2 Kittens not eating!

Haylezzmm

Hi guys, I hope someone can help.

We have 2 23 week old Kittens, they are seem to be happy and healthy but they do not eat much at all. We have had them since they were 12 weeks old.

I have read so much about other kittens and cats eating loads its starting to concern me. We feed them a mix of wet and dry food.

They barely touch one pouch of wet kitten food between them all day. Is this normal? They eat dry food but again, not very much.

We have tried a couple of variety's of wet food but none seem to stick.

We have wormed them and are in the process of de fleaing them too (altho where they got fleas from i'll never know as they have always been house cats!).

Any advice would be much appreciated

Thanks

H

paddypaws101

Firstly....have they been neutered yet?
If not, they do normally develop more of an appetite once all those hormones have gone.
For now I would keep on offering them small amounts of various foods and try to get them to eat as much as you can.
I feed mostly raw these days, so even if kittens do not always eat as much as I would like ( for example my current foster family) I do feel re-assured that what they are eating is top quality.
I presume they have had normal vet checks and are well in medical terms?

~Chameleon~

If they're also eating dry food then a pouch a day between them is absolutely fine.

RachRubyD

Cats are odd creatures. Mine can literally eat about 4 pouches a day and cry for more and more and then a week later barely touch any food. Are they going outside? if they are prehaps someone else is feeding them.

Are you making sure that their food is away from their litter tray area as they apparently don't like to eat near where they go toilet.

balletshoes

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

If they're also eating dry food then a pouch a day between them is absolutely fine.

i agree - my kit is just over 7 months old, and he's only now, in the last week or so, increased his appetite to the equivalent of one pouch in jelly plus dry biscuits. Up til then, he'd eat some dry biscuits, and lick the jelly off about a third of a pouch a day. He's fine and healthy .

Misseh

The main thing is not to vary their diets too much. So don't try changing brands, stick with one that's composition is the highest meat ratio - 'encore' cat food is 75% meat, 24% broth and 1% rice. Both my cat and kitten love this stuff.
My kitten is roughly 7 months old and she is very food motivated - loves human food and treats but turns her nose up at wet/dry food. I have now tried encore with her and she loves it. I also use treats to get her in from outside, which in turn has made her VERY food motivated. I've even managed to teach her some tricks, she knows her name, sit and wait on command. Love it!
Don't be too concerned with how much they're eating, as long as the food is available and they're a healthy weight. Shouldn't be an issue, I also believe at this age they still enjoy milk. So try them with some cat milk to ensure if they're not eating enough, at least they're having something.
Hope this helps :-) M

paddypaws101

Misseh wrote: »

- 'encore' cat food is 75% meat, 24% broth and 1% rice. Both my cat and kitten love this stuff.
My kitten is roughly 7 months old and she is very food motivated - loves human food and treats
Hope this helps :-) M

Please be aware that Encore and other 'shredded' type foods are not often complete in terms of nutrition and that manufacturers do not recommend them as kitten food.
A diet of Encore, cat treats and human food is very far from ideal for a growing cat.

Misseh

paddypaws101 wrote: »

Please be aware that Encore and other 'shredded' type foods are not often complete in terms of nutrition and that manufacturers do not recommend them as kitten food.
A diet of Encore, cat treats and human food is very far from ideal for a growing cat.

Please note: ^^^ Very true - Kitten has 1 tin of encore and a 1/2 a bottle of cat milk a day , she's given veterinary 'kitten growth' dry food throughout the day, she receives 4 treats throughout the day when she is let out (she's in heat and gets a treat to make sure she comes inside) human food: refers to roast meats & fish excluding, pork. I think that's better than feeding my cat wet pouches day in day out, which hold ZERO nutritional value whatsoever.

paddypaws101

Misseh wrote: »

(she's in heat and gets a treat to make sure she comes inside) I think that's better than feeding my cat wet pouches day in day out, which hold ZERO nutritional value whatsoever.

I am no big fan of most commercial wet foods, but they do (by law) have to contain balanced nutrition as set down by industry guidelines.
But....your kitten is IN HEAT and you let her out????:mad::mad:

~Chameleon~

paddypaws101 wrote: »

I am no big fan of most commercial wet foods, but they do (by law) have to contain balanced nutrition as set down by industry guidelines.
But....your kitten is IN HEAT and you let her out????:mad::mad:

This^^^^^

Please get her booked in to be spayed ASAP. You are taking an enormous risk in her becoming pregnant by letting her out even for a few minutes. Tom cats from all around the area will by lying in wait.

Please do not delay otherwise you'll face rearing yet another litter of unwanted kittens. She needs to be spayed IMMEDIATELY her season has subsided to remove the risk of pregnancy and safeguard against any future risk.

Misseh

Yep, cat goes out when we have a fag...
She doesn't leave the garden yet and we bring her in when we're finished, my mum who 'owns' her isn't sure if she wants her to have a litter yet. She's a Maine Coon - so until she decides the cat is under 'guard', she shouldn't be out unsupervised yet anyway. We live in a rural area next to a 60mph road. Don't really want her playing chicken with cars just yet... She's too easily distracted and scatty.

P.s. She's out for 10 min's max about 4/5 times a day, under supervision. She literally just runs around the lawn after cranefly's, with our boy cat (who's neutered). She has to be let out, otherwise she goes mental, running around like a lunatic - which I don't think is fair.