Starvation Syndrome in a Kitten?
QUESTION:
A small kitten (approximately 6 weeks old) arrived at my house. He had severe bite marks around his neck (which I have since taken care of through treatment at a local vet's office), and he was severely malnourished. You could see his spinal bones - he was that skinny.
Today he is healthy and happy (about 2 1/2 months old now). However, he still gobbles his food, then acts like he's starving and cries for more constantly. His little belly is full.
Will he ever get over thinking that he's starving and able to eat normally again? Is there anything I can do to help him get over this? I feed him dry cat food twice a day about 1/3 cup each time. He has it all gone in just seconds and wants more.
Hello!
What a sad story. But with such a happy ending, thanks to you! He is a very lucky kitten to have found you. It sounds as though he was very close to not making it.
Before I discuss his behavioral "I'm scared I'm never going to see food again" thinking, I always like to question whether there could be any unresolved medical issues.
Kittens with round bellies and voracious appetites can have intestinal parasites (worms). From your letter, he obviously didn't have the best start in life and he certainly is a kitten you would expect to have worms.
If he wasn't dewormed 2 to 3 times a couple of weeks apart each time, then he should be. Even if he was, you should take a fecal sample to your vet's office to be checked. If that was already done, I would suggest you do it again. Fecals can be negative sometimes even when parasites are present.
Also, there are several different types of intestinal parasites and the general dewormer most commonly given to kittens doesn't eliminate all of the types. That's another reason why a fecal should be examined microscopically even if a dewormer was given.
Have you seen any small dry rice-like particles on his rear end or on any surface where he sits or sleeps? That would indicate tapeworm which is not eliminated by the most common dewormers and which often isn't even seen under the microscope.
Assuming all that has been done or, if not, you pursue it and everything turns out negative, the answer to your original question is that cats who don't have adequate food available the first weeks or months of life often never forget that. Yes, they can carry the concern about food with them the rest of their lives.
Some get over it, however, and there is something you can do to try to help. I would suggest free choice feeding. Instead of putting down only a measured amount of food, keep dry food in his bowl all the time.
I recommend this to all cat owners and have fed my own cats this way for decades. There are some physical benefits to this type of feeding as well as psychological ones. In general, cats prefer to be "grazers" and eat a few bites many times daily.
There are, however, two things to watch out for in your case. (1) As you first start doing this, he may eat so much so quickly that he then vomits. If so, you may have to still have a little control over feeding and let him get adjusted more gradually. Instead of 2 feedings a day, put smaller amounts down several times a day.
(2) The second thing you have to watch for is excessive weight gain. That, of course, is not something you have to worry about anytime soon. However, as he nears his first birthday and continues on after that, he could have a tendency to eat too much and become overweight which is not healthy. Some have this problem, some don't.
Oh, and the last thing I want to mention is the type of food to feed. I assume you are feeding food marked "kitten" food. If not, you should be. It is higher in protein which he needs and also will tend to satisfy his hunger better than adult food. I also prefer dry food to canned although to save his life and put weight on him more quickly, you may have used canned and that was a good thing. Now, however, dry food left down is less likely to be gobbled up, less likely to be vomited up, tends to be more filling, helps keep teeth clean longer, and often produces a firmer, less "smelly" stool.
You can find a million different opinions on what brand of food is the best for cats and get totally confused, but I will give you my opinion anyway! I am a HUGE fan of Iams kitten and Iams Adult and Iams Less Active food for cats. It is all I have feed all my dozens of cats over the years and the results have been amazing. Clean teeth, firm, less malodorous stools, shiny haircoats, long life, healthy urinary tracts, and on and on.
Also, I'm sure you are, but just to be thorough, make sure you are leaving water down all the time and I highly recommend changing the water twice daily.
Good luck with your kitty. Again, he is so lucky to have found you. I hope I have given you some "food" for thought. Thank you for writing. It has been a pleasure to hear your story and address your questions.
Thank you,
Dr. Neely
