My kitten won't eat wet food or formula. Is dry food okay for him?

Question

Two small kittens were dumped off at our house. The tabby won’t eat wet mixed with kitten formula or take a nipple. He’ll eat a couple of pieces dry but won’t eat it softened. I have been using an eye dropper to get formula in him. He’s very active and plays with his brother. Do you have any advice for getting him to eat? Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Longhair | Male | unneutered

Lauren Jones VMD · Accepted Answer

Good for you for taking in Lil' Homie and his brother! Looking at the picture, I'm roughly estimating that he's likely close to 6 weeks old. However, it's impossible for me to be more accurate in my guesstimate without knowing his body weight and checking out his teeth. With that in mind, by the time kittens are 6 weeks old, it's perfectly fine if they only eat solid food - including dry kibble. Some cats simply don't like wet food for one reason or another. If Lil' Homie is willing to eat dry food, continue to offer it plain several times per day. He should eat around 1/3 to 1/2 cup of dry food alone per day, but this volume changes a bit depending on the specific variety of food. You can also put some kitten formula in a bowl for him to drink, as well as continuing to offer canned kitten food. If he's eating a good bit of dry food, he won't also need the formula or canned food. If you're concerned that he isn't willing to eat enough of the dry food, you could also try adding a bit of meat-based baby food or canned tuna on top as an added temptation. I've included an article below that has a nice table regarding what kittens need to eat for the first few weeks of life. I hope that everything goes well! https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-raise-orphan-kittens/

My kitten won't eat wet food or formula. Is dry food okay for him?

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