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New kitten from shelter won't eat or drink much. Is this normal?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Longhair | Male | neutered | 4 months old | 4 lbs

We brought this kitten home from a shelter yesterday. He's been exploring, affectionate, plays with toys, and has used the litter box. However, he's hardly eaten any of his food each time we tried to feed him nor drank much water from his bowl. I got worried and tried to feed him some wet food from my hand as I held him; this worked, but I do not want it to become a habit so I do not intend to continue doing this. Is he simply acclimating to his new home or should I be concerned?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

Veterinarian

Published on August 1st, 2019

Moving to a new home can be very scary for new pets. Bring Claymore the food and water and put them next to his hiding area (if he is under the bed, put the dishes under the bed). Also bring in his litter box close to the area. Giver him a few days to get use to things. Keep the environment calm and don't allow him to be hounded by other pets or children until he is more comfortable. This link has excellent information about introducing new cats: Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.co/article/bringing-your-cat-home-how-to-prepare-for-an-easy-transition/ Monitor the amount of food and the litter box closely. If there seems to be a problem, have Claymore examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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