Note that very young kittens should be woken up for frequent feedings. [1] X Research source
Gravy-based cat food Packaged chicken-flavored baby food Boiled chicken[3] X Research source Unseasoned, cooked rice
Protein, which provides building blocks for repair of body tissues and strengthens the immune system. Fats and carbohydrates, which provide metabolic energy for the kitten to run his organs and fight infection. Zinc and potassium, which aid wound healing. Vitamins E and C, plus Taurine, which have antioxidant properties to help the body detox, and also fortify the immune system
Cleaning a kitten’s congested nose with nasal drops can also help in encouraging him to eat.
Keep medicine separate and force feed it at regular intervals. It will be an unpleasant task and the kitten will not like it, but this is something you have to do.
The first thing to check when your kitten refuses to drink water is whether his water dish is clean or not. Kittens do not like to drink water from an unclean surface.
Try using a milk replacer powder for cats if you don’t have a liquid food prescribed by a vet. Do not use ordinary milk. The food should be at room temperature, or preferably slightly warmer but not hot.
Meloxicam is only for kittens over six weeks of age, and only if no sickness or diarrhea. Meloxicam needs to be given with food lining the stomach, so never dose your kitten with meloxicam if they are not eating at all. The recommended maintenance dose is 0. 05mg/kg one daily of feline meloxicam. Thus, a 1 kg (2. 2 lb) kitten needs 0. 1ml of cat Metacam. Note that meloxicam is formulated in two strengths: for dogs (1. 5mg/ml) and for cats (0. 5mg/ml). Dog Metacam is three times more concentrated, and extreme care should be taken when considering its use in the feline as inadvertent overdose may easily occur. Meloxicam should only be used in well hydrated animals. Dehydrated animals may have impaired renal function; the additional decrease in blood supply to the kidney may tip the animal into renal failure. Meloxicam must be given with or after food. If the cat is not eating, be sure to line his stomach by syringe feeding a small amount of food. Do not give Metacam on a completely empty stomach. The inhibitory effect on the blood supply to the stomach will be exacerbated, which can lead to serious gastric ulceration. Do not give meloxicam with or after other NSAIDs or steroids. Doing so can cause gastric ulceration, gastro-intestinal ulceration, and bleeding – with possibly fatal blood loss.
Consider getting 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.
Kittens should be playful and alert. The most likely reason for a kitten to be depressed is immediately after homing. If you have owned the kitten for a while and she is quiet, then it’s more likely there is a health problem.
When your kitten is not eating because of a health problem, it is important to diagnose the underlying problem rather than mask the signs.
This is a treatment of last resort because it is also associated with an unpredictable side effect that causes liver failure.
