A sick kitten who won't eat is heartbreaking.Chances are your kitten is sick or depressed if she won't eat.Bring her to the vet if she doesn't eat for more than a day.You can try to get her to eat at home in the meantime.
Step 1: Small amounts are offered at frequent intervals.
Smaller portions, but more often, is the best approach when your kitten is sick.If you are not waking the kitten up for feedings, then offering a mouthful every one to two hours is ideal.Young kittens should be woken up for feedings.
Step 2: Change the brand of kitten food.
Sometimes sick kittens don't feel like eating their regular food and have to be given something different to make them more interested in eating.You can get your kitten interested in the food by changing the brand or flavor.Even a small amount of food can make a difference when your kitten is sick.Gravy-based cat food is one of the easiest foods to eat for kittens.
Step 3: Ask your doctor about a convalescent diet.
Convalescent diet are designed to meet the needs of sick animals.A kitten can get his daily calories from just under a third of a tin.Hills AD and Royal Canin Feline Convalescent Diet are the most popular diet for cats and dogs.The highly palatable diet includes building blocks for repair of body tissues and strengthens the immune system.The kitten needs fats and Carbohydrates to run his organs and fight infections.They aid wound healing.The immune system can be fortified with Vitamins E and C, as well as Taurine.
Step 4: It's possible to heat the food.
If your kitten has a bad nose, he will stop eating because he can't smell the food and it's difficult to eat with it.If you want to serve the food, try heating it a little bit and then microwave it.The heating will make the food smell better and lure the kitten into eating it.Warm food tastes better.It is possible to encourage a kitten to eat by cleaning his nose.
Step 5: Do not put medicine in your kitten's food.
A sick kitten shouldn't hide his medicine in his food.The taste and smell of medicine can be detected by kittens.If you hide the medicine, your kitten will not come near the food next time.Feed medicine at regular intervals.The kitten will not like it, but you have to do it.
Step 6: Make sure your kitten is hydrated.
It is important to make sure that your kitten is getting enough water.Dehydration in kittens can be a very serious problem and when they are sick it becomes even more serious.Adding water to your kitten's food is a good way to get her to drink water.It will make the food more appetizing and it will also help her sleep at the same time.If your kitten refuses to drink water, the first thing you should do is check his water dish.Cats don't like to drink water from a dirty surface.
Step 7: Feed your kitten with finger food.
Put a small amount of food in the kitten's mouth.The kitten will be irritated if you force your finger into his mouth.Allow him to lick the food at his own pace.
Step 8: Feed your kitten with a needle.
If finger feeding doesn't work, give it a try.You will need a clean needle with a liquid food in it.Place the needle in the kitten's mouth at an angle.If you put it in his mouth, it will make the food go straight to the back of his throat and could cause your kitten to choke.To squeeze a small amount of food onto the back of the tongue, bend it to the right or left side.The food is on the back of the kitten's tongue.If you think he has had enough to eat, you can vary the position of the syringe to avoid rubbing the mouth.If you don't have a liquid food prescribed by a vet, you can use a milk replacer powder.Do not drink ordinary milk.The food should be warm but not hot.
Step 9: If your kitten is over six weeks old, you should give it meloxicam.
Meloxicam is part of a family of drugs called NSAIDs.Meloxicam works by suppressing prostaglandin release, which limits the inflammation that leads to a high temperature.Meloxicam can be used to reduce fever.Only kittens over six weeks of age are eligible for Meloxicam.If your kitten is not eating food in the stomach, don't give them meloxicam.One daily dose of feline meloxicam is recommended.A small kitten needs a small amount of cat Metacam.There are two strengths for meloxicam, for dogs and cats.Dog Metacam is three times more concentrated than the feline and should be used with extreme care.Meloxicam should only be used in animals that are well hydrated.If an animal is dehydrated, the decrease in blood supply to the kidneys may cause it to fail.Meloxicam can be given with or after food.If the cat isn't eating, it's a good idea to feed him a small amount of food.Metacam should not be given on an empty stomach.The blood supply to the stomach can be affected by the inhibitory effect.Do not give meloxicam after other drugs.Doing so can cause bleeding and potentially fatal blood loss.
Step 10: Keep your kitten warm.
It will be more difficult to get a kitten to eat if he is chilled.
Step 11: Provide a comfortable place to sleep.
Sick kittens will recover better if they have a place to hide.Provide a box lined with blankets.
Step 12: If necessary, seek veterinary care.
If your kitten's symptoms persist for more than a day or two, you should see a vet.
Step 13: There are signs that your kitten might be depressed.
There are several signs that your kitten is depressed.A lack of energy and sleeping more than usual are some of the things that include a loss of interest in her regular activities.
Step 14: You should spend more time with your kitten.
Cats become depressed because they are not shown enough attention.To get your kitten to start eating again, play with her and show her love as much as you can.Hold her while you are working or watching a movie, play with her in the mornings and afternoons, and praise her with treats and affection.
Step 15: There are things that will entertain your kitten.
It's not always possible to be home to play with your kitten.When you are away, invest in toys that will keep your kitten entertained.While you are away, keep your kitten entertained with climbing trees, toys, scratching posts, and food puzzles.Get your kitten a friend.If you can afford to do so, you may want to bring another kitten into your home so that each kitten will have someone else to play with; however, it's important to keep in mind that integrating a new kitten can get harder as your original kitten gets older.
Step 16: Consider if your kitten is depressed because of her illness.
If you pay a lot of attention to your kitten, she is likely not depressed because you don't play with her.She is probably depressed because she is in pain due to sickness or injury.Take your kitten to the vet if you can't figure it out.The kittens should be alert and playful.The most likely reason for a kitten to be depressed is after homing.It's more likely that there is a health problem if you have owned the kitten for a while and she is quiet.
Step 17: Stimulating appetite is a last resort.
There are drugs that have a stimulatory effect on appetite.These are usually the last resort for kittens.It is difficult to provide a small enough dose of drugs because they are human medications.Young kittens don't have fully developed functions.The kitten is more vulnerable to overdose toxicity than an adult cat due to the fact that these organs are not yet operating to maximum capacity to break drugs down.These drugs can cause unpleasant side effects even in small amounts.When your kitten is not eating because of a health problem, it is important to diagnose the underlying problem rather than mask the signs.
Step 18: Ask your vet for advice.
A qualified animal care professional should make the decision on which drug to give your kitten.The most common options are described so you can ask a vet about them and understand how they work.
Step 19: Mirtazapine can be considered.
This is a human medication.It has a stimulatory effect on appetite in cats, but no information is available as to why.The dose per cat is 3.5mg, which is equivalent to a quarter of a tablet.It is very difficult to calculate a proper dose for a small kitten weighing less than 2 lbs.It is possible to repeat this dose once every three days.
Step 20: Inquire about cyproheptadine.
This is a human medication.It is an anti-seizure drug.This medication stimulates appetite in cats.The dose can be given by mouth two or three times a day.It is very difficult to cut the tablets into small pieces because they are the smallest.It's important to remember that many kittens don't reach 1 kg (2.2 lbs) until they are 3 months old.
Step 21: Ask about the drug.
A one-off dose of diazepam can make cats very hungry.It can be difficult to find a vein large enough to catheterize in small kittens, and this only works by IV.The dose is only given once.A 1 kilo kitten requires a small amount of diazepam.This is a last resort because of the unpredictable side effect of it.
Step 22: Suggest injections of B vitamins.
It is important to maintain appetite with the help of vitamins B and B.The kitten's appetite can fail if the level of cobalamin falls too low.This can be fixed by four weekly injections of a multi B vit injection.The dose is given once every four weeks.
Step 23: Caution should be used with one-off steroid injections.
appetite stimulation is a side effect of steroid.Steroids also suppress the immune system, which could weaken the kitten's ability to fight off infections, so this option would not be used in most cases of sick kittens.If the kitten is protected with antibiotics and the vet assesses that steroid is unlikely to worsen the existing infection, then a one-off dose of steroid to kick start the appetite may be appropriate.For the purpose of appetite stimulation, a conservatively low dose of dexamethasone is advisable.A 1 kilogram kitten requires 0.25ml of dexamethasone, which is equal to 2mg/ml.