# Kitten slow weight gain



## evince (Mar 9, 2015)

Hi everyone!
So, I've tried to research online and on this forum about kittens' growth rates, average weights, feeding amounts etc. and a little lost... hope some of you can help. 

My Aggie just turned 7 months old, and she's been eating 4 times a day (which totals to about half a 13 oz can of wet food in a day), very active, dewormed and vaccinated and spayed. But she only weighs 2.5kg. She's stayed at this weight for the past month or so, and I worry about her growth. Her weight gain has always been on the slow side, but when you look at her she looks very small. 

This is my first time with a cat so I am not sure what to expect really, in terms of average sizes for adults or kittens. She is an American Shorthair, and from my understanding, females on average are 8-11lbs (4-6kg?) as adults. 

I am not sure if I am feeding too little, she's too active, or if I'm just worrying for no reason  Anyone have any thoughts?

Thankies!


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

She may just be a very small cat, there are fully grown cats that can be 5-6 lbs. The bigger question is how her weight is in relation to her body frame. If you wrap your hands around her torso just behind her front legs you should be able to use your thumbs to feel her spine with a slight layer of fat over them and the same for using your fingers on her ribs. If the ribs and spine are really protruding then she's underweight, if you can barely feel them she is overweight. Adjust her food based on your findings.


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## evince (Mar 9, 2015)

Thanks doodlebug, I did a check of Aggie and I can feel her spine just a bit, and her shoulder blades. Shoulders are more prominent than the spine. I guess that means she's just the right weight?


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

The spine should not protrude AT ALL or be easily palpable. In a kitten and young through middle-aged adult, there should be enough muscle cradling the spine and just enough fat over the spine so that it is not easily palpable. I'd rather see a growing kitten a bit too chubby than any too thin. She needs the calories for proper growth. As a general rule, kittens up to 6 mos should be given as much as they can eat at least 4 times a day. From 6-9 mos, meals can be reduced to 3 times a day, though I'd still feed as much as she wants to eat at each meal. From 9 mos on, twice daily meals is sufficient, and meals can be portioned according to the kitten's individual weight and activity level.

Laurie


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

Try some Nutrical to supplement her diet. I would definitely take her in though. I feed kittens as much as they want all day long.


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## evince (Mar 9, 2015)

Hi Marcia and Laurie, 
Yeah she is probably on the slim size. Will take your advice and reduce feeding to 3 times but give her more, as much as she wants. I fear she might throw up? Last time we fed her as much as she wanted and she threw up, but I think that might have been partially due to the heat too as the vet said that could be an effect. 

Marcia what do you mean sorry by 'take her in'?

Thank you


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

This body condition chart may be helpful...

Body Condition Scoring Chart | Veterinary Medical Center


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

If she regurgitates, it's likely because she's eating too quickly rather than eating too much. You can slow down her eating by putting a clean golf ball or two in her food bowl that she'll have to eat around.

Laurie


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## evince (Mar 9, 2015)

Thanks for the link doodlebug, I think Aggie looks alright. Apologies for the blurr, we were playing hehe!


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## BigDaveyL (Jun 26, 2012)

Here's a stupid question.

Have you had her feces sample checked again for parasites? Some of them can be difficult to get rid of.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

evince said:


> Marcia what do you mean sorry by 'take her in'?


I mean to get her vet checked to be sure all is ok. She may just be a skinny girl by nature - it would not be unusual to feel her spine or ribcage. I stand there while foster kittens they eat, putting down one decent serving and if they continue to lick the bowl, I add more a little at a time until they are satisfied and walk away. If you can feed 3x a day, increased portions, that may help. If the vet says she is overall healthy you just may have a skinny Minnie on your hands!


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

Remember that those weight charts are for adult cats, not growing kittens. Growing kittens need some nutritional cushion to provide for their rapid growth.

Laurie


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## evince (Mar 9, 2015)

Big Davey - nope she's not had one of those done

Marcia and Laurie - thank you! I tried doing that last night giving her little by little, but that girl didn't walk away haha. Until the whole can was finished!  will try again today to see how her appetite is. 

(Hope y'all were able to see the attachments in my previous post btw)


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Laurie...you and i are going to have to agree to disagree on this one. :lol:

Many sources, but I'll quote Michigan State University, indicate that a seven month old kitten is not in rapid growth mode and the body conditioning scoring applies to both cats and kittens the same. Obviously neither one of us is the type to drink the kool-aid about what we read on the internet and I can agree that a little extra pudge isn't going to hurt a kitten. But I don't think it's any cause for concern if a kitten is a 5 on the BCS chart, fattening up is not needed.

_After 20 weeks (5 months) the growth rate slows down. Kittens should reach 80% of their adult weight by 6 months and full adult weight by 10 months of age. 

Body condition scoring (BCS) is the best method for evaluating both the weight and lean muscle mass of your growing kitten. BCS involves feeling your pet’s body to judge the fat covering the ribs. If the ribs and spine cannot be felt due to excessive fat covering, your kitten is getting overweight. Alternatively, if the ribs and spine are easily felt with very little fat covering, the animal is underweight. An ideal BCS is about 5 on a scale of 1 to 9 (1= very thin to 9 = obese)._

https://cvm.msu.edu/hospital/servic...vice-1/client-education/feeding-your-kitten-1


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## evince (Mar 9, 2015)

Vet says she's alright and that her current weight is good. 

I think either way, the BCS is a guide  I hope that she puts a little bit on in the next months as she is on the slimmer side. Today she nearly finished a whole 13oz can of food! I was starting to get a little scared her wee belly would explode hehe  Thanks everyone


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## UnwillingDonor (Jun 2, 2015)

I know that as kittens they can look pretty skinny and long, my girl Dinah is almost 9 months and shes finally starting to fill out. I feed her a half a cup of her crunchies a day and 1 can of soft food. If you read the labels on your cat food it should tell you how much to feed by weight. Also kitten food is very important for kittens, so make sure your little one is eating food for kittens as it has more protein,which a growing kitty needs lots of.


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## evince (Mar 9, 2015)

Thanks UnwillingDonor - reassuring to know that  Do you mean by a can, a small 3oz, or a 5.5 or a 13 oz?


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## UnwillingDonor (Jun 2, 2015)

I feed her the smaller 3oz cans.


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## evince (Mar 9, 2015)

Ah ok thanks for the clarification  since I've been giving Aggie as much as she wants, she has been eating up to one 13oz can a day!! Is this normal? She is very active though, and it's super warm over in our parts, I wonder if that contributes at all? Her BMs have also increased to two per day as opposed to just one


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

The 12 ounce can during the day sounds perfectly reasonable for a kitten that is active. Let her have it. Kittens expend a ton of energy and need the extra calories during the day.


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## evince (Mar 9, 2015)

Phew! Glad that's to be expected 

Though I've been feeding her slowly, adding one extra spoon at a time if she wants more... She's has moments of throwing up a bit of food... I don't know if it's because of too much, as I think it was said that they'd only throw up if eating too fast, or if it's due to the heat (vet said this)...? It's kinda gross she will lick her sick up after she's thrown it up... Mostly before I even get to clean it up!


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## evince (Mar 9, 2015)

*Anemia*

Hi all!

I took Aggie to the vet today, for a follow up for her sneezing and also because she's lost her appetite in the last few days. The vet took a blood sample and it showed that she's anemic.

I know very little about feline anemia but from what I have read so far, the underlying causes are very scary. I've asked the vet whether she needs to be checked for FIV/FLV but she said that unless she shows symptoms, she doesn't need to... What are you guys' thoughts on this?

She still is eating, but sometimes less than half of what she normally does. No significant weight loss, but I can see her back looking slimmer than usual. 

At the moment she's been prescribed Propan TLC twice a day (up from just once a day) and we'll be going back next week for another check up. I'm really worried, I hope it's not anything serious. Hope you could please share any thoughts or advice on this. Thank you


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## DebS (Jun 14, 2015)

I don't know anything about this, but I think I would be worried and maybe I'd get a second opinion from another vet.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Did the vet give some indication of what SHE thought might have caused this?


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## evince (Mar 9, 2015)

Thanks DebS and MowMow for your replies. 

The vet suggested that it was due to her stuffy nose, sneezing etc. over the last few weeks that may have caused her immune system to go down - hence the added vitamin supplements. She said that the supplements will help boost her immune system and hopefully get her back to eating normally. But she didn't really explain any other potential causes...


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Hi evince!
Links for you!
Hope they work!
Sharon

http://www.m.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/anemia-cats-types-symptoms

http://www.vetstreet.com/care/anemia-in-cats

http://www.vcahospitals.com/main/pet-health-information/article/animal-health/anemia-in-cats/51


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

How old is Aggie, and does she have any other known health issues (other than the sneezies)? How anemic is she? Do you have a copy of the blood test results that you can post here for us to see? You should ALWAYS acquire copies of ALL test results run on your animals and keep them in a file at home.

Anemia is fatal if it gets bad enough, so you really need to find how exactly how anemic she is, and you really need to push for an actual diagnosis, not just acknowledgement of this potentially dangerous symptom. Also, if she's not eating well, your vet should have prescribed an appetite stimulant (I prefer cyproheptadine), not just an increased vitamin supplement. 

It sounds to me like your vet isn't being nearly proactive enough in this situation. If I were you, I'd either be seeking a second veterinary opinion at a different vet clinic, or I'd be pushing the current vet to be a LOT more proactive in terms of diagnostics and treatment.

Laurie


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## evince (Mar 9, 2015)

Aggie is turning 8 months on the 30th of June. She's had no other health problems thus far, the sneezies were initially accompanied by some vomiting (which the vet diagnosed as heat stress). She's no longer vomiting and the sneezing has stopped. 

The vet will be emailing me the copy of her blood test, so I'll wait for that and post it here. From what I saw, it was only slightly lower than the bottom range? 

Yes I read that it is fatal, that's what is really worrying. The vitamin she prescribed, according to the vet, should also stimulate her appetite. However, she's been taking it for a week now and that's when I noticed the reduction in appetite. Is cyproheptadine available OTC?

I will be getting a second opinion from the vet at the shelter I volunteer at this Saturday to find out a bit more.

Thanks laurie 


EDIT: By the way, thanks for transferring my new thread here. Sorry about that.


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## evince (Mar 9, 2015)

This is a copy of Aggie's blood test results. She didn't touch her last meal at all, I fed her a few treats then she walked away. The vet suggested giving her royal canin recovery or prescription diet a/d "as they are high energy food at little proportion" but I am not so sure about these food manufacturers... Any thoughts please?


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

Cyproheptadine is a prescription medication in the U.S. I'm not sure where you're located, but it may or may not be a prescription medication in your location. You'd have to ask your vet or a local pharmacist. Cypro is actually an antihistamine, but it has an appetite-stimulant effect in many (but not all) cats. There is another medication, an antidepressant called Mirtazapine, that is also used as an appetite stimulant in cats. I've used both on my cats, and cypro generally works better for mine.

Keep giving the Propan TLC, too. The B vitamins it contains can help blood cell production.

Laurie


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

Those foods would be good choices for Aggie under the circumstances. Even if she won't eat them on her own, I know that A/D is formulated to mix smoothly with warm water so that it can be fed through an oral syringe I'm not familiar with RC's consistency, but I'm sure you could make it smooth enough to go through a feeding syringe by pureeing it in a kitchen blender with a little hot water.

Aggie is definitely mildly anemic, and that may be why she's lost her appetite. But there's likely an underlying cause of the anemia that is also responsible for her appetite loss, and that has to be properly diagnosed and treated. There are blood parasites like hemobartonella and autoimmune diseases that can cause anemia. Chronic disease or bone marrow disease, malnutrition (iron depletion) ... even a bad flea infestation could all cause anemia. The bottom line is that you shouldn't just be treating this symptom, you need to get the underlying cause identified and treated.

Your best bet for proper diagnosis and treatment would be if you could get Aggie to a university vet school clinic. That's where you will find the best veterinary specialists and diagnostic equipment. Kittens can go downhill very quickly when they quit eating, so this is an emergent situation. I wouldn't wait until Saturday to get her seen by another vet.

Laurie


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## evince (Mar 9, 2015)

Thanks Laurie for your helpful advice.

I went to a different vet today to get a second opinion and she said that Aggie is only mildly anaemic. She prescribed (instead of Propan TLC) - Polynerv Syrup. Aggie absolutely hates it though, so it's not easy to give it to her... And A/D Prescription Science Diet, which she likes, but when mixed with her regular food, not so much. Aggie is eating now, little by little. I do hope that she gets her appetite back


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## evince (Mar 9, 2015)

EDIT: Polynerv is Vitamin B-Complex


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

Have you contacted her breeder and discussed the health issues Aggie is having now? Find out when she was wormed and with what medications? Ask if this breed has a susceptibility to anemia? A good breeder should answer your questions truthfully and be concerned about the kitten's welfare. The answers may point in the direction her treatment should go. Hope your vets can soon get to the bottom of the cause of this anemia. 

As far as feeding, I agree with _ Laurief _ that it's better for kittens to be slightly on the plump side, just for this reason.....that if there is a setback in kitty's health they have some "reserve" and don't go downhill as quickly. As far as eating too quickly so she's inclined to vomit, you can slow it down by putting her food on a flat plate and spreading it out thinly. All the best!


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## evince (Mar 9, 2015)

I did think about that today, contacting her breeder. I think I will do so in the coming week (as it's just going on Sunday here). Thanks catloverami. She's an American Shorthair, not sure if they're predisposed to anemia? She was given 3-in-1 once by her breeder then again with our vet. She's has a full round of de-worming as well. Will definitely speak to the breeder though. 

Yes..I think she could use with a little more cushion. While the vet says her weight is good, she feels a little on the slender side. Thanks for the tip about the flat plate, will try that! At the moment I feed her a set amount then slowly add more per spoon if she's still licking the bowl


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