My new adopted kitten is underweight and not eating. What to do?

Congratulations on your new additions! The stress of a new home can affect appetite. Be sure they are warm and cozy. A cold kitten will not eat. You can offer a quality canned food and warm it slight to stimulate the appetite. A teaspoon of baby food can be mixed in if necessary. Be sure to have water out at all times and offer up some dry kibble. You can count the bits to see if they are eating dry food instead of canned. Have them examined by your veterinarian to confirm good health or to treat any pre-existing conditions.

He is not so far away from his normal weight,, actually. Count 100g/per week. So if he is a week old and weighs 90 g, that would still be ok, especially since he may not have been fed for a day before you found him. Keep feeding him kitten milk (pet-lac), as much as he wants, and keep him warm. Do not forget to stimulate his genitals and anus after feeding so he urinates and defecates and keep him clean (use a moist warm paper towel or tissue to rub gently, like a mother cat's tongue). If he is healthy, ie does not have any congenital conditions, he should grow normally. If you have any other cats in the household, it might be a good idea to let them interact with him, you might actually find a mama that way who may not have milk, but takes on the hygiene and babysitting and eventually teaching him to be a cat! It is very rewarding to raise a kitten! Enjoy!

It would be the right time to start introducing solid food gradually. Initially just mixing it with kitten milk, then over 4-5 days wean her off onto solids completely. She is too big to rely on milk only.

At six months of age, Ritsu is way past the point of needing to nurse from his mother, and I would not encourage that behavior by giving him kitten milk replacement. It can take some kittens up to eight weeks of age to fully wean, and that's normal. He may be trying to nurse off of her for comfort, but it is concerning he's having trouble gaining weight. First thing to do is to make sure he's eating a high quality kitten formulated food, such as Hills Science diet or Royal Canin. You can try soaking the dry food in gently warmed low sodium chicken or beef broth, or tuna juice to tempt him to eat the dry food. If that works, then slowly reduce the amount of liquid you soak his food in until he's eating the dry only. Also make sure he is up to date on his deworming treatments, as intestinal worms will prevent him from gaining weight. Finally, I would have him seen by a vet for a health check. The vet can identify if there is a medical issues causing him to gain weight, such as an inability to digest nutrients properly, and can discuss treatment with you. I hope this helps :-)

You should be weighing them every day or two to make sure they are gaining weight. If the little on is not gaining weight then you will know it is a problem and you will need to get it to a vet. You can use a kitchen gram scale to weigh them.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Shadow. What a cutie! He will need to eat a kitten formula of dry or canned food. It is normally wise to do a gradual diet change. However, it does not sound like he is eating the formula you have well. In this case, it will be fine to just offer him a kitten version. You can try adding warm water to the food. It may make it more appealing to him. If his appetite stays low, he will need to see a veterinarian to ensure there is not an illness present. I hope this information helps!

Kittens gain about 500 grams per month. So, at 4 months of age, she should be around 2kg. Feed her a good quality canned kitten food. Have her examined by your vet and submit a stool sample to rule out intestinal parasites.