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My kitten is small, not gaining weight, and bones are showing. Why?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed | 3 months and 8 days old | 1lb

She seems extremely small for her age? She eats soft and hard food but can't seem to gain any weight. I'm worried because you can see her bones (ribs, leg bones) when she lays on her side and she isn't as playful as she used to be. We're going to take her to the vet but until then any recommendations?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Amy Poole, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on July 23rd, 2017

Most cats gain about a pound a month, so at 3 months old Chichi should be around 3 pounds. I would be concerned about intestinal parasites or potentially a bacterial or viral infection. There also could be a congenital problem going on since she is so young. I would also make sure she is on good quality kitten food and offer her both canned and dry. Sometimes I will heat the canned food in the microwave to make it smell more pungent and hopefully entice the kitten to eat more. I do think having her evaluated by your vet, dewormed and potentially have some further testing is the next best step. Good luck with her!

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    Answered By Mirissa Duncil, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Hi there. Many things can cause poor weight gain in our pets. A few include intestinal parasites, a shunt (abnormal blood flow through the liver), certain types of cancer, viral infections, and poor nutrition. If you have not yet deworming would be my next step for you. Products like felovite for extra vitamins can help your pet with nutritional needs as well. Otherwise-she will need to be examined by your veterinarian and determine the next steps for a true diagnosis. I hope this helps!

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