Weaning Kittens Off Mom
Normally the queen or mother cat will handle kitten weaning on her own.
Weaning kittens off mom. Sometimes the kittens will begin eating and drinking water by imitating their mom. Pet owners should make the transition as easy as possible for kittens. However it is also common for kittens to finish weaning at around 10 weeks as well. Weaning is the process of transitioning kittens from mother s milk to solid food.
This will mean that the food has a higher percentage of protein which growing cats need to be healthy. Weaning simply means a baby no longer nurses from its mother and receives nutrition from a non maternal source. For kittens the process starts as early as 4 weeks of age completed by the time they re 2 to 3 months old. Around 5 weeks of age the kitten s premolars will begin to emerge indicating that she is likely ready to start trying out some meaty foods.
The first thing in weaning a kitten is to deal with the separation from its mother. More likely you ll need to put a dab of the gruel on the end of your finger and offer it to the kitten or even rub it on her mouth or the tip of her tongue. Remember all kittens and mother cats are different. However some kittens may need a bit more time on the bottle due to health issues or differences in weight or size.
A good rule of thumb is to see if a meat is listed first on its ingredients. The food you mix with the milk replacer when you are weaning kittens must be kitten food. If a litter of kittens is on the fast track to eating solids they may be completely weaned at a young and sprightly 8 weeks old. The reason being just like with all mammals a mother s milk is very crucial in the kittens newborn stage.
It contains the high amount of protein needed to meet the kittens large energy requirements. It is designed to replicate the nutritional value and to a degree the taste of its mother s milk. Kittens bodies are very sensitive to premature weaning so be careful about starting them too young. Mother knows best about this natural process leave weaning up to her if possible.
When you first start weaning your kitten off of its mother s milk you ll want to buy milk replacer. A kitten 0 5 weeks old should be nursing or bottle feeding. So slow dealing with the separation is always fine. Weaning kittns is easy but they must be directed a bit by you or they.
You ll also want to be sure to purchase high quality cat food which will be introduced to the kitten gradually. Weaning can begin earlier in the case of orphaned or hand fed kittens. The kitten is able to spend more time alone without the mother if it becomes independent. The mother around the kitten in the initial weaning stages.
It s not a good idea to let kittens go to a new home before the age of 8 weeks. This should be done when the kittens are around four to five weeks of age and ideally no sooner. It s an important part of the kitten s development and needs to be done at the right time and in the right way. Weaning refers to the process by which a kitten goes from mother s milk to solid food.
During weaning kittens gradually progress from dependence on a mother s care to social independence. Use your best judgement and follow the kitten s lead to determine the. Weaning is the process of transitioning kittens from feeding on their mother s milk to solid food. Weaning a kitten is the process of transitioning the kitten from mother s milk to solid food.