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My new kitten won't drink water after adoption. Is this normal?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | European Burmese | Male | 1 month and 13 days old | 1.5 lbs

My kitten (2-3 months) just adopted yesterday. He didn't want to eat anything at first but cat milk. Now he ate Terrine but still don't want to drink any water. Though, e has peed several time. Thank you in advance.

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on December 4th, 2016

He is very very young, actually he should have stayed with his mommy for another 4-6 weeks. Keep offering him warm kitten milk (not cat milk) and canned kitten food on the side about every 4-6 hours. He will likely not drink water yet. Eventually he will eat more of the solid food and drink less of the kitten milk.

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    Answered By Claudia Fioravanti

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Cats they tend to drink little as they get their moisture from their food. They will drink more if on a dry food diet to digest food and compensate for it, however it is completely normal for a healthy kitten not to be seen drinking.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Moving into a new home is stressful for a kitten, and it will take time for him to adjust. It's good that he's drinking cat milk, as it's keeping him hydrated. I would show Oslo where the water is located, and make sure it's a shallow bowl so it's easy for him to drink out of it. You can put a teaspoon of tuna juice or low sodium broth in his water. That will add a little scent and flavor to the water, and encourage him to drink it. As he starts drinking it more, you can reduce the amount of juice until he's drinking water only.

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    Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

    Licensed Veterinary Technician

    Published on September 29th, 2017

    If he is drinking/eating enough kitten milk replacer, he likely won't drink much water. You can weigh him to confirm weight gain. At his age he can discontinue the milk and eat a quality canned kitten food. If he hesitates, mix in a bit of kitten milk replacer or a teaspoon of baby food to stimulate his appetite.

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