My newly adopted 8-week-old kittens won't eat. What should I do?

He is still very young and misses his mommy and his siblings. You should feed him canned kitten food, as kibble is still too hard and a kitten cannot eat enough of it. Feed him small portions 4-5 times a day and feed as much as he wants to eat, ie refill the bowl a little bit at a time. Make sure water is available but not next to the food. It needs to be about 6 feet away from the food bowl. At this age (71 days) he should weigh a little over 1kg, or 2.3lbs

I would recommend that you have the kitten examined by a vet if she isn't interested in eating food. You can try a variety of wet kitten foods, or mix dry kitten food with water or kitten milk replacer (not cow or other types of milk). At 6 weeks of age, she needs an FVRCP vaccine.

I recommend to try a different food. Offer both canned and dried options. Cats can be very finicky about their food. Also call the shelter and ask what food she was eating and if she was eating well. Some brands that cats tend to like (although do know that some of these are more like fast food but first it's important just to get Owl eating): Royal Canin, Purina ProPlan, Fancy Feast and Frsikies. Food purchased from a larger retailer like Petco may be able to be returned if she won't eat it but do check the policy first. Also place the food where she is hiding. Try hand feeding her versus leaving her alone. If she does not eat by tomorrow, have her examined by the veterinarian to make sure she is ok. Congratulations of adding Owl to your family. Most cats will be comfortable within 1-2 weeks. I hope this helps.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question. Congrats on your new kitten! Moving into a new home is stressful, and it sometimes can cause a decrease in appetite. In all honestly, I never recommend Blue Buffalo, it's frankly a terrible food, and I'm not surprised he's turning his nose up at it. Try a brand like Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Purina ProPlan, or Iams to see if he likes that better. If he doesn't eat that food, then a heath check with a vet is recommended right away. I hope this helps!

She looks like a healthy little kitten, so I think she's probably OK and just being picky. If possible, I would contact the former caregiver and see what they were feeding. Sometimes they reject food that they are not familiar with. If you've done that already, or it is not possible, then try to feed a few different foods. She is old enough that she can eat 100% kitten food, so you can buy a few different cans of food at the pet store. Fancy feast is always a favorite. Don't feed too much at one time though, or she could develop vomiting/diarrhea. They also stop eating sometimes when they are feeling sick. If you notice some eye or nose discharge, or anything else concerning, then you may need to get her to a vet for evaluation. I hope that helps.

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!

Congratulations on adopting your new kittens! I'm glad that you are going to take them in tomorrow morning. They are young and small. You will need to ensure the smaller one is not becoming dehydrated. Kittens their age can have vomiting and diarrhea secondary to intestinal parasites, stress from coming to a new home, or the diet change. The examination can ensure that is not anything more serious though. In the meantime, encourage them to drink plenty of water. You can offer a small amount of food in the morning. I hope this information helps!