How To Wean Kittens From Bottle

But when the queen has trouble producing milk or when a litter of kittens is orphaned we need to intervene.

How to wean kittens from bottle. At that point place cup of milk replacer and kitten chow in a shallow bowl. Weaning a young kitten from the bottle requires patience and persistence. Do not use cow s milk as this will cause stomach upset and diarrhea in some kittens. Always remember that each kitten is different and there is not an exact timetable for weaning.

Normally the queen or mother cat will handle kitten weaning on her own. Do not shove the kitten s nose into the food. Weaning a kitten is the process of transitioning the kitten from mother s milk to solid food. Bottle raised kittens can begin weaning a bit sooner than nursing kittens.

Here are few don ts when weaning a kitten. At first keep a bottle ready if it rejects the bowl. You might be interested in. As it grows more comfortable taking meals from the dish mix the milk.

Give wet or moistened dry food mixed with formula to form a slush. The weaning process should be done gradually at a pace that is comfortable for the kitten. Then dip your finger in the food and present it to your kitten to encourage it to eat from the bowl. At about three weeks begin offering the kitten its milk replacement in a shallow dish urging it to drink the same way you would show a nursing kitten.

The weaning kittens should start to nibble on the kibble slightly moistened with water. If your kitten is reluctant try feeding it with an eye dropper or by letting it lick the milk. How do i wean a kitten off of mother s milk or bottle feeding. If your kitten is suffering from any health conditions continue nourishing them with kitten.

Dip your fingertip or the syringe or bottle the kitten is used to nursing from into the liquid let the kitten lick it then guide him by moving your finger down into the bowl. It s an important part of the kitten s development and needs to be done at the right time and in the right way. Typically weaning a bottle fed kitten takes about two weeks. Please do not push.

You should wean a kitten off of the bottle only when they are ready or show interest to be weaned off the bottle. Again no two kittens are the same so trying to get them to conform to a timetable is futile if they are not yet ready to be weaned. Some kittens may grasp the process quickly. They should be at least at the ideal weight of a kitten about four weeks of age which can be found in my four week old kitten guide post.

And the kitten should be starting to. Remember that you should never wean an unhealthy kitten. Serve kitten milk replacer in a shallow bowl. If your kitten is bottle fed the weaning process starts at 4 5 5 5 weeks of age and happens much more quickly than under a mother s care.

You can switch a kitten from kitten milk replacer to solid food over the course of about a week. This should be done no earlier than four weeks old and no later than 12 weeks and needs to be done slowly. This can cause the food to go up the kitten s nose resulting in health problems. Before weaning your kitten make sure that it s around 4 weeks old with the ability to focus and walk steadily.

Others may take longer without their mother to show them how to drink and eat from a bowl.