I found him on a vacant lot and had to bottle feed him for about two weeks. He's now about 8 weeks old and already eating solids, but he hasn't learned to drink from a bowl. I tried using bowls of different sizes, put water on the ground, wet his lips, placed him next to a faucet, etc, but he still won't drink. By night, he's so thirsty that he'll suck at my fingers, I'll end up giving him the bottle. He has no issues eating food mixed with water, but how can I get him to drink from a bowl? Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed | 1 month and 29 days old | 0.88 lbs

Check out this article below on how to help teach Mouse to drink from a bowl. You can also feed him canned food and add water to it, that will get extra water into him. https://www.hillspet.com/cat-care/nutrition-feeding/why-cat-tips-over-water-bowl

Help! My Bottle-Fed Kitten Won't Drink from a Bowl. Teach Him!

Health & Wellbeing

Hello; i have an orphaned kitten and she is doing very well ( 3/4 weeks old) but she still wont drink frim a plate or dish no matter how hard i try , she is now litter trained also

Hi. Aren't bottle kittens fun? But they can be tiring and I understand wanting to her her to eat from a bowl. However 3-4 weeks is still a little young to eat from a bowl. If she was nursing mom she'd be nursing until about 8 weeks old and usually start nibbling on solid food around 5-6 weeks. So don't give up hope. But continue to bottle feed. Before each feeding when she's hungry offer a small amount of formula in a bowl to try to give her the idea. But it may take a couple more weeks. Also be prepared to give her quick baths a lot! She will wear more of the food than she ingests at first. Keep her warm after any baths or wipe downs. She needs to stay on a high quality kitten milk replacer until at least 6-8 weeks as you start to transition her to kitten food. Don't forget to schedule a first kitten visit with her vet at about 6-8 weeks to get her off to a healthy start. Your vet can help guide you on best diet, vaccinations and parasite control products for a young kitten

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Health & Wellbeing

Kitten won't drink water from bowl. He drinks water from a syringe and off my hands/the floor but not from a bowl? He is scared of running water so a fountain would not work.

Don't worry, he will figure this out. For now, feed canned kitten food, and make sure your water bowl is small, not deep, and heavy enough that he won't knock it over. He will get the hang of it if he has the right bowel!

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Food & Nutrition

Hi! I just adopted a 5 month old kitten with CH. I've had him for two days, and have not been able to get him to drink water from a bowl. I've tried several types of bowls with no luck. I've been adding extra water to his wet food in the meantime, wh

Thank you for contacting Boop by Petco with your question about Udon. Good job adding water to his wet food, as this will give him extra water. The wet food is also providing a source of water. Cats aren't big water drinkers, but I have found success with a cat water fountain. My cats love it and it encourages them to drink from it. I would get him a cat water fountain, you can find them online and at a pet store. I hope this helps!

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Health & Wellbeing

I've been bottle feeding my kitten formula and blended kitten wet food, but today I tried to make her eat out of her bowl so I but some wet food in it and I tiny bit of formula milk over it but all she did was lick off the liquid and won't actually e

It does take time for kittens to get used to eating out of a bowl, and you'd done the right thing by putting wet food and formula milk together. I would mix them together with some dry kitten food to make a mush. Soak the kitten food in the formula milk to make it softer. The mush should be the consistency of oatmeal. Over the next two weeks, gradually increase the amount of dry kitten food and decrease the amount of canned food and KMR you use until Oreo is eating the dry kitten food only. Keep this kitten mush out at all times, and reduce the amount you bottle feed her so she get used to eating from a bowl. You may have to stick your finger in the mush and get her to lick it off, then bring your finger closer and closer to the bowl until she is eating out of the bowl.

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Health & Wellbeing

Hi how do you get your kitten to drink water because sometimes I'll have to mix some water with his food to get some water in his system. I leave s bowl out with water next to his food bowl.

Great question! Typically cats are not really big drinkers, but I'm a big fan of the cat water fountains. It provides a continual source of fresh water, and it actually encourages cats to drink more. I have one for my four cats, and they happily drink from it daily. It's a good idea to mix some water in with Milo's food to get some more water into him, and you can also give him canned food. That has a higher moisture content than dry food. If you are interested in getting him a water fountain, you can find them in pet stores and online. I hope this helps!

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Health & Wellbeing

I have a 8 week old kitten and it doesn't drink water. I put some water into its food so it can get into its system and i also put out a bowl of water but it doesn't drink from it. Do you have any methods i can use to get it to drink water. And if i

Typically cats are not big water drinkers, and it may be drinking water at night when you are asleep. No, I would not give Milo cow's milk. Cats are actually lactose intolerant, and giving him cow's milk can cause diarrhea and vomiting. I would try feeding him canned food along with his dry kitten food, as that will get more moisture into his diet. You can also try a pet water fountain. It will provide a continual source of fresh water for him and may encourage him to drink. I have a pet water fountain for my cats and they love it. You can get them online or from a pet store. I hope this helps!

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Food & Nutrition

Hi, my 8 weeks old kitten doesn't want wet food. He eats dry food and is also not drinking and urinating enough, as far as I can see. Can I give him kitten milk instead? Thanks. Gloria

Try warming the canned food slightly or mixing in a bit of warm kitten milk replacer in the wet and/or dry food. Either may stimulate his appetite. Once he is eating regularly, gradually decrease the amount of milk until he is eating just kitten food. You can offer a 50/50 mix of water and unflavored PediaLyte in his water bowl to help maintain hydration.

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Health & Wellbeing

I just got a puppy about 5 days ago and the lady said she was about 3 or 4 weeks. She eats soft can food but doesn't want to drink water or replacement milk out of a bowl. Should I try giving to her in a bottle? The directions on the replacement milk

Three or four weeks is way too young for a puppy to be separated from its mother! A puppy should not leave it's mother until it's at least eight weeks of age. Canned puppy food has a high moisture content, so Princess will be getting water from eating that food, but I recommend adding water to the canned food to get more water into her system. You can also try mixing the replacement milk in with her canned food. She likely wasn't fully weaned from her mother, and that may be contributing to her not drinking water from a bowl. I will put a link below on how to teach a puppy to drink water from a bowl. I hope this helps! https://pets.thenest.com/could-teach-puppies-drink-water-bowl-5748.html

Updated on September 24th, 2025

New Pet

Hello, i have a 7 week old kitten. How much is she supposed to eat? How do i get her to drink water??

Feed her wet (canned) kitten food 4 times a day. let her eat as much as she likes. She is still very young and normally should still be with mama and her siblings. Offer her kitten milk as well as water. She will get a lot of the moisture eating the wet food, however eventually she will start drinking water. Normally mama would teach her to drink water when it is time. Stick a finger in the bowl when she is in front of the bowl and wet her mouth. She should understand soon. Do not put the water next to her food. Cats do not like to drink next to the food. She will need lots of TLC, and you will need to play with her a lot (paper balls , string with a feather on it, etc)

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Health & Wellbeing

My 3-4 week old kitty won't eat anything, neither will it drink.. her mother has left her after she was 2 weeks old. I tried warm milk, some meat (very squishy meat) and she doesn't want to eat or drink still... Help?

A 3 or 4 week old kitten is not quite ready to be weaned onto solid foods yet, so you will need to get kitten milk replacer and a bottle to try to feed her. If she is very dehydrated or sick, she may need to be evaluated by a veterinarian, who can show you how to properly tube feed so that she gets the hydration and nutrition she needs. You will also need to stimulate her bowel and urinary movements. Here is a good article on raising orphan kittens: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=576

Updated on September 24th, 2025

My bottle-fed kitten won't drink from a bowl. How can I teach him?

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My bottle-fed kitten won't drink from a bowl. How can I teach him?

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Related Answers from Veterinarians

Related Questions

Hello; i have an orphaned kitten and she is doing very well ( 3/4 weeks old) but she still wont drink frim a plate or dish no matter how hard i try , she is now litter trained also

Kitten won't drink water from bowl. He drinks water from a syringe and off my hands/the floor but not from a bowl? He is scared of running water so a fountain would not work.

Hi! I just adopted a 5 month old kitten with CH. I've had him for two days, and have not been able to get him to drink water from a bowl. I've tried several types of bowls with no luck. I've been adding extra water to his wet food in the meantime, wh

I've been bottle feeding my kitten formula and blended kitten wet food, but today I tried to make her eat out of her bowl so I but some wet food in it and I tiny bit of formula milk over it but all she did was lick off the liquid and won't actually e

Hi how do you get your kitten to drink water because sometimes I'll have to mix some water with his food to get some water in his system. I leave s bowl out with water next to his food bowl.

I have a 8 week old kitten and it doesn't drink water. I put some water into its food so it can get into its system and i also put out a bowl of water but it doesn't drink from it. Do you have any methods i can use to get it to drink water. And if i

Hi, my 8 weeks old kitten doesn't want wet food. He eats dry food and is also not drinking and urinating enough, as far as I can see. Can I give him kitten milk instead? Thanks. Gloria

I just got a puppy about 5 days ago and the lady said she was about 3 or 4 weeks. She eats soft can food but doesn't want to drink water or replacement milk out of a bowl. Should I try giving to her in a bottle? The directions on the replacement milk

Hello, i have a 7 week old kitten. How much is she supposed to eat? How do i get her to drink water??

My 3-4 week old kitty won't eat anything, neither will it drink.. her mother has left her after she was 2 weeks old. I tried warm milk, some meat (very squishy meat) and she doesn't want to eat or drink still... Help?

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