What Do Kittens Need At 5 Weeks
If you adopt or rescue a kitten that is 5 weeks old you will need to purchase several supplies to accommodate the new furry addition to your family.
What do kittens need at 5 weeks. Toilet training your kitten. Start slowly by mixing canned or dry cat food in with some kitten formula to make baby food check the ingredients to make sure the food contains no onion as this is toxic to cats. As they near six weeks old kittens will become completely stable on their feet using their tails to. Here s what you need to know about the developmental milestones of a kitten s first eight weeks of life.
There are a few things you have to know about litter training if you recently acquired a 5 week old kitty. Worm kittens second dose. Your kitten will need a. Kittens should have their first set of vaccinations at nine weeks old and at three months old they should receive the second set to boost their immune system.
The umbilical cord. The weaning process can begin around five weeks of age. Not all kittens will take to food. Most 5 week olds can eat canned kitten food and usually they start on dry kitten food at 6 weeks.
They do not yet have a gag reflex or the ability to thermoregulate. Kittens aged eight to 12 weeks need four meals per day if between three and six months old they need three meals and kittens over six months old need two meals per day. Newborn kittens will have their eyes closed and their ears folded. Four week old kittens will still need to be bottle fed although some may start eating canned kitten food mixed with a little kitten milk replacer see instructions for bottle feeding.
Kittens this young need lots of love special care feeding and handling to ensure they grow up healthy and happy. Kittens can now retract their claws at will and you can see them develop their own distinct personalities. Towards the end of week five you should be offering the kitten more food from a saucer than it is consuming from nursing. They will have no teeth and their gums nose and paws may appear bright pink in color.
For further information see keeping your cat in shape. By the end of week 5 a kitten should only be nursing three times a day but at each meal it should be consuming about 3 tablespoons of milk or formula. Teeth premolars start to emerge. Do not give your kitten milk as it can cause diarrhoea.
If you are unable to adopt the kitten yourself check various shelters veterinarians and the pant network to. Kittens younger than 10 weeks old need a warm bed to prevent them from becoming chilled according to vetstreet. If not book a vet s appointment straight away. Usually you are supposed to start training your kitten to use the litter box as early as 3 weeks old.
One of the main parts of 5 week old kitten care is potty training. By the time it is 4 to 5 weeks of age if it is eating enough food. To help protect kittens they ll need two sets of vaccinations to get them started. As with all animals kittens need fresh drinking water available at all times.
Vaccinating your kitten is one of the most important things you should do in your first few weeks as a cat owner. Kittens are extremely playful at this age especially now that their eyesight is fully developed and their coordination is better. A kitten should weigh about 14 to 16 oz.