When To Wean Kitten Off Wet Food
It may not be readily apparent but it will result in a long term overall detriment to your cat s health.
When to wean kitten off wet food. By eight to 10 weeks kittens should be. Plan to give the kittens wet food 4 or 5 times each day. When you first start weaning your kitten off of its mother s milk you ll want to buy milk replacer. You ll also want to be sure to purchase high quality cat food which will be introduced to the kitten gradually.
Drop down to 4 then 3. The process of weaning usually starts when kittens are about three to four weeks old and takes two to three weeks to complete. If you are bottle feeding an orphaned kitten or one whose mother isn t able to feed her weaning can begin as early as three weeks. If you see any changes in the kitten s health or energy during this process immediately step back to bottle feeding.
Give wet or moistened dry food mixed with formula to form a slush. On the seventh day increase the amount of dry food so that the ratio is 75 percent dry and 25 percent soft. Pick up some wet kitten food making sure that it says kitten kitten food is higher in calories fat and protein that the kitten needs to help grow big and strong. Cats by their nature get most of their water from their food.
For example give your cat 50 percent soft food mixed with 50 percent dry food for days 4 through 6. My vet suggested that i wean my cat off of dry food entirely since it does nothing positive for cats and switch him to a wet food only diet. It s also important to buy wet foods that are labeled grain free because regular brands also contain grain carbs because it s a cheap filler ingredient including big names like iams kitten formula. By now the kitten.
Get the right supplies. A general schedule for kitten weaning might be. Increase the amount of dry food and decrease the amount of soft food given every three days until you are feeding your cat only dry food. Supplement with formula if the kitten is.
Use your best judgement and follow the kitten s lead to determine the appropriate age to wean. As kittens grow older and pass 10 weeks of age you can begin to reduce the feeding times gradually. For example set out a tablespoon of food per kitten at 8 am 11 am 3 pm 6 pm and 9 pm. By five to six weeks he should be eating only lightly moistened food.
Now you can start to leave out small amounts of dry food and fresh water at all times. The weaning kittens should start to nibble on the kibble slightly moistened with water. 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. It is designed to replicate the nutritional value and to a degree the taste of its mother s milk.