A touching fluffy lump appeared in the house. Now the owner is responsible for his health and proper nutrition. The kitten’s sudden refusal to eat or drink is always a cause for concern.
We will understand the reasons and find out when you can try to find the key to the problem yourself, and when to contact the veterinarian immediately.
The kitten does not eat or drink, the reason is adaptation to a new house
A couple of hours ago he was playing with his brothers and sisters under the supervision of a cat-mother, and now he suddenly found himself in a completely unfamiliar place. The baby is afraid of everything - loud and sharp sounds, strange smells, unusual objects and people around. Cats are generally stressed. Strong fright, moving to a new place can deprive them of their appetite for a short time. Therefore, if on the first day a small cat ignores the food offered and hides in the far corner, do not immediately panic. Try to find an approach to a frightened animal. And if he does not make contact yet, just give him time to get comfortable with it.
In the new house, the kitten still does not know where his bowl is. Baby is unlikely to find his way to the kitchen himself, getting hungry. At first, it is better to keep water and food closer to the place where the baby settled. When he begins to eat well, it will be possible to teach him to eat in the corner reserved for this.
It is important to ask the previous owners what the kitten was eating. Unusual food can also lead to a rejection of food. Try to give your baby the familiar food first. Pay attention to the bowl. Cats are very sensitive to odors. Perhaps the reason the kitten doesn’t eat or drink lies in the specific aroma of the material from which the cat’s plate is made. Often, chemical bowls have plastic bowls. In this case, try using ceramic dishes to feed the cat.
What to do if a small kitten cannot eat and drink?
It happens that a little purr is too early excommunicated from a mom cat. Experienced breeders of thoroughbred animals give the kitten to new owners no earlier than 3 months of age, when he already knows how to eat himself, accustomed to a certain feed. If the kitten was taken from the cat very tiny or just found a baby on the street, it is likely that he just has not eaten anything but mother's milk. The kid does not know how to lap from a bowl. Moreover, he has no habit of drinking water.
This cat will have to be fed milk from a pipette or bottle with a pacifier. Moreover, it is recommended to use a special substitute for cat milk. Then it will be possible to gradually accustom the kitten to lap from a bowl, to eat wet food. A good way is to offer your baby food from your hand, sometimes it helps kittens start eating new food.
A kitten does not eat or drink - what to do when to sound an alarm?
Finding out the reason for refusing food and drink, you should carefully evaluate the condition and behavior of the kitten. If the animal simply doesn’t want to eat, this is one thing. But the reluctance to drink water in combination with general lethargy, lethargy is a very alarming symptom.
The owner must beware of the following:
• repeated vomiting, even from water;
• the kitten constantly lies and does not get up, breathing heavily;
• the animal has cloudy eyes;
• the hair has become faded, tangled, looks groomed;
• intense salivation;
• the kitten has a swollen abdomen, for several days there is no stool or, conversely, it has become frequent and loose;
• marked discharge from the eyes and nose.
The presence of one or more of these signs, coupled with the reluctance of the kitten to eat and drink, is a serious reason for urgent medical attention.
The kitten does not eat or drink, the reason is the disease
If the refusal of food and water lasts more than a day and is accompanied by other disturbing symptoms, most likely the kitten is ill with something. This is especially likely if fluffy was taken from the street or bought at the "bird market". Breeders sell pedigree kittens with a veterinary passport and a set of vaccinations. Nobody vaccinated a street cat, and the chance to catch an infection among stray brothers is very high. Moreover, small animals are weaker than adults and still do not have immunity to diseases.
So, if the kitten eats poorly, the cause may be worms. Parasitizing in the body, they cause severe intoxication. The cat is losing weight, he is nauseous and vomiting, he refuses to eat, but begins to drink more. There is lethargy, heavy breathing, loose stools, and a swollen tummy. In this case, the help of a veterinarian will be required. He will pick up a drug that will help get rid of parasites.
Refusal from food and water can indicate poisoning, a severe cold, inflammatory processes in the body, as well as dangerous viral diseases, such as panleukopenia (distemper) or even rabies. In an acute infectious process, the animal’s condition worsens suddenly, the temperature can rise to 40-41 degrees, the kitten weakens, breathes heavily, does not want or cannot get up, and completely refuses to feed.
It must be remembered that the kitten is still very small, with serious diseases it quickly weakens. For example, with cat plague, 90% of young animals die. Therefore, you need to help the baby as soon as possible, delay can cost a life.
To summarize: what if a kitten doesn’t eat and drink
First of all, you need to carefully observe the animal. If there are no other alarming symptoms, you can try to change the food, bowl, minimize stressful situations.
But if the baby’s condition is disturbing, and the owner can’t figure it out for himself, don’t waste your time and ask questions in various forums. You must immediately take the animal to the veterinarian or invite a doctor home. A full-time examination and tests will help identify the exact cause of the ailment and prescribe treatment in a timely manner. If the fears are not confirmed, a professional doctor will give recommendations on proper nutrition. And just to make sure that the pet is healthy is never superfluous.
