When To Wean Kittens Off Wet Food
Serve kitten milk replacer in a shallow bowl.
When to wean kittens off wet food. Wet food is the healthiest choice for kittens to start off with as the moisture content will help them stay healthy and hydrated. By now the kitten weaning process is complete and they should be eating all solid food by week. Cats have sensitive digestive systems that make transitions between foods challenging. Therefore the logical next step in kitten care in how to wean kittens off of the bottle and onto kitten food.
Supplement with formula if the kitten is not taking to the new food to make sure it gets enough calories. Place a high quality dry kitten food in the blender with kitten milk replacer and hot water. For example set out a tablespoon of food per kitten at 8 am 11 am 3 pm 6 pm and 9 pm. Certainly this can be done with a fork or spoon but i love to use my blender.
As kittens grow older and pass 10 weeks of age you can begin to reduce the feeding times gradually. As the kitten gets accustomed to eating gradually decrease the amount of milk replacer you add while slowly increasing the. Wet cat food cat food complements natural cat food senior cat food kitten food grain free see all cat litter cat litter. I have written post about caring for two through eight week old kittens and how to bottle feed kittens.
The weaning kittens should start to nibble on the kibble slightly moistened with water. Like human babies weaning kittens need to be wiped off occasionally so be sure to keep them warm while they dry off. Also at some point you might be tempted to reach for the milk jug in your fridge. How do i wean a kitten off of mother s milk or bottle feeding.
However some kittens may prefer dry food and that s okay as long as you choose a healthy. When you are weaning kittens you can add into the kitten formula a bit of canned or dry kitten food. A good rule of thumb is to see if a meat is listed first on its ingredients. A general schedule for kitten weaning might be.
It is designed to replicate the nutritional value and to a degree the taste of its mother s milk. Plan to give the kittens wet food 4 or 5 times each day. How to wean kittens off of a bottle. Gradual transition step 1.
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. The problem is your kitten. Make a gruel by mixing a high quality dry or canned kitten food with kitten milk replacer until it is the consistency of oatmeal. And have a moist cloth ready to clean up.
At first add a lot of water and then reduce the amount of water as the kitten matures. Give wet or moistened dry food mixed with formula to form a slush. Weaning a cat off of soft food is a process that must be carried out gradually to avoid intestinal and digestive problems. Use canned food or dry kitten food mixed with water.
Blend these ingredients together until the. When you first start weaning your kitten off of its mother s milk you ll want to buy milk replacer. Since many of the important nutrients your cat needs is found in canned food always consult a veterinarian before weaning him completely off of soft food. Do not use cow s milk.
You ll also want to be sure to purchase high quality cat food which will be introduced to the kitten gradually. Give wet or moistened dry food mixed with formula to form a slush. Supplement with formula if the kitten is not taking to the new food to make.