Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

  • Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!

My 4-week kitten won't poop, only urinates. He drinks cow milk. Help!

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Persian | Male

My kitten is 4 weeks old and is not defecating only urinating, what should I do. I can't get kitten formula so I've been feeding him with cow milk mixed in water. Also does weaning begin with the milk the kitten drinks, I tried to feed him wet cat food but he did'nt eat

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on April 21st, 2020

Cows milk is not appropriate for kittens, it will make him sick. It's also concerning that Loony isn't defecating. You need to take him into a vet today to get this checked out and you can get kitten formula from the vet. Best of luck.

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
How much does it needs to eat? And why it doesn't poop? And in our country we only have cow milk so there's nothing else to feed it, is it ok?? And does it need water ?
Hi, thanks for using Boop by Petco! Sadly cow’s milk is not ideal nutrition for a kitten. Kitten formula is ideal and most pet stores and veterinary hospitals carry it. It can also be found online. Meow meow should be bottle fed every 2-3 hours and then stimulated to urinate and defecate after each meal. You do this by gently rubbing the anus and vulva with a soft moist cloth. I recommend early weaning in bottle fed kittens so at 3-4 weeks by mixing the formula with canned kitten food. If she will not take a bottle she needs to see a vet and you may need to be taught how to tune feed. Otherwise she is at risk for starvation, dehydration, low blood sugar and even death. I wish you the best!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
New Pet
I've a kitten 3 weeks old..totally fed on cow's milk..which I usually dilute with water....From 2 days the kitten is not drinking properly, peeing a little more than normal, lethargic..just this..What could be the possible problem with it
Hello. Cow's milk may not be adequate for this kitten. If you have access to an actual kitten milk replacer, this would be best. It is also possible the kitten may have a lot of intestinal parasites like roundworms. We normally recommend starting to deworm kittens at 2 weeks of age using pyrantel pamoate. Illness is also a strong possibility as to why your kitten is not thriving & for this you will certainly need to see a veterinarian. I hope Tiger is doing better soon. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
New Pet
My 4 week old kitten hasn’t passed feices ever since it was born.It has only peed.I have started weaning it so should I expect it to poo now?
This is really concerning. There are some rare genetic issues that can prevent cats from having bowel movements and can be fatal. I would strongly recommend your vet to take a look at him and possibly take some x-rays to see if there is stool in his colon and to make sure his colon is fully formed. I hope this helps and he starts to do better soon!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I’m concerned if my kitten is getting the nutrition she needs. She’s about 4 weeks and I’ve had her for a few days now. She’s becoming less active she’s sleeping a lot and she doesn’t drink much of the replacement milk and she threw up a few times af
Hello. I am a little concerned about your kitten because at 4 weeks of age she should be a little fireball & not require stimulation to move her bowels. She should also be eating a canned kitten food with a little replacement milk mixed in. If she has not been dewormed, this would be a priority as intestinal parasites like roundworms can make a kitten pretty weak. She may also be a little dehydrated if you have not seen her urinate. I truly hope you can have her seen by a veterinarian soon. Little babies like this can be pretty fragile. Thank you for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Food & Nutrition
Hey I just got a kitten! They said he was about 5 weeks old. He is already eating soft food and sometimes hard food but they kept him on the formula because he won’t drink water yet. How can I get him to drink water? Also.. he sleeps a lot and hasn’t
Hi there! Congrats on your kitten! If your kitty is eating soft kitten food on his own, he may be getting enough fluid from his food. I would keep offering water, but I wouldn't be too worried about how much he's taking in as long as he continues to grow and be playful with a good appetite. As long as water is available, he will figure it out. Canned kitten food is more complete and balanced than formula, so if he's eating that then it's a better option than formula. You could encourage a bit more water intake by adding extra water to his canned food and mixing it into a slurry. It wasn't indicated how long you've had him, so I'm not sure if the not pooping is a concern. Cats will generally defecate about 1-2 times daily. Of course, if you feel something isn't right, then it's best to have him checked out by your vet.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Why does a 3 weeks old kitten nurses really little, wont eat dry or wet food and has diarrhea? all his brothers already poop normally and eat food
A kitten who is not nursing as well as his siblings could be sick. Kittens can get infections, parasites or have a congenital issue. I recommend to have him examined by the veterinarian. Bring in a stool sample for testing. I hope this helps.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My week old kitten is pooping it's like brown and stinks is that normal also what should I do now to help her grow older as she just turned a week old
If your kitten doesn't have a mother to feed her, you need to feed a formula made for kitten (KMR). You need to feed by a bottle every 2-4 hours and then wipe her bottom after wth a wet cloth to stimulate her to poop and pee. Make sure she stays warm because she cannot regulate her temperature. In another week you can start giving a dewormer for round worms and hook worms (follow the instructions on the bottle). At 8 weeks, she needs to see a vet to start vaccines. Good luck and congrats on you new baby!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
New Pet
I have a kitten that was abandoned, is 6 days old and wants to eat every hour and eats a lot, is that normal? He also urinates a lot but I can't make him poop
Kittens need to eat frequently! What goes in must come out, and on a liquid diet it will be mostly urine. You need to rub and rub and rub the anus with a warm wet washcloth to stimulate defecation. This is a great article on raising orphan kittens: https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951456
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Food & Nutrition
We got a 6 week old kitten on JUly 25th. It had only been fed cows milk and milk from it's mother. Now we have it at our house and i was feeding it KMR and yesterday for the 1st time she ate soft canned food at 12 noon yesterday.. She was also giv
A 6 week old kitten should be able to be on normal food without milk right now. I would wait another day to see if she poops. Constipation isn't super common in kittens, especially on wet food, but it is possible. If Luna doesn't have a bowel movement by tomorrow, she should get checked out by the vet.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
New Pet
I have (what I think) is a 4 week old kitten. I have had him for two days and he takes a bottle fairly well and eats gruel. I am able to get him to pee but not poop. Should I take him into a vet?
Weigh him and you can determine his age. Kittens gain about 3.5 ox of weight per week. So if he weighs 14 to 15 oz, he is 4 weeks old. He will still need kitten milk and instead of gruel you should offer canned kitten food in small amounts. Feed him 4 times a day plus about a table spoon full of kitten food per day. Over the next three to four weeks slowly replace the milk with the food. He is still young enough that he may have to be stimulated to poop and pee. So take a warm moist paper tissue and gently rub his anus. This will stimulate him to poop. Clean him afterwards. Do the same with urination, even when he appears to urinate by himself. He looks very sweet. You may want to worm him with kitten wormer as well.
Updated on September 24th, 2025

Related Searches

Cat Food Cat Supplies Kitten Formula & Milk Replacer Wet Cat Food Cat Laxatives Kitten Food Cat Urinary Care Cat Urinary Tract & Kidney Medication UTI Cat Food Canned Cat Food KMR Kitten Formula & Milk Replacer PetLac Kitten Formula & Milk Replacer PetAg Kitten Formula & Milk Replacer Tiki Cat Kitten Formula & Milk Replacer Lactulose Cat Laxatives Purina Kitten Chow Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Kitten Food KMR Kitten Food Lactulose Cat Medicine Baby Kitten Food
image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored