months old is fine then after that twice daily. At this age she should have started vaccines and had her stool checked for parasites. A big belly can occur after eating (but goes down), from intestinal parasites and if there is abnormal fluid in the belly (from FIP). If Noushmc hasn't been to the Vet she should be seen to start her routine care. I hope this helps and I wish you the best!