My 4-week-old kitten has diarrhea from human milk. What to do?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed | 27 days old | 2 lbs
I rescued a 4-5 week old kitten and the local animal hospital said to feed her moist cat food and milk, I used the KMR formula. She was eating fine and then she slowed down so I started mixing a little 2% milk with it to help her eat better. She has started having diarrhea and I have not seen any worms in her stool. I need some advice on what to do.
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on May 28th, 2018
Kitties can't digest human milk well. This is likely what gave your little one diarrhea. I would switch back to the KMR and start mixing in small amounts of wet kitty starter formula food. You can also mix in 1-2 tsp of canned pumpkin (not the pie filling) to help harden her stools and continue feeding her kitten only food. If he stools are not getting better after 24-48 hrs then its best to take her to your vet for a short course of antibiotics to get her bacterial flora back to normal. I hope that your ktity feels better soon! Best wishes and take care!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on April 25th, 2019
I would have her dewormed, even though she tested negative for parasites, b/c pets aren't always shedding eggs that are detectable on the microscope during a fecal exam. I would also recommend giving her a longer course of Metronidazole, say for 2 weeks. Metronidazole is the go to antibiotic to help control inflammation of the gut. Also it is advised to give her more fiber and not less, since this helps bulk up the stools. You can alternatively add 1-2 tsp of canned pumpkin to her food daily to help add fiber. I hope this helps and best wishes with your kitty Kona moving forward! Take care.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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