Kitten Advice....

[Fluffy'sMom]

I have a 7 week old kitten that was left outside in danger of being caughts by a raccooon. The woman who had him before us was giving him dry and wet food. So i gave him both and he had a bit of dry and ate all of the wet. So he's now meowing for wet food annd won't touch dry even watered downn. Do i wait it out or give him wet? Also i need to go out today but i think he may meow the whole time...he meows if i leave the room..is it best to leave him?TIA

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

When I first got Tubby, his previous mom gave him wet and dry also. At the time, I was much younger and there was no way I could afford to continue with dry food, so I toughed it out, endured the meows and suffered all the guilt. For 16 years after that, all he ever got was dry food - with scraps from the table from an over indulgent daddy and grandma.

If you don't want to feed him canned food, the only way to get through this is to tough it out like I did. He will eat when he gets really hungry, but you will feel like the worst kitty mom in the world in the meantime.

As for leaving him, unless you think there might be a physical reason for his meowing, I don't see anything wrong with leaving him alone. He will eventually tire of meowing and either take a nap or find something to play with. Just be sure to give him lots of attention when you are around so he starts feeling really comfortable in his new home.

Good luck, and please let us know how everything goes.

Oh and welcome to PT!

[L. Wayne]

Fluffy's Mom, welcome to the Pet Talk forum.

I use wet food to give my furkids something special to eat. However since you have a kitten, do you feed him kitten chow? Sometimes, kittens will relish dry kitten chow as much as they do canned food, especially the expensive brands. Cats who are started off on the best, seldom desire anything that is less than the best as time goes by. You will have to wean him off the wet food. You can do it in steps or just quit giving it to him. But I would try the expensive kitten chows, first, and then gradually wean him off the wet food.

Callie and Jumper were so malnourished when I brought them home, I really didn't care what they ate, just so they ate something, starting them off on Tuna banquet, but then I began to give them Iam's kitten chow, and they liked that as much as the tuna dinner.

If your kitten cries after you are gone, to do errands, have you thought of getting a little play-mate for him? After I brough home Solsitce she began to hiss and growl at my furr-family. However, the next day I also rescued her sister, Summer, and those two began immediately to run and play. Also, their attitude changed toward the others as well.

[jenluckenbach]

7 weeks old is very young for your kitten to eat dry. Even though he may nibble at it, the bulk fo his food should come in the wet form, 3 to 4 times a day. You can wet the dry to make it easier to eat, also.
His meowing is probably boredom and lonliness. Usually mom and siblings are still around at this age. If a vet says he is healthy than you can leave him alone but try to give many toys and other play items to occupy his mind.

[Fluffy'sMom]

L.Wayne-Yes i feed him Kitten Chow but i will be switching it either to Nutro or Royal Canin in a few weeks.