What Age Should Kittens Eat Dry Food

Basic kitten feeding guide.

What age should kittens eat dry food. It is advisable to moisten it a little with water to make it easier to adapt to the process of chewing or add a bit of wet food pâté or pieces in sauce. Breastfeeding a kitten lasts about 9 weeks and when their teeth begin to come in after about four weeks they can begin to eat food. Kittens can begin eating solid food at around four weeks old. Most kittens will still want to nurse even after they are on dry food.

By weeks eight and nine they should be grown enough that they can eat wet and solid food on their own without any issues. However most kittens will be ready for dry food anywhere from seven to eight weeks. Some mother cats will begin to push the kittens away at this point but some will allow nursing to continue indefinitely. For these reasons most experts recommend you feed your kitten specially formulated kitten food until age 1.

The weaning process lasts approximately 2 to 4 weeks so kittens should be fully weaned by the time they are 8 to 10 weeks old. The answer will range depending on the kitten. Although some cat foods are labeled as appropriate for kittens and cats of all life. When young cats are old enough around 8 weeks old they start to eat food on their own whilst simultaneously decreasing the amount of milk they suckle from their mother.

By the time kittens are 6 weeks old they will be ready to wean and starting eating some solid food. Kittens naturally wean off their mother s milk at around 8 12 weeks of age. Make the transition easier by mixing it with kitten milk replacer. Buy this milk replacer at pet and farm supply stores and some grocery stores.

Your four week old kittens can eat dry food but it may be tough at first. We must feed them with food appropriate for their age. You must feed half wet food and half dry food in the starting therefore divide their ration accordingly. As they grow used to eating solid food and their teeth continue to develop begin to mix in dry food softened with a bit of water.

Don t use the cow s milk you drink or you ll likely end up with sick kittens on your hands. By the time the kittens are eight weeks old most easily eat dry kitten food although some may take a week or two longer. Begin by feeding your kitten soft or wet canned food. Use canned food or dry kitten food mixed with water.

At first add a lot of water and then reduce the amount of water as the kitten matures. Between the fourth and sixth week gradually transition the weaning kittens to dry food supplementing with formula if needed. Kittens are essentially baby carnivores with specialised needs.