# 14 week old kittens refusing to eat cat foods



## PatMP (Jun 12, 2013)

Hi

My adult daughter's cat had 5 kittens 14 weeks ago, 3 are with lovely homes, she has kept one and I have kept the other one. 

neither kitten will eat wet cat food, mine will eat some dry cat food and milk (yes I know it's not healthy) but will not entertain wet cat food in any shape or form. he will eat freshly cooked chicken, the odd bit of pasta and the odd bit of rice, likes little bits of cheese.

My daughter's kitten on the other hand started off with dried food and cat milk and will now only have cat milk, she won;t eat cat biscuits, though will eat titbits of meat.

we are both anxious to get our kittens into eating properly, I have been a cat keeper for many many years but have never come across this before, every kitten I've had has taken to eating straight away. Do you have any advice for us?


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## Dave the Brave (May 27, 2013)

My kitten will not eat any form of dry food at all. We put so much in the bin before looking for an alternative!

He also will not eat all but one brand of wet food so far although we've ordered some 'Grau' for him to try as this seems a good quality one with a high meat content.

He loves raw lambs heart, raw chicken, raw lamb, will eat duck. Have you tried your kittens with any raw meat? You can't feed them -just- raw meat long term as you have to make sure their diet is well balanced but you can use companies like Natural Instinct or Honeys for raw food until you figure out how to make your own.

I'm also feeding mine (11 weeks) mice and chicks now and he's getting more into eating them 

Goat's milk is better than cows. Dave likes Goats Milk and Goats Milk Yoghurt. He loves a raw egg yolk too.

Good luck!


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## Shiny (Mar 24, 2013)

Are you feeding your kitten proper, high quality kitten food? You shouldn't try to feed your kitten dry food made for older cats, because the levels of nutrients are different, and the bites themselves may be too hard on your little kitten's teeth. 

I would try getting your cat into dry food, not wet, because, in my experience, wet food isn't necessarily the best for a cats teeth if it makes up their diet, Also, I have a cat that doesn't like the texture of wet food, so that may be it as well. 

As you know, milk isn't the best. Are you giving her normal milk meant for human consumption, or special cat milk? Either way, I would try getting her into water, and making sure that she's drinking enough.

You can always consider raw as another option as well.

If the lack of interest in food continues, I would go see a vet, just to make sure that there isn't another meaning behind her lack of interest in food. It's always best to be cautious.

Good Luck!


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

Shiny said:


> Are you feeding your kitten proper, high quality kitten food? You shouldn't try to feed your kitten dry food made for older cats, because the levels of nutrients are different, and the bites themselves may be too hard on your little kitten's teeth.
> 
> I would try getting your cat into dry food, not wet, because, in my experience, wet food isn't necessarily the best for a cats teeth if it makes up their diet, Also, I have a cat that doesn't like the texture of wet food, so that may be it as well.
> 
> ...


The bit I've highlighted in red is a bit of a whopper of a myth.

Does Dry Food Clean the Teeth? | Little Big Cat

At 14 weeks a lot of kittens are teething and go off their food at bit - try to entice them. Get rid of the milk as it is filling them up, warm the wet food slightly with hot water to bring out the smell, try putting a little in their mouths, chicken wings are actually really good to help with teething and sore gums and fantastic for long term dental health. Try different types of food, pate, shredded etc. Have a try with raw too.


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

I assume these kittens were eating solid foods from weaning? Have you changed what you are giving them?
The grain in dry food is of no use in a cats diet and I never wean kittens onto dry. They need a well balanced wet food - I feed mine Natures Menu or HiLife as well as raw but have found that Royal Canin or James Wellbeloved (wet not dry) are very good to tempt reluctant kittens


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## PatMP (Jun 12, 2013)

Hi thanks for the replies

the kittens stayed with their mother until they were 9 weeks old and were offered kitten milk, water and a decent wet kitten food, however 3 of them decided to eat the other cats biscuits instead so these 3 kittens were given kitten biscuits, in fact all were offered the choice of wet and dried food.

my boy is a big, strong active healthy boy, but I would prefer him not to solely eat dried food or titbits, I have had a bad experience years ago with one of my cats having urinary tract issues whilst on Hills Scientific Diet food. if possible I'd like him to eat some wet food in the mornings and evenings and be able to nibble on biscuits whilst am out at work.

The other kitten, my daughter has kept her, is a lot smaller in size and has now refused biscuits altogether, preferring kitten milk and titbits only, believe you me both of us have tried everything, warming food, mixing catfood with fresh cooked chicken, wetting the dried biscuits with warmed cat food, baby food, etc etc, they are both stubborn little monkeys.


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## Satori (Apr 7, 2013)

Well if he will eat freshly cooked chicken, he at least understands the taste of real food. Try the chicken raw and see if you get the same reaction. You could try rare at first if raw doesn't go down first time, or smear the raw chicken pieces with some pork fat and sprinkle a treat of some sort on. If this all works out, you could try one of the prepared raw foods like Natural Instinct and, like brave Dave said, take it from there.

Meanwhile, if they are seriously under-eating, a supplement like nourish-um will get essential micro-nutrients into them and can also stimulate their appetite.


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## Satori (Apr 7, 2013)

PatMP said:


> my boy is a big, strong active healthy boy, but I would prefer him not to solely eat dried food or titbits, I have had a bad experience years ago with one of my cats having urinary tract issues whilst on Hills Scientific Diet food. if possible I'd like him to eat some wet food in the mornings and evenings and be able to nibble on biscuits whilst am out at work..


Far better would be if you could give him a wet feed for breakfast dinner and supper and use an automated feeder to give him two other wet feeds during the day.. Sadly, that means you will be using plastic bowls during the day so keep en eye open for any allergic reaction, but I'd rather take that risk than the risk of leaving dry food to graze on all day.

Of course at this stage, if you needed to get calories in him and dry is the only option, I would still not advise letting him graze. Rather, I would give him dry under supervision and then take it away.


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## Dave the Brave (May 27, 2013)

Satori said:


> n eye open for any allergic reaction, but I'd rather take that risk than the risk of leaving dry food to graze on all day.


Can cats really be allergic to plastic bowls?!

Dave's using plastic bowls at the moment but he has little baldy spots on his chin and I was wondering what was causing them. I wonder if it's the plastic bowls? What's the best material to use? Ceramic or Stainless Steel? Does it matter if the dish is deeper like a bowl or more shallow like a plate? Sorry to jump in the thread, it just got me thinking


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

Dave the Brave said:


> Can cats really be allergic to plastic bowls?!
> 
> Dave's using plastic bowls at the moment but he has little baldy spots on his chin and I was wondering what was causing them. I wonder if it's the plastic bowls? What's the best material to use? Ceramic or Stainless Steel? Does it matter if the dish is deeper like a bowl or more shallow like a plate? Sorry to jump in the thread, it just got me thinking


Yes, cats can be allergic to plastic and the little chin spots, like acne are often a sign.
I use ceramic shallow bowls for the adults and flatish square plates for kittens.


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## rose (Apr 29, 2009)

I never knew that about plastic bowls! I have always used twin plastic bowls. The cats seem fine, should I change them??


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Dave -- I agree with Lynn, ceramic bowls or plates are best. 

Stainless steel scratches too easily and bacteria can get trapped in the scratches and not get washed out, even in a dish washer (so a study found). Plastic is the worst of all for getting scratched and trapping bacteria.


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## PatMP (Jun 12, 2013)

well my daughter tells me that her kitten has eaten some cat food this morning, some little tin of chicken and tuna in gravy, might have to try my boy on it too.

it's funny about the plastic bowls, the adult cats don't care what they eat from but the little fella doesn't seem to like the plastic food bowls. he likes ceramic... or should I say he likes my plate....


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## Shiny (Mar 24, 2013)

spid said:


> The bit I've highlighted in red is a bit of a whopper of a myth.
> 
> Does Dry Food Clean the Teeth? | Little Big Cat


Wow, I honestly had no idea. I would have thought that teeth would deteriorate faster with wet food anyways, because it is so much easier to eat, and the teeth aren't really "working". But then again, I guess that naturally, a cat wouldn't eat something the texture of dry food.

My old cat also had problems with his teeth, and the condition did seem to improve when he was eating dry food, but that could have also been about the quality change in food.

Well, I can honestly say thank you for teaching me something new


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## TandT2010 (Apr 16, 2013)

PatMP said:


> Hi thanks for the replies
> 
> the kittens stayed with their mother until they were 9 weeks old and were offered kitten milk, water and a decent wet kitten food, however 3 of them decided to eat the other cats biscuits instead so these 3 kittens were given kitten biscuits, in fact all were offered the choice of wet and dried food.
> 
> ...


Am sure your kittens can be tempted with raw food. There are different companies out there that will provide raw food but unfortunately in big portion and before you know it the meat will go off. Here is a link of a new brand that just came on the market. 
Purrform - 100% Natural frozen ground raw meat and bone cat food | Premium cat food | Raw food for pet | Frozen pet food | Frozen raw diet for pets | Raw minced meat | Pre-portioned frozen cat food

Good Luck


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

TandT2010 said:


> > Here is a link of a new brand that just came on the market.
> > Purrform - 100% Natural frozen ground raw meat and bone cat food | Premium cat food | Raw food for pet | Frozen pet food | Frozen raw diet for pets | Raw minced meat | Pre-portioned frozen cat food
> 
> 
> ...


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## Satori (Apr 7, 2013)

TandT2010 said:


> Am sure your kittens can be tempted with raw food. There are different companies out there that will provide raw food but unfortunately in big portion and before you know it the meat will go off. Here is a link of a new brand that just came on the market.
> Purrform - 100% Natural frozen ground raw meat and bone cat food | Premium cat food | Raw food for pet | Frozen pet food | Frozen raw diet for pets | Raw minced meat | Pre-portioned frozen cat food
> 
> Good Luck


This is obviously a shill post. Hopefully a moderator will close the account.


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