New kitten help please

athenajm

Hi, I've just adopted a new kitten from a woman who stupidly didn't get her cat done and now is struggling with the consequences (grrrrr!!!!).

He's a gorgeous smoky grey colour and completely nuts as only kittens can be, but my friend who picked him up and looked after him yesterday until i got home from work has now panicked me (despite me having had 8-10 cats in the past and never having many problems with them!).

The kitten, Raki, arrived at my home yesterday at about 2ish. The other cats aren't too bothered by him, he did try to make himself look big and scary the first few times they came into the room but he just looks at them now (not that they come in here much). He's done two very big wees (that we've noticed, more may have been done last night when I was asleep) but hasn't done a poo yet.

The woman who gave him to me said that he hadn't moved on from his mum's milk as quickly as his brothers and sisters so she'd started giving him chicken and now he's on solids. The problem is I've discovered he won't eat cat food, only chicken. Is there any way to wean him off chicken and onto kitten food? I've tried a few different flavours, brands, wet and dry - no joy!

Obviously I'm glad he's eating something but I don't want him to live purely on chicken and if I'd known this before my friend picked him up then I would have suggested that his previous owner kept him for a bit longer to make sure he was ready to leave the home as (to my mind) she's rushed him into leaving his mum just cause she wanted rid.

scaredy_cat

try heating the kitten food a little, to make it smellier? or mix some chicken fine chopped up in it and gradually reduce the chicken amount.

athenajm

Thanks, I'll try those ideas. I've been mixing a teeny bit of cat food (chicken flavour!) with lots of chicken but the cheeky little thing will then only eat the chicken that doesn't touch the cat food!!

He's v sneaky but so cute I can''t hold it against him.

He did his first poo last night while my friend was up looking after him. Apparently he then dragged his bum along the floor by his front paws (I thought it was only dogs that did this?) so I'm guessing he has worms. I'm going to take him to the vet for deworming as he's too light to give any of the normal worming stuff, and I also thought I could pick their brains too.

scaredy_cat

ahh.. the old ' 2 legged shuffle'! that might be his anal glands - cats have them too.