Kitten will only eat in my lap & out of my hand but NOT from bowl, why?

Question

So my 5 week old refuses to eat from a bowl even when I place him RIGHT next to it and encourage him to smell it real close. Nope, nothing doing.

However, when I sit on the ground with him when he's hungry he crawls into my lap, lays there, and quietly meows ("hey, big ogre looking fellow, I'm hungry.") So I decided to pick up little pieces of his canned soft food in my palm, put it near his nose, and he eats it up like a beast. Also, when I hold the bowl tight for him on my lap he eats just as well.

How can I get him to eat when the bowl is on the floor?

I put a waterproof table cover around the area for when he makes a mess, and the bowl does move around a little when he eats...but still, 95% of the time he just sits outside of the covered area and meows. Then of course I have to lap feed him, after which he takes a nice cat nap in my lap with his full tummy (he even burps sometimes) which is real cute. But you could see why this would be a problem when I'm not home.

By the way, he won't eat dry food at ALL unless it's mixed into the soft. Maybe I weaned him onto canned stuff too soon? I know he can crunch the kibbles b/c I've heard him do it before when it's mixed into the soft.

Thanks people. And he's 5 weeks old because he was an orphan that followed me home for over an hour crossing roads like a madman. I live in Bulgaria... I always have to say this ("shame on you he's too young!") and this is my 6th kitten question.

Answer 1

I had an orphaned kitten from 2 weeks old.  We bottle feed her for awhile and then needed to wean her.  It took some time to get her to eat from a bowl.  We started with a spoon with milk or wet food on it.  Then as she ate from there we slowly lowered it into the bowl.  If she stopped eating then we moved it back up and kept trying until she finally started eating from the bowl.  Good luck!

Answer 2

My cat won't eat out of plastic bowls or off plastic plates.  Try a different bowl.  If the kitten gets hungry enough it will eat on its own.  Feed it a few bites and then walk away.  If it continues to refuse to eat then call your vet for a recommendation of a different type of food - maybe he doesn't like that flavor.

good luck

Answer 3

1. He is still a baby, that is why he feels you must feed him. he thinks you're his mum.

2. However, he must start to eat on his own gradually. Find a food he really likes, like boiled chicken, and leave little pieces for him on the floor.

3. As for dry food, if you can get Royal Canin "baby cat" or Waltham "Weaning", usually they love that. But canned food id fine for now.

4. When he is 3-4 weeks bigger, if he still doesn't eat properly, you should stop spoiling him. Leave the food and he will eat eventually. But not yet, he is still a baby.