Confused about my new kitten's behaviour .. Help please.

[avecat6906]

Okay so if anybody was reading my posts about my new polydactyl kitten (whom we still havn't named lol) you know that I just picked him up from the store on Friday. He's very active and already has my two older cats playing with him. (Well it's actually him chasing them all over the place, but they don't seem to mind it lol.)

My concern is that he's not eating much food. The first night I gave him Fancy Feast wet kitten food mixed with a little bit of Meow Mix kitten kibble. (Same thing I've fed all my cats when they were kittens.) He devoured it so I gave him more the next morning and he ate that as well. I checked the litter box and he had normal poops. Later that day, I noticed that he had diarrhea. So I took away the wet food and gave him dry only, but he wouldn't eat it. The kibble are very small pieces so he should be able to, but I just don't get it. I think this might be due to the drastic change in environment. He was only in the pet store for about 3-4 days before I got him so it's a lot of changes very quickly. It might also be the food, but since I've given it to all my other cats these past few years, I doubt it. He's not dehydrated from it as he is still very active (driving me nuts, really haha) and I have seen him drinking from his water bowl multiple times today. Anybody else have any suggestions as to what it might be? Regardless, if it doesn't clear up within the next day, I will be taking him to the vet. I've never had this problem with any of my cats so I'm a bit confused as to what to do. None of my cats have had health problems, ever.

Another thing is that I was just holding him in a little bonding pouch that I had originally made for my chinchillas but because they don't like it, I figured I'd give it a try with the kitten. He loves it! But just now when I was holding him he was squirming all over the place, I thought he just wanted to get away so I loosened my grip so he could go if he wanted to. I then realized he was kneading at my belly and licking the inside of the pouch very aggressively but he was purring like crazy! Could he possibly be looking to suckle? The papers I got from the pet store say he was born on February 23, 2011. I thought that was enough time for them to be away from mom, but I could be wrong. And it might also explain why he likes the wet food and refuses to eat the hard food. Do I need to get him some kitten milk? It wouldn't be a problem, I just want to help him before something happens to him. I've never had pregnant cats so I don't know much about kitten care.

This is a whole new thing for me so please don't be too harsh. I'm pretty sure I haven't done anything wrong, but if so I would like to be able to fix it asap. Thanks for any and all advice ) Oh and sorry for the long read.

 

[caiti]

Maybe he's waiting for you to feed him the fancy feast again? I have no idea, but yea he should eat in the next day.

Lots of cats suckle things, it's weird. They can do it their entire lives as well. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[avecat6906]

Maybe he's waiting for you to feed him the fancy feast again? I have no idea, but yea he should eat in the next day.

Lots of cats suckle things, it's weird. They can do it their entire lives as well. I wouldn't worry about it.

Should I give it to him? I thought it might be the source of the diarrhea? No? I don't know I just assumed. I was only giving him a spoonful with about a third of a handful of kibble. He's so tiny, I didn't want to give him too much.

I have a strong feeling I'm just being paranoid >.< He's the youngest kitten I've ever had. Bagel & Cupcake were about 6 months when I got them so they were way past this stage I think.

 

[BooBoo*TheKiddo*]

Kitten's usually are weaned between 6 to 8 weeks. So I would say he is old enough to be away from mom.

Have you tried maybe adding a little water to the dry cat food to soften it a bit and see if he will eat it that way?

Did the pet store give dry cat food or wet cat food?

It could just be a case that he wasn't given dry cat food, so he doesn't want to eat it.

 

[avecat6906]

Kitten's usually are weaned between 6 to 8 weeks. So I would say he is old enough to be away from mom.

Have you tried maybe adding a little water to the dry cat food to soften it a bit and see if he will eat it that way?

Did the pet store give dry cat food or wet cat food?

It could just be a case that he wasn't given dry cat food, so he doesn't want to eat it.

It's great to know that he wasn't taken away from mom before he was ready, thanks )

The pet store had both dry and wet in the cage with them, but I did notice that the wet food was almost all gone, where the dry food looked like it hadn't been touched. I will try to soften up the dry food. I would really hate to have to give him wet food all the time, it's so expensive >.< lol. My cats only get it as a treat haha. Thanks a bunch )

 

[mishalaa]

Has he been wormed?

Most likely, it's a feed-change issue. Kitten food is extremely rich and has always caused diarrhea in the pregnant cats I've fostered when I start them on it. If he was eating regular cat food at the store (which could be likely if multiple cats were eating out of the same bowl), switching to kitten food so suddenly would upset his stomach a bit. However, he ought to be eating kitten food until he's about a year old to get the extra nutrients for growing, so I would keep him on it and hopefully the diarrhea resolves as he gets used to it. Seek vet advice if not (he should see a vet for his kitten series of shots anyway.) And leave the kibble as it is, in my experience mushy kibble isn't any more appetizing to cats and wetting it will make it spoil if he doesn't eat it right away. They love wet food because it has a much higher meat content and cats are obligate carnivores, wetting kibble won't add tasty meaty flavor.

As for the kneading, it just means he's happy/comfortable. Yes, it's a nursing motion, but they associate nursing with comfort so the behavior remains even after weaning. All three of my resident cats are 3 years old and up, and still knead me while I pet them. =)

 

[caiti]

I would try softening up the kibble as well--sounds like a smart idea. EDIT--well maybe it doesn't work out so well after all!

His digestive issues could have been from the food, or the food change or the home change or a combination. I don't know enough about different cat foods to tell you if it's common problem with certain ones or anything. EDIT (again) Ok Mish posted too quick for me. I guess that's the woman you want to talk to about this!!

I don't know when kittens lose their baby teeth but maybe he is teething? Hopefully someone knows when kittens go through that and can tell you.

 

[mishalaa]

Kittens lose their milk teeth at 3-5 months of age. I've never noticed a change in behavior from it though.

 

[Jenn]

if your kitten's diet has changed, meaning you're feeding him something different than what he was eating before, that could cause the diahrea. Cats, dogs, chins, etc. need to change their diets slowly to avoid upsetting the tummy. I would continue to only feed the dry for now, until diahrea passes. Too many new foods, I think.

Sometimes kittens that are weened too early will try to suckle anything or anyone. Some kittens/cats just continue that behavior. Kneading is a sign your kitten is happy.

I think it would be a good idea to take your kitten to the vet for a check up, just to make sure he is good and healthy. And your vet can help with any concerns you have.

 

[ChinnyMom]

i agree with the vet check up, just to ensure all is well, especially since he came from a pet store. had he received at least his first set of shots before coming home with you?

the kneading is something all the cats i've ever encountered do, when they're snuggling with you, some more than others. i think they do it to make a comfy spot to lay down on. i had a russian blue cat for over 14 years that kneaded me to the point i had little claw holes in my stomach, through my shirt! lol.

i also agree that the diarrhea is from diet change, location change, and stress of a new environment. keep feeding the dry food (cats really don't need wet food IMO, and my cat i mentioned above never had wet food in his life and it was a long life he had!). if the diarrhea doesn't clear up in the next little bit (week at the most), then another vet visit is needed.

 

[avecat6906]

Wow thank you for all the advice guys )

I will keep him on the dry food, which is what I planned. I know that technically he should have been slowly put on to the new type of food but I had this food leftover from another kitty so I figured I'd finish it before buying more. It's not expired and I haven't had it for that long so that's not an issue. I'm going to take him to the vet, but the vet from the pet store just checked him out on Friday before I picked him up and got his last round of shots and his last de-wormer. So I want to rule out the fact that it could be the de-wormer, environment change or food change first. Oh and the only reason why I'm even giving him wet food in the first place is that my vet suggested it for my other cats, saying that because it was rich in proteins and whatnot that it would help with development.

I know that cats knead, I love it when they do it! Soo cute! I just thought it was odd the way that he was doing it. He was soo happy, like he had found hidden catnip or something haha! It was adorable. That's why I figured he might be like "Ooo is this mommy? Yum!" lol. I'm glad I make him that happy though, he's so adorable and just like my other cat Bagel. And considering the poops he's been having, he's certainty in a great mood. Perhaps it's not that bad then?

 

[avecat6906]

UPDATE: Kitty has been named Simba, on account that his meow is super pathetic it reminds me of Simba from "The Lion King" working on his roar :laughitup:

Also I brought him to the vet today to ask about the diarrhea. This was a new vet and I only went to him because there was this thing where the examination fee was waived. Never doing that again. The experience was not worth the $38 I saved. Anyways he gave me Liquid Metronidazole and I have to give him 0.2 ml orally every 12 hours for 7 days. Also Albon liquidSuspension and I have to give him 0.1 ml today (which I already did) and 0.7 ml once every 25 hours for the next 10 days. And Hill's Prescription Diet w/d (wet food) for the next 7 days.

He took the Albon without any problems then I gave him the Metronidazole, half hour later, and he instantly started spitting it out and squirming all over the place. It smells foul I can understand why he doesn't like it. Does anybody know if there are any safe ways to give him this medicine in a way he might enjoy it more?

I plan on talking with my regular vet asap, but her office is currently closed. Thanks for any and all help )

 

[ChinnyMom]

did this vet do a fecal float or any other diagnostic to confirm the metro is needed for a parasite problem? i'd be very wary of a vet that prescribes meds without confirming if/why they are needed.

same thing with the albon, was a bacterial issue clearly diagnosed that requires the drug, or is the vet just giving it 'on precaution'? giving antibiotics when they are not needed isn't a good idea in my books.

 

[avecat6906]

Yes he took fecal for a test but I don't know if he did the test there or if I'm going to hear back from them for results. They were very poorly organized.

I also meant to ask if anybody has ever heard of giving cats lime Gatorade mixed with water to help them stay hydrated. He is drinking water so I don't think this will be a problem but I told the vet this as well and he still recommended it.

 

[fanofdmb84]

Personally, I wouldn't give him any meds OR that Hills food until you have a reason why. Overmedicating a tiny kitten will in no way help him if he is only having digestive problems due to feed change. Also, wet food is far superior not only in quality and ingredients, but it is also much better for their kidneys, so you may want to keep up with that, then he won't need "supplemental" water intake (and definitely don't give him gatorade!). This is a good informational website on the subject: http://www.catinfo.org/

 

[ChinnyMom]

i've never heard of giving gatorade, but have heard of pedialyte being used for pets. i would think the gatorade would have a boatload of sugar in it that isn't necessary or helpful.

if his water intake is good and you are seeing healthy urine output (both colour and frequency) then i would just provide the water.

i'd be getting into your regular (and trusted) vet soon for another opinion on Simba (love the name!).

 

[avecat6906]

Thanks so much guys. I will call my vet first thing tomorrow and talk with her and let you know how it goes )

 

[3CsMommy]

The diet change probably caused the runs, but you're also not feeding the best quality food either. MeowMix is regularly on recall lists and has a lot of ingredients that cats are frequently allergic to. If his tummy doesn't settle in the next couple of days (or just b/c it's better for your pets), talk with the vet about a food with better ingredients. Then, change him Gradually, just like you would your chin, so he doesn't have the runs problem again. *crosses fingers he doesn't turn out to have allergy problems*

 

[Cassi]

I will keep him on the dry food, which is what I planned.

http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showpost.php?p=179647&postcount=7

Please keep this in mind and also, it's very worth becoming a member of www.catforum.com

There is a wealth of information on there.

Figure all the research you do on chinchillas for their wellbeing, it should be done for ALL animals!

 

[avecat6906]

UPDATE: Sorry I didn't get back to you guys sooner. Been busy with the little guy )

My vet said that she didn't think the other vet would prescribe anything like that unless he has good reason to think it would help. She did agree with you guys about the Gatorade, bad idea! And sure enough Simba had his first real poops, since Saturday, last night! AND his appetite has increased AND I have seen him drinking a lot more water then he was. Not an abnormal amount but more then he has been. He actually started climbing all over me a little while ago and meowing his pathetic little meow (and he's currently attacking my fingers as I type this lmbo :laughitup like crazy and so I thought he might be hungry, even thought I just fed him barely 3 hours ago. So I started to get his wet food out and sure enough he was purring and trying to climb up my body to get to the food!

As far as the Meow Mix goes, I do understand that he may have an allergy to it but like I said it's what I've been feeding all my cats when they were kittens without problems so I didn't really even think it would be a bad choice for him. I will defiantly be finding another kind of kitten food for him. My other cats thoroughly enjoy Friskies because I refuse to spend monumental amounts of money on things such as Science Diet. My cat Muffin who I had to put down at almost 17 years of age was on Friskies most of her life and obviously it was a long, healthy one.

I do greatly appreciate all the help I have received, thanks everybody :wave4: