# 9 week old kitten still won't eat solids - any ideas?



## cats galore (Jul 17, 2012)

flossy's kittens are doing really well but one little one, Spotty, will not even look at food. they were 9 weeks old on friday (last week) and i cannot get him to eat a thing. he just wants his mommy any ideas what i can do or do you think he will be ok to leave him alone and let him start eating by himself. flossy is such a good mom that she will lie and feed him whenever he wants


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

What have you tried to wean him?


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

CG, you have probably tried everything, but just in case thought I'd mention these -- 

An interim step feeding him Toplife Kitten milk (sold at Tesco) in a saucer. It's made of goats milk and was well tolerated by my 2 kittens. Once he is helping himself to milk in a saucer he may be more inclined to try food......

Have you tried hand feeding him, starting with a tiny bit of tasty food on your finger, opening his mouth and smearing it on the roof of his mouth. If he spits it out leave it til next day before trying again. Next step would be to see if he would lick it off your finger. 

Baby food (without salt or sugar) is sometimes more acceptable initially than kitten food. Start with a tiny bit, same method as above.

Does he like catnip? You could try putting a little powdered catnip on top of a small amount of kitty food.


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

I swear by grated cooked chicken, if you get a little into his mouth he will probably almost take your finger off next time, or maybe now hes 9 weeks old, instead of grating, finely chop with a fork, never failed yet for me[my kittens] 
The meat from the leg is best as its not as dry as breast,by the way
Hope hes eating soon


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## Sacrechat (Feb 27, 2011)

This is how I weaned a kitten that would not eat solids:

First introduce appropriate milk like Cimikat by putting some of the milk onto a spoon. Sometimes the size of a large bowl can make a kitten afraid. Lift the spoon to kitty's mouth and if necessary push kitty's mouth into the milk very gently, just enough to get some of the milk around the mouth. Keep doing this till kitty licks the milk off its lips. Eventually, kitty should start to lap the milk off the spoon.

Once kitty is lapping off the spoon with ease, gradually move the spoon closer and closer towards the bowl. Eventually, the spoon should be over the bowl as kitty laps. At this point lower the spoon into the bowl until kitty is lapping milk from the bowl.

Only once kitty is lapping easily from the bowl should, you introduce solid food. Mix a little solid food into the milk, gradually increasing the ratio of solid food to liquid with each meal. Once kitty gets a taste for the solid food, it should very quickly start eating solids properly.


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## Cosmills (Oct 3, 2012)

One of Rosie's kits was the same although not at nine weeks 

I would sit her on my knee with a bowl of food and put small amounts in her mouth ... Then off my fingers , then started putting my finger in the bowl for her to lick it off then slowly remove my finger so she eat from the bowl ... She soon got the hang of it and was eating with the others in no time ..


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## cats galore (Jul 17, 2012)

chillminx said:


> CG, you have probably tried everything, but just in case thought I'd mention these --
> 
> An interim step feeding him Toplife Kitten milk (sold at Tesco) in a saucer. It's made of goats milk and was well tolerated by my 2 kittens. Once he is helping himself to milk in a saucer he may be more inclined to try food......
> 
> ...


the last two methods i haven't tried so i'll give them a go next


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## cats galore (Jul 17, 2012)

jaycee05 said:


> I swear by grated cooked chicken, if you get a little into his mouth he will probably almost take your finger off next time, or maybe now hes 9 weeks old, instead of grating, finely chop with a fork, never failed yet for me[my kittens]
> The meat from the leg is best as its not as dry as breast,by the way
> Hope hes eating soon


we've tried him with this but he's still not interested


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## cats galore (Jul 17, 2012)

Sacremist said:


> This is how I weaned a kitten that would not eat solids:
> 
> First introduce appropriate milk like Cimikat by putting some of the milk onto a spoon. Sometimes the size of a large bowl can make a kitten afraid. Lift the spoon to kitty's mouth and if necessary push kitty's mouth into the milk very gently, just enough to get some of the milk around the mouth. Keep doing this till kitty licks the milk off its lips. Eventually, kitty should start to lap the milk off the spoon.
> 
> ...


he will lap the milk up out of the bowl but even mixing the tiniest bit of kitten pate or other foods makes him walk away. i'm completely at a loss with him


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## cats galore (Jul 17, 2012)

Cosmills said:


> One of Rosie's kits was the same although not at nine weeks
> 
> I would sit her on my knee with a bowl of food and put small amounts in her mouth ... Then off my fingers , then started putting my finger in the bowl for her to lick it off then slowly remove my finger so she eat from the bowl ... She soon got the hang of it and was eating with the others in no time ..


he simply shows no interest whatsoever. we've tried smearing a little bit of food around his lips, putting a tiny amount in his mouth etc but as soon as he smells or sees the food he turns his back on it. he has absolutely no interest in food at all


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

I've had a reluctant starter who wouldn't eat until given a raw chicken wing. He then went on to try NI raw and is still a raw fed cat - converted his new slaves


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## cats galore (Jul 17, 2012)

lymorelynn said:


> I've had a reluctant starter who wouldn't eat until given a raw chicken wing. He then went on to try NI raw and is still a raw fed cat - converted his new slaves


i've always got raw down for them, in fact Flossy and three of the kittens love the raw but i haven't given him a chicken wing yet. i'll try that too an keep my fingers crossed. he'll be 10 weeks old on friday and he's being neutered at 12 weeks ready for leaving but he needs to eat first the little monkey him


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