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Tundraco's Daily Living Guide to Pets Weaning Your Kitten |
When to wean?
If you are not in a hurry and the mother cat will allow it, let the kittens nurse for as long as they want.
Most kittens, which are nursing, will naturally wean themselves if pre-softened solid food or moist canned food is made available to them.
You should begin softened or moist food available for the kittens when they are about four weeks old.
To Wean a Bottle-Fed Kitten
If the mother refuses to nurse, or if she is not available to nurse you will need to bottle-feed the kitten until it is weaned. Do not use cows' milk. Feed the kitten goats milk, canned or powered kitten formula, or a milk replacement supplement that has been formulated for kittens.
When the kitten is about four weeks old, begin to offer it dry cat food that has been soaked in milk before you give it its bottle. Make sure that the mush is at room temperature or a little warmer.
Each day, serve the mush a little drier. In six to eight weeks, the kitten should be totally switched to dry food.
Water
Whether it is nursing or being bottle-fed all kittens should be introduced to water when they are about four weeks old.
Once a kitten begins to drink water, a constant supply should be made available to them 24 hours a day.
Feeding Your Kitten
As soon as your kitten begins the weaning process, be sure to keep a bowl of dry food on the floor at all times so that it can "nibble" if it wants. If you want to feed on a schedule, be sure to offer your kitten food at least four times a day and be sure to have water available for them at all times.
Signs of Trouble
If your kitten develops diarrhea:
If your kitten is losing weight:
Switching Foods
If you acquire a kitten, which has recently been weaned, try to get a supply of the food that it is use to eating. Then slowly begin mixing its old food with the food you want to feed it, gradually increasing the mix of new food until they have been completely switched to the new food.