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Cats/kitten/solid food

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Expert: - 5/18/2009


Question

April
Hi Ali ! I have a seven week old kitten that has no interest in solid foods. When food dish is set in front of her, she scratches around it (as in her littler box) and walks away. I've tried kitten chow (moisten),can cat food and I've even cooked chicken for her. I'm worried because mamma cat is trying very hard to wean her. When kitten is weaned and she will not eat solid food (ooops) what should I try next? Enjoy your day Ali !! Mare from Ga. USA

Answer
Mare,

I'm sorry to have to tell you that your kitten is probably a minimum of 3 weeks younger than you were told she is. She doesn't know how to eat solids on her own yet because she hasn't been weaned by her mother. You can try mixing a high quality canned food (I recommend holistic foods made from human grade ingredients such as Wellness or Spot's Stew) with kitten milk replacer or weaning formula so that it's the texture of slightly watery cooked oatmeal. It's best to add a tablespoon of plain, unsweetened, organic yogurt to each meal because your kitten may get some pretty bad diarrea due to the sudden change in her diet and the yogurt will reduce the severity or prevent the diarrea entirely. The food should be heated to body temperature before serving. It will take a few sessions of teaching before your kitten will eat her food without help. I recommend that you try dipping a finger into the warmed food/formula mix and gently dabbing the food onto your kitten's nose. She will instinctively lick it off, you can repeat this several times and move your finger gradually closer to the food bowl until your kitten eats on her own. It's possible you'll have to repeat this several times before April's comfortable eating on her own. April should eat 5-6 small meals a day to prevent problems with low blood sugar since she was taken from mom too early. I have information about providing your kitten with the highest quality diet and the best start in life with regards to how she's socialized if you're interested in learning more.
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    CommentAli has always been very careing and very fast with her replys !


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Ali

Expertise

I am the proud guardian of 5 mixed breed cats ranging from 12 weeks to 13 years old and one purebred ragdoll. I have 20+ years experience working with mixed breed cats from a variety of different situations. I have fostered cats/kittens with special needs/behavioral issues. I have rescued/rehabilitated/re-homed a variety of stray/abused cats. I can offer advice on managing feral cat colonies, rehabilitating strays and finding them forever homes. I can help you to determine whether a cat is stray or feral, there IS a significant difference. Improperly introducing a new cat/kitten can result in aggression between newly introduced cats because cats are territorial by nature and they don't like sudden changes in their environment. To learn more about a peaceful way to introduce a new cat into a home with other cats please check out my previous answers on this subject. Proper nutrition for cats can be confusing, I recommend checking out catinfo.org which was created by a veterinarian (Dr. Lisa Pierson) who takes a common sense approach to explaining feline nutrition. Cat behavior and instincts are different from those of humans, I can help you understand your cat's needs so that you can meet them adequately and have a balanced, psychologically and physically sound kitty. Cats vary in personality, energy level and intelligence, different approaches may be required to achieve results in terms of training and interaction with your feline companion. An intelligent, high energy cat must be kept busy or they will make their own fun. I am NOT a licensed veterinarian and I can't offer medical advice. If your cat is ill/injured my advice is always the same: get prompt medical treatment provided by a veterinarian. If finances are an issue I will try to find resources in your area that can help with medical costs or make other choices to ensure the welfare of your cat.

Experience

I have fostered feral and stray cats, rehabilitated and homed cats that many people recommended euthanasia for. I am willing to make an effort to do the research and ask questions because I care enough to find solutions to behavioral problems rather than giving up. I have an interest in the use of alternative therapies to help provide the best possible care for all cats and I can say in all honesty that I've seen some incredible things happen for some incredible cats and their human caregivers when the right alternative therapeutic modality is used by a qualified veterinarian with expertise and experience in the field.

Education/Credentials
I've earned my diploma as a veterinary assistant with honors.

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