Animal Welfare Professionals

 View Only

  • 1.  Picky kittens

    Posted 05-19-2025 02:24 PM

    We seem to have an influx of picky kittens this kitten season. Anyone else having issues getting foster kittens to eat and eat well? We have multiple sets of kittens now going on 9 weeks old and refuse to eat dry food and are even still just picking at wet food. Not gaining much weight. They have all had full vet exams, had fecal floats done, and had fecals sent out to IDEXX for testing. Everything has come back good. They act normal and have no issues other than they are being extremely picky. They aren't losing weight, more so just maintaining at barely 2lbs. 


    #FosterPrograms

    ------------------------------
    Erin Robinson
    Foster Coordinator
    Licking County Humane Society
    OH
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Picky kittens

    Posted 05-20-2025 11:55 AM

    What food are you feeding? 

    Have you tried different brands?



    ------------------------------
    Amanda Gray
    Vice President
    Operation Liberation
    ------------------------------



  • 3.  RE: Picky kittens

    Posted 05-20-2025 01:54 PM

    We have tried Hills Science Diet wet and dry, Purina Kitten Chow, Fancy Feast kitten pate, Sheba kitten pate, Royal Canin Mom & Baby wet and dry. They are eating small amounts but not enough to gain. Normally kittens go crazy for the Royal Canin. We usually pull that out as a last resort since it's so expensive. But the kittens this year just aren't as interested. Just curious if anyone else has a different go-to food that they try when kittens are picky. 



    ------------------------------
    Erin Robinson
    Foster Coordinator
    Licking County Humane Society
    OH
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Picky kittens

    Posted 05-23-2025 07:19 AM

    My go-to for picky kittens is actually human baby food! Plain chicken or turkey baby food is safe for kittens. Just check the ingredients to make sure there's no seasonings, etc, added. 

    Some other options I use:

    • Add a little hot water to room temp wet food to make it more smelly (though I agree that Royal Canine is the MOTHER of stinky foods). 
    • Add a little bit of plain pumpkin puree (also made sure nothing is added to it)
    • Make a small amount of KMR formula and mix that into the wet food for a "slurry" 
    • Soak the kibble. Some like the dry food but... make it wet. 



    ------------------------------
    Erin Dams
    Operations Director
    Roanoke Valley SPCA
    Roanoke VA
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


Related Content