kitten not eating.

[bizzy23]

i just adopted a new kitten from mspca. he was neutered on tuesday morning and i brought him home on wednesday afternoon. he is 3 months old and has had all his shots and was sent home to us with a clean bill of health.

the first day / night we had zim here he was very active and seemed quite at home. no hiding or anything. he played alot and was up all night. but thursday and today i have noticed he hasn't eaten anything. he has been drinking plenty and urinating normally, and my boyfriend who i live with said he got him to take a few bites of my other cat's canned food. we have been trying to feed him this science diet kitten food given to us by the mspca. he has also been meowing alot, more like crying. it doesn't sound like he's in pain, more like he wants something. kind of sounds like he's whining. and it's usually put to a stop by being handled or pet.

i have been looking for signs of an upper respiratory infection but there are none. i cleaned his litter pan today and there was what looked like it could be diarrhea, but it was hardened by then so i couldn't really tell. i have also been keeping an eye on his sutures, and everything looks fine there as well. no discharge or swelling.

we were told that when he was brought to mspca he had a brother, but he was adopted. could he be depressed because he misses his companion? or could it be the stress of being newly adopted and the new smells and maybe the less than warm welcome he's received from my other cat? i called the vet and they didn't seem overly concerned but told me to try a different brand of kitten food and call the shelter tomorrow.

anyone had a similar experience or some other advice in the mean time?

[Tambrey]

probably both...missing his brother and having the surgery and going to a new place...soooo much going on..and who knows what he went through the first 3 months of his short life...
Did you give the cats an introductory period to learn to get along...it takes time there as well...

keep trying to get him to eat...hold him in your arms and get a small bit of food on your finger,...try to get him to open his mouth and put the small morsel (moist food, I presume) into his mouth and see if he will eat it...maybe he still does not really know how to eat from a dish...maybe he does not like the food...

at his age, you can still try a kitten weaning formula like KMR...you can get it at most pet stores...use fresh warm water and make it into a thin paste and see if he will lap at that...

Keep an eye on his food and water intake and litterbox to make sure is he eating...and passing solid waste...if he was dewormed as well, that might account for the diahhrea and lack of wanting to eat, as that can cause an upset tummy...

However, if he is still not eating by tomorrow, I would see about getting him in to the vet again to rule out anything secondary causing his lack of interest in food...but do not wait too long, as kittens can go downhill very fast...

Let us know how he does and bless you for adopting a kitten from the shelter!

[bizzy23]

well i got him to eat a little. he licked the top of the can from my older cat's food, so i took a tiny amount of my female's and mixed it in with his kitten canned food and i sprinkled some white tuna on top and heated in the microwave on the advice from the vet i spoke to today. he nibbled at it for 5 minutes or so. but at least he took something in!

i didn't allow as long as i should have for the cats to get used to smelling eachother. the kitten spent about 6 hours in my bedroom but he was crying so much all i could think of was what he might have gone through before the shelter and i couldn't bare to keep him in there any longer. so they could have used a little more time, but i'm a sap for a sad mew.

[bizzy23]

ok. so i got him to eat a little. right now, since the vet didn't seem overly concerned with his eating habbit, my biggest cause of curiosity is the crying. every time he cries he sounds like he is in utter woe. but it seems easily cured when he's held. and i try to let him show me what's wrong. and he usually just ends up lying down on my lap. and when i stop petting him he cries as well. could he be just begging for attention?

[Tambrey]

It sounds like that to me...he wants to feel safe and secure, and he does when you are petting him and holding him...give him time to adjust nad see how he settles down then...
but still keep an eye on his input and output, and if you can, take him to the vet every two days for a weigh in...most will not charge for this, but you can keep track of any weight gain, or loss...and go from there...

Please keep us posted on progress...and post pics of both cats in Debbie's Cloud when you can...we LOVE pictures!!

[bizzy23]

well some not so good news. i was all excited cause he ate a little, but i left for a little while and when i came back it looked like he puked up everything he had eaten! so i'm thinking he might have a touch of something, although he shows no other signs of sickness. no discharge from the eyes or nose, he's breathing through his nose... although the vet said diarrhea right now is normal and could be a reaction to the deworming he had. so maybe the puking could be too?

[Traci]

Get him back to your vet IMMEDIATELY, he could have an infection, either from the neuter or something else entirely...he could also be having a slight reaction to the vaccinations (i.e., if he's feverish, this needs to be addressed ASAP). Diarrhea is not normal, whether he was dewormed or not, and combined with vomiting, he may be getting seriously dehydrated, you can't risk dehydration in a young kitten, and you can't risk weight loss as a result of anorexia. If your vet is doing nothing, see a new vet TODAY and get these issues addressed immediately.

Try Iams canned kitten food, and don't feed the adult cat's food to him.

[bizzy23]

well i was already planning on taking him to the vet. and i think i trust a vet's word if they tell me diarrhea can be a normal reaction to the deworming. and now i am pretty sure the diarrhea has ceased because i saw normal looking kitty poop in his box. which also means he at least digested some of his food before he threw up. and the vomitting, well it kinda looks like he's got a hairball when he throws up. and he is drinking plenty of water, and he is still somewhat active so i know he is not dehydrated at the moment. but i don't know how much i can do because i don't have ANY money to pay a vet, i spent the last of my paycheck on the adoption fee for the kitten.

[Tambrey]

Most vets will work with you on payment options...my vet will take up to six months of post dated checks...they have a file box for them with the months and then filed by dates that they will be deposited...IF need be, sell something that will bring in enough money to get this kitten to the vet...pawn shops are open on Saturday, and you could even get the item back in a certain amount of time if you wanted to...

You chose to adopt this kitten and are now responsible for its health and well-being, he is depending on you for his safety and comfort...animals are very good at hiding any kind of pain, and by the time we humans can see they are in pain, they are in excruciating pain...because in the wild, an animal that shows pain, is left behind to die, or killed by its pack, so it is an inbred instinct to hide pain...

Traci is a qualitifed vet tech and does know what she is talking about, and i trust her opinion as well...and she is one of the reasons so many people keep coming back...

As before, please let us know how things are going...

[Traci]

Please understand that every one of us is here to help, that's what we do, but also understand that we cannot physically see or examine your kitten and can only advise based on your written posts....only a vet can determine hydration status with an exam, rule out the cause of the vomiting, etc and treat appropriately.

Diarrhea and vomiting deplete the body of vital fluids and electrolytes, which in turn can affect vital organ function..in a very young kitten, you can't take the risk of not getting this addressed and treated appropriately. At the minimum, sub-q fluids may be required to replenish his electrolytes...an appropriate kitten food to encourage his appetite, nutrient intake, etc..only a vet can make those determinations upon an exam. The vet also cannot make any assumptions over the phone, he needs to physically examine the kitten.

Since your kitten was only recently neutered, you should have a complimentary followup exam, meaning free. Although most shelters don't have adequate veterinary care, we always strongly advise pet owners who adopt from shelters to get their kittens/cats immediately seen by their primary vets because shelter staff often do not followup on their adoptions, even after spaying or neutering. If the shelter won't give you a free followup exam, then call your primary vet immediately, and explain to them the entire situation, they may offer you a free complimentary "new kitten exam", which should have been given to you in the form of a certificate from the shelter anyway, at the very beginning.