Conference misery::feline_v1

    He is probably hungry - by six weeks he can probably handle some
    canned food maybe mixed with a little baby food (chicken, beef,
    turkey).  Then gradually wean him off the baby food to just the
    canned food.  Or maybe warm up the evaporated milk a little and
    soak the kitten chow and make it soft - he may like that a little
    better.
    
    My youngest baby is 10 months old - at 7/8 weeks, she was eating
    canned food with no problem - your baby must be very hungry.
    
    Good Luck

    I agree with Elaine.  Your kitten is probably hungry.  Also, evaporated
    milk doesn't have enough nutrients in it to be the sole diet of
    a kitten.  I would suggest mixing some of the evaporated milk with
    the kitten chow, or with some canned Science Diet Feline Growth
    and some baby food meat and then helping him eat that.  At six weeks
    old, he has probably never been properly weaned and doesn't know
    how to eat.  You will have to teach him.  Mix the food up into a
    gruel.  Dip your finger into it, and then put your finger in his
    mouth.  Once he starts to lap the mixture off your fingers, show
    him the dish of gruel and try to get him to lap out of the dish.
    You may have to dip his chin in the mixture a time or two.  
    
    Also, at that age, he should be fed five or six times a day or he
    will be hungry.  Once you get him eating the gruel, you can gradually
    start mixing in some kitten chow, and reducing the amount of evaporated
    milk.
    
    Good luck, raising kittens that young is a lot of work.
    
    Jo

    Thank you so much for the information as the book I have never
    mentioned using baby food or anything like that.  I will buy that
    on my way home.  I feel so bad!!!!  My poor little kitty is starving.
    I'm glad that I wrote in.
    
    Thanks Again,
    Sonia

    Also pick up some canned cat food - not just the baby food!  He
    will love it probably better than just the baby food if you mix
    a little bit of each.  Remember to only let him have a little
    every 2 hours or so - just so he doesn't pig out and get a tummy
    ache or loose stools.  He should be drinking water by now also.
    
    Let us know how he like his new din-din!  and don't forget we
    like to hear funny new kitten stories about all the silly 
    things he does!
    
    E.T.

    I have just adopted a 6 week old kitten who is eating like a wild
    man and has a great appetite!!  You really need to try solid food
    right away.  Do as suggested with your fingertips in the previous
    note as your kitten sounds like he was not weaned properly which
    is too bad.  My kitten is eating the ground cat food, and I have
    also given him regular cat food and chopped it up real finely with
    a fork and only heat it to room temperature and that's fine.  
    give him very small portions at first, but feed him often as you
    can.  My kitten eats about 4 times a day, and he loves to eat
    and is always hungry because I do not leave any food out for him
    inbetween.
    Get yourself some decent books on cats at the library or buy one.
    I borrowed 5 books and have been getting loads of great information.
    One thing is that after 6 weeks a kitten should be able to eat the
    same food as a cat, just smaller portions and more often.  Stay
    away from tuna and other seafood at first, though, and stick with
    turkey, chicken and beef.  
    You'll get some great information from books and excellent information
    from this file.  
    
    Good luck with your kitten!! I am thrilled with mine.
    
    Liz 
    

    My cat had kittens two months ago and I have gone through this
    experience so recently that I think I am a good one to give advice.
    Don't give the kitten milk!  I talked with a Vet shortly after the
    kittens were born and she said not to give him any regular milk.
    It isn't good for them.  Mix canned cat food, preferably ground,
    with some water to make it soft and easier for the kitty to eat
    and digest.  I disagree with the other people in this note when
    they tell you to feed the kitty just a little bit of food every
    few hours.  I was told by the vet to let the kitty eat till he is
    full.  Of course, that doesn't mean an outrageous amount.  It's
    up to you but you can leave cat food out for the kitty and let him/her
    eat when he/she wants to.  My kitties were eating dry food by 7
    weeks.  Incedentally, I still have 3 kitties available for adoption.
    Born March 3, all boys, 2 black and 1 tiger.
    
    Good luck with your kitty.
    
    Dawnne
    
    Mother of Pokey, Gumby, Goosey, Shortie, and grandmother to six
    kitties, (yes, my Goosey has 6 big baby boys!)
    
    

    Dawne, she is giving the kitten evaporated milk.  That is a lot
    different than regular milk.  And she also has been checking different
    books for information.  This kitten has not been weaned at all yet
    so evaporated milk is probably a good idea to help him get used
    to eating.  It is a flavor that he is familiar with, and he will be
    more likely to try to eat if the food is mixed with evaporated milk.
    
    As for how much to feed, the kitten will decide that.  They only
    eat a few spoonfuls each feeding when they are that small.
    Especially when they are first being weaned.  The shear effort of
    learning to eat wears them out and they stop. 
                                                                        
    Jo                                                             
    

    Dawnne,
    
    Are the kittens long haired?  If so, where are you located?  I'll
    keep my ears open for you.  A woman that I work with had 5 kittens
    (mine being 1 of them) and I had gotten rid of 4 for her.  I couldn't
    believe how many people wanted kittens, especially long haired kitties.
    
    Also, thanks so much for the advise.  My little one will be eating
    a mix of something tonight.  I'm determined to try anything to make
    him happy.  He's a doll.  Even big "Kitty" (my 7 yr old fixed male)
    is playing with him after only 2 days.  I guess I'm pretty lucky
    about that.
    
    Take care.
    Sonia

    Clarification to previous note; I have found homes for 4 of her
    5 kittens as 1 already had a home.  "Getting rid of" sounds awful.
    Oh, and I wasn't trying to find homes for her kitties, people just
    happen to hear me talking about me getting a kitty.  These kitties
    were also guaranteed to have a good disposition as both the mother
    and father do.  Does that guarantee good disposition?
    
    My little boy (I think) is part himylaian (sp) as the father is
    a pure breed.  He is gray with white going down his chin and belly
    with long hair.  He loves affection, having his chin and head rubbed
    and playing with big Kitty's and Casey's (our Golden Retriever)
    tails.  He loves climbing up our legs- which he won't be doing for
    much longer (hopefully).  He follows me like a dog and sleeps at
    or on my neck at night.  He's a doll!
    

    Little kitty is eating everything now, even guacamole!  He is even
    crying a lot less.  I think that his crying is his way of communicating
    as he is very happy!

    Great!  though I'd go real easy on the guacamole!!