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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.

• It should require no effort on your part other than mixing a little milk or water into the solid food and keeping the bowl full. Be sure to let the kittens know where the bowl is.

You should begin softened or moist food available for the kittens when they are about four weeks old.

• Prepare only small amounts of softened food. If left out over long, it will harden and begin to spoil. The kitten will not, and should not, eat spoiled food as it will cause stomach upset.

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.

Whether it is nursing or being bottle-fed all kittens should be introduced to water when they are about four weeks old.

• Fill a low, heavy bowl or pan with water. Place it in a quiet area, not too far from where you will be feeding the kitten solid food.
• Bring the kitten over to the water bowl. Wet your finger in the bowl and wet the kitten's nose.
• Next, gently guide the kitten's head down toward the water and just tap its nose in the water.
• If you don't notice the kitten tasting the water, try reintroducing it to the water in a couple of hours, or the next day, and repeat the process until it begins to drink on its own.

Once a kitten begins to drink water, a constant supply should be made available to them 24 hours a day.

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.

If your kitten develops diarrhea:

• Your kitten may be having difficulty tolerating the milk you are mixing into the solid food. This is more likely to happen if you are using cows' milk. Contact your vet to see if the kitten should be seen. Diarrhea can cause rapid dehydration, which can be fatal.
• Kittens can also acquire diarrhea if they are switched to solid food too quickly, or if they simply make a pig of themselves and eat too much.

If your kitten is losing weight:

• It is properly not getting enough to eat. Increase the number of times a day you are providing it with solid food, and watch the kitten to make sure that it is eating it. If you have totally weaned the kitten, weight lose can be a sign that this was done too soon and you should supplement its feedings with milk supplements.
• If the kitten continues to lose weight, or becomes weak, take it to the vet as soon as possible. It may have a serious illness or a severe infestation of worms. If the problem is not corrected, the kitten may starve to death.

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.