I'm worried about my 14 weeks old kitten being underweight. He arrived to us one week ago. He has long body and seems to be so skinny and small. He's just under 1,700kg. He doesnt like dry food at all. Only neebles at it when no wet food is around. I feed him three times a day (even though the breeder fed the kitten twice a day with dry food always available). He's always very hungry, but doesnt like dry food at all. He seems healthy, but other male kitten around here seem to be much bigger at the same age! SO that makes me worried. Should I give up on trying to get him to eat dry food as well?
The dry food I use is a mix of Royal Canine Kitten and Canagan grain free for all life stages. Wet food is Royal Canin kitten and Natures:menu chicken kitten food (70%meat,no grain). What was your cat's weight at that age? Would be really nice to know!

please provide us with pics to see his condition?
An image host site like photobucket or imageshack will suffice (both are free) and easier than using the forum options.

Take a few pics, but a most useful one would be from directly above kitty while he is standing.
there is a diagram available online (its common and should be easy to find) that someone may also reply to post for you, it shows body shapes and what shape is thin/fat/normal.

Can you see/feel his ribs?
Are his shoulder and hip bones prominent and defined?, can you see/feel these easily too?
check he is hydrated by firmly (not enough to hurt) pinching up some skin on his back between his shoulders and observe how quickly his skin flattens back out when you release your pinch.
It should snap back quickly if he is properly hydrated.

Its standard for kittens in new homes to be seen and registered (this too may be free) with your local vet soon after purchase, within a week or two at most- if this has been done what did your vet have to say? - if you havent registered him at your local vet yet I suggest you do this now and take him in.

oh, about the dry food.
Dont worry about him not eating it because its not the best thing for him anyway tbh.
Dry food dehydrates and cats naturally gain their water from food and not from lapping up water.
Do you see him drink much? Does he pee a good amount? (more is better than less)

He sounds underfed to me (by his breeder) and may have learned the behaviour of crying for food, he should settle down when he starts to learn that he can have all the food he wants as often as he needs it.
Keep feeding him wet food and increase portion size until he starts to leave a bit behind due to being full - then you know his ideal meal size and can feed him that much for every meal.
You cannot over feed him so just let him eat his fill at each of his mealtimes.

I can feel his ribs and hip bones very well through the skin. And skin TUGOR test for dehydration shows that there's slight dehydration as well. Jazz doesnt drink water,only plays with it.Drinks kitty milk,but not as often as my other cat drinks water. I have been adding water to the wet food and I will try to add some more. I will feed him more (my other adult cat IS going to get fat,since they just HAVE to have food at the same time.)

He is lovely.

He is underweight. Increase food portion to as much as he will eat in a sitting and offer him food more often just to see if he will eat more often too.

How are his poo's?
Is he lethargic?
does he sleep excessively between short playtimes?

You didnt mention vets (you had him one week?) if he hasnt been to a vet yet you should go to one asap and have him accessed.
I dont like to create fear or worry but considering that some kind of illness/parasite could also be preventing him from gaining weight (could be a more serious kind or might even just be simple worms)
This kitty needs to be seen by a vet asap (if not already seen) and even if he has been seen before I would take him in again asap for another vet exam and weighing.

I'm going to a vet after Christmas holidays. His second vaccination is due.I'm going to talk about the situation. His breeder said that loose stool is expected since all sort of stress related to moving, but he DOES have loose stool and I am worried. I have started him and my other cat on deworming meds (broad spectrum), hoping that it might help the diarrhea (not a really bad one,but still loose stool is loose stool). What got me worried is that my cat had an episode of diarrhea! Which SHE NEVER EVER has! So I'm really worried and I'll be very angry if for example Jazz has contaminated my other cat with TF! That would be so bad.Spending so much money on a kitten and getting two sick cats as result.
Jazz is playfull and is always ready to play.Doesn't sleep any more than normal.

good that he's getting checked out then. The vet can advise you on the best ways to get weight on him.

Your breeder hasnt completed all vaccinations? .. this is usually done before homing kittens.
Are you having to pay for the vaccination he hasnt had yet?
this cost shouldnt have been passed onto you either if thats the case.

Only answer questions you are comfortable with, but now Im curious if your breeder has registered this kitten (with TICA/GCCF) and if you have a contract, and if they have a breeder website and if that site states that queens and studs are screened for illnesses inc HCM.
(if you share information on this be sure you dont name your breeder here in this forum)

Im dubious about a breeder selling a kitten that cries for food AND is underweight ... sounds a bit like cutting corners on the food budget to the detriment of the cat/s.
Avoiding vaccination costs (if thats the case) is most definitely cutting corners to make more money from sales and a breeder-member of this forum can back me up on that.
Im sorry to hear your new boy has a poorly tum.
It is possible he has a bug.. meaning both cats might now, you are right.
I hope not.
A tonne of people on this forum have experienced TF and the other gut infections and can offer you support and advice if that turns out to be the case.

Tummy wobbles due to re-homing stress is indeed common but unfortunately it can sometimes double as a convenient excuse for the breeder to explain diarrhoea.
You got him on the same food the breeder fed? (but correct amount now of course)
what was his very first poo in your home like?
how smelly is his poo?
Is your other cat eating his food and does he/she have a sensitive tum to new things?

Usual advice for runny tums is to switch to stomach calming foods like poached white fish and chicken but in this case you are dealing with a malnourished baby so I dont know if thats appropriate advice to pass along.
There are members of this forum that are breeders themselves and others that have a medical background, they are better placed to offer you advice to be honest.

Be sure to have him tested for bugs at or soon after (if still collecting samples) his first visit to your vet. If anything is discovered you must insist that the breeder covers your costs for treatment, this is part of the reason why breeder contracts (you have?) stipulate a purchased kitten be seen soon after being homed. Personally I would be adamant that the breeder pay to get the kitten treated (at YOUR vet not theirs, you will have receipts to prove costs) because every time a new customer fails to make a bad breeder pay for bugs caught from their cattery those breeders cash in and get away with cutting corners for profit.
If you other cat requires treatment also that will have to fall on your wallet alone I think.

I can tell from your posts that you have done or are doing research and you are 100% on the case.
its good to see.

Brrups to both your kittys... oh and Merry Xmas too

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The little monsters 3

1.7kg at 14 weeks actually does not sound underweight at all really.

Maybe slightly smaller than some but not much really. My Tonks were all around that at 14 weeks.

Kittens often get lanky and long/lean... then fill out... then get long and lean again...

I would not be at all concerned about this weight at all.

I would personally feed more often... kittens need lots of small meals throughout the day...


Regarding having runny poo in new situations... this is not an excuse it does actually happen.... what also happens is that teh stress can bring on parasitic infections which were dormant before... so not apparent to the breeder. Having a kitten develop runny poo does not make a breeder poor... it is how they handle the fact after which determines how good they are!!

Plus, a vet visit is recommended (it is in my kitten agreement) before introducing kittens to existing pets to prevent any cross infection. Many times kittens are used to a certain environment and a new one will bring on a bout of illness which could not have been anticipated. It is how a breeder deals with this news that determines how responsible they are... however, if introduced to existing pets before any vet visit it would be hard to diagnose who gave who what. It is entirely possible that existing pets can have parasitic infections that are dormant but shed... my own cats passed on TF to my new kittens (i know it was this way round because my kittens were screened for this prior to coming to me and the breeders cats were all clear). My own cats had not symptoms before my kittens came....

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Lollo

I agee with Bengaldaddy, that top view of the kitten really makes him look unhealthily thin. Good luck at the vet. Let usknow how that goes.

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The little monsters 3

I'd definitely have the vet take a look at him just to make sure there isn't an underlying cause for this. He is a teeny tiny thing, but just gorgeous.

Thank you all for all the support and advice! I have contacted the breeder and waiting for the reply. Also have booked the time at our local vet for vaccination and consultation.I will let you know how that will go. For the time being I'm feeding him frequently (almost keeping "all you can eat buffet" , he doesnt seem to be overeating, just small portions many times a day). And he LOVES plain cooked chicken!
Also trying out different dry food brands in separate bowls,to see if something will be to his liking.
Thank you all!
P.S. What a great forum community you have! I'm glad I've joined you.

If it DOES turn out be a parasitic infection or TF, you will find that very quickly, with treatment, he will catch up. My two had TF and were VERY underweight but are now piling on the weight following treatment.

People on this forum are very knowledgeable and helpful. Please keep us updated.

Lisa
x

I will say again though, 1.7kg is not underweight for a 14 week old kitten. It is actually average or slightly above for a Tonkinese kitten. I don't think it looks scrawny really, it has possibly had a growth spurt recently so looks longer and slender which it will continue to do until fully grown.

Did the runny poo start before or after you tried new food with the kitten?

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Lollo