Weaning Kittens Off Mom

Monitor them so they don t lap too fast and never push their face into the bowl which could cause them to.

Weaning kittens off mom. As the litter grows up mom has less to do with them. To begin weaning a kitten mix the kitten food with formula so they recognize the taste. Watch her for signs that she s preparing the kittens for weaning. When you first start weaning your kitten off of its mother s milk you ll want to buy milk replacer.

Smear the mixture around their mouth with your finger and let them lick it off. Once they get used to the taste they ll seek it out elsewhere. A good rule of thumb is to see if a meat is listed first on its ingredients. If a kitten has an upper respiratory infection a cold they may lose their sense of smell.

She won t let them nurse as easily and may start hissing at them. You ll also want to be sure to purchase high quality cat food which will be introduced to the kitten gradually. Commercial kitten milk replacer is the way. Weaning is the fun messy adventure of helping a kitten transition from nursing or bottle feeding to eating solid food on her own.

It helps for nutritional balance in your kitten. It is designed to replicate the nutritional value and to a degree the taste of its mother s milk. Mother cats are in charge of determining when exactly to wean their litters off of exclusive milk although the procedure generally starts when kittens are somewhere around the one month landmark in their wee lives. Generally when a kitten s eyes are open and able to focus and he is steady on his feet the introduction of solid food can.

Place the kittens in a separate area away from their. Warmth ensure that you keep the weaning kittens warm. Then you can introduce them to lapping from a bowl. But be careful using this equipment and never leave the kittens alone.

You can either use hot water bottles or heating pads to make them warmer. Purchase canned and dry food specifically manufactured with kitten nutrition in mind. Kittens generally nibble solid foods at three to four weeks. Packaged food formulated for weaning kittens is the best choice.

Make sure this area has a litter box and water bowls. Pet owners should make the transition as easy as possible for kittens. To help weaning kittens become less dependent on mom and her milk place them in an area separate from mom for a few hours at a time. As the kittens eat more solid food they may be separated from their mom for longer periods of time.

Avoid giving kittens cow. Weaning refers to the process by which a kitten goes from mother s milk to solid food. It manages the calorie intake and the nutritional needs of kittens. The process generally begins when a kitten is around four weeks old and should be complete by eight to ten weeks.

Kittens often need extra support during this time to help ensure they re receiving the proper nutrients in proper quantity and to keep them on track for success and independence. This will allow the kittens to get used to spending time without their mother close by and hopefully give mom time to catch up on some sleep. If you are in charge of weaning an orphaned kitten please remember that weaning should not be attempted at too early of an age. At this stage when they re around a month old you can start supplementing them with kitten food.

This is not only good for the kittens but also for mom who needs to have the weaning process decreased slowly so that she doesn t develop mastitis.