kitten does not drink water

[finest45]

My kitten is 7 weeks old and eats canned food already on his own. But he refuses to drink water. Also he only drinks formula if given from a bottle, otherwise he would take a lick or two from the bowl and that is it. Should I try to dilute the formula more and more? is there any other strategy?

thanks

[davet]

you might try soaking his legs with water and that may urge him to licke if off, keep repeating till he gets the hang of it if that doesn't work try using a syringe or a turkey baster and dribble it into his mouth....assuming he was on the mother at least 6 weeks he should learn soon....if not, keep working...

[puddypaws100]

Why not try the drinking fountain for cats? I have 3 cats and they all LOVE it. They drink so much more water (they never liked the bowls either). Also, I've recommend this to friends and they agree. For some reason the cats like the running stream of water. You can get it online:
http://www.vetventures.com/dpf.asp or in your petstore.

It's a little pricey but in the long run I think it's a good investment because your cats drink much more water and that's so good for them!

[Critter1]

Ebay may be a cheaper option for purchasing the Drinkwell pet fountain, just make sure you don't bid on a cheap imitation, and don't bid more than what you would pay in the store (remember s&h charges apply too.) I wouldn't buy a used fountain due to potential viral exposure from someone else's cat. Remember there's always some risk involved when purchasing anything from ebay... use common sense.

[MA]

When you feed him canned food, add a little bit of water to make a gruel for him. Also, start putting the water in a smaller bowl, and add something to the bottom of the bowl, like marbles (washed) aquarium rocks (washed) pebbles from the creek (washed) Sometimes with little ones, it is a depth perception problem. You can also float ice cubes in the water bowl, or get a small floating toy and put that there to encourage his participation in drinking.