Help, my kittens are underweight!!

[Smoke&Mirrors]

I need some advice for my new 10 week-old kittens that we just adopted from the local humane society. We took them to our vet the next day after we adopted and they both (1 male, 1 female, littermates) recieved clean bills of health.

However, since we brought them home sunday evening (10/20/02) they have consumed less than 1/2 cup of dry kitten food between the two of them. They definitely know how to use and have been regularly using the litter box, but it is tuesday night and I am worried!!

The vet says they only weigh 2lbs 5oz and 2lbs 2oz, respectively. However, he didn't help me with any advice to help them gain healthy weight fast.

Any appropriate advice would be genuinely appreciated.

Smoke&Mirrors (first time post)

[Anne]

they are probably just getting settled in. Everything is new to them and abit scary. Are you feeding the same diet they are used to? If it's not a good diet then perhaps changing GRADUALLY to a better food. Keep us posted on their progress.

[Smoke&Mirrors]

Thanks for your reply. We are feeding them science diet kitten food (the same thing they were having at the Humane Society kennel) they just don't have much interest in eating it. Between 2 kittens they have eaten maybey 1/2 cup in 2 days. This seems very low. I want to know what we can do specifically to encourage them to eat more. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[caramelito]

just to help them gain some weight
like fish alone or fish with some rice
, chicken or chicken with rice
(i'm saying rice , because rice won't do anything bad to them, and take all the chicken bones away)
try giving them some home food for about a week or so till they get eating and then try switching to dry food by little

[Jack]

I'd be very careful about giving that small a kitten all fish or all chicken. You don't want them becoming dependant on just that. Perhaps just soaking their kibble in some chicken broth or the juice from a tin of salmon or tuna. And remember that cats digestive systems can't handle milk properly. They might get a bout of diahrrea, and kittens with diahrrea area at a risk. Clean,fresh water after they are weaned is all they need for fluids. Here's a pretty good link for you to check out...


Kitten Care

And by all means phone the Humane Society where you got your kittens or your Vet if you have any questions or problems you can't resolve yourself. The Humane Societys' moral and ethical involvement does'nt stop once the kittens are no longer in their residence.

Callie.

[Smoke&Mirrors]

Just wanted to update everyone on my kitties progress! We took them in for a vet check-up yesterday and Smoke had gained 5oz, Mirrors gained 3oz! So, after 10 days, they are doing much better!

I let them try a little tuna in rice and they gobbled that right up, but had diarrhea within a few hours. I also tried a little plain chicken and rice, they vomited that up within 30 minutes of eating it. As recommended by their vet, I only let them lick icecubes for 24 hours till their little systems cleared.

The following day, I mixed a small portion of dry science diet kitten food with some soft canned science diet kitten food. I put them in front of it and dabbed a little on their noses. Each day after that, I mixed in a little more dry and a little less moist and now, they are eating all dry science diet.

Finally, We have healthy active kitties again! Thanks again for all the help and advice.

Smoke and Mirrors thank you also!