My 4 week old kittens arent drinking water or eating any baby food. Is this normal?

Question

Mommy is still nursing all the time but I sense that shes getting a little burnt out on the whole experience. Seems shes rolling her eyes everytime she knows its time. Shes been a real trooper bless her heart! Im curious at what age they are going to start eating and drinking the baby food and H2O I am giving them. ALso how can I properly socialize them so they arent all weirded out when its time to give them to good homes? They are already veer curious about crawling around "outside" the box although still confined to a special area designated just for them. Also is it normal for them to be playing and biting eachother so much. I know this is alot but I have no idea how to raise them. HELP!! Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

4 weeks is a little young for them to develop an interest in baby food and water. They still want Mama. Another 2 or 3 weeks might be better. Be patient.

Answer 2

Cats have to sometimes be trained to drink water. And at four weeks they should be starting to be weaned and at six weeks be weaned. Some kittens need help and getting a medicine syringe like the liquid penicillin comes with is ideal, just don't squirt it down their throats. If mommy is still nursing them then its okay they aren't drinking water right now, they get what they need there. And you are entering the fun part of having kittens when they start playing and that is what they are doing now. Get ready for them to imitate halloween cats! I love it when they arch their backs and hop sideways at each other.

Also, if after they are weaned and you notice that they aren't going potty on their own (This is why mommy cats lick their babies butts), their muscles aren't quite strong enough to push the waste out. You may need to get a soft piece of tissue, dampen it, hold the kitties tail and rub the bottom with dampen tissue. That will stimulate the muscles to pee or poop. If you notice blood coming out of their bottoms this is the problem and that is the fix.
Mommy might be best served right now with special food for lactating cats to help her out here and always let there be plenty of cool, clean water for her!
Letting them play in a clean litter box will help orient them to that too. When they start going on their own place some of whatever poopy you find in the litter pan, they will get the idea.
I have raised a lot of cats, and helped cats birth a lot of kittens.

Answer 3

Our cat just a litter of kittens about 8 weeks ago. For about the first six weeks the kittens will usually rely on the mother for food. At about six weeks, the kittens will start to try to eat food. Right know, our kittens (8 weeks old) are eating kitten food. If you have any other questions like that about kittens you should ask a veterinarian. Hope this helped.

Answer 4

you should be introducing them to wet kitten food and their water dish and in another week or so the dry food. they should start eating on their own soon, your mom cat will know when she's had enough and shes ready to wean them. as for socializing them expose them to everything if you can. we usually put a fenced in area in the middle of our living room so kittens are exposed to dogs, cats, birds, kids and the insanity of a household. and it is normal for your kittens to play and bite eachother, ever wacth lions cubs on the discovery channel? they do the same thing it helps them use their natural hunting abilities (also its fun beating up your siblings no matter what species :) ) don't worry so much they seem like happy kittens, make sure to get them vet checked arounf 6 weeks of age, also don't let them go to new homes till 8 weeks (that is the best time for them)

Answer 5

We have a four-week-old orphan right now. Our vet said that at three weeks or so, to provide water for them to drink, but don't expect them to be thrilled about it until sometime around five weeks. Ours won't have anything to do with a saucer yet, even when we put her kitten formula in it. She sniffs curiously at canned kitten food, but has yet to taste it. Our past experience with foster kittens, and our vet, both say that this is fairly normal.

Cats need to socialize with other cats, as well as with humans, at this age. Pet them and play with them, and keep them together until 11-12 weeks of age. They do a lot of social development during that time, and they need to be with mother and the rest of the litter, or they come out kind of neurotic and screwed-up.

And yes, they do play and bite nonstop at times. They're learning about the world, and growing their musculoskeletal and neurological systems. Let them do it. Wiggle your fingers and get involved. Put on a clean glove if they claw and bite too hard. They should be just now starting to retract their claws, but they may not be very good at it. Be careful with strings and ribbons, as they can have trouble figuring out to play, not eat.

And as for Mama Kitty, she may be more frustrated at the kittens when they don't nurse, than when they do. It can start to ache when they haven't nursed in a while. That may be the frustration you're seeing, that or she's getting annoyed enough to introduce them to regular food. Annoyance is part of the package; she'll wean them when she's sufficiently fed up with it all, and not a moment before. It's good for them to nurse anyway; that's where they get their immunity to disease, and their digestive flora, from mother's milk.

Answer 6

Leave it to Mother Nature. It might be you who is stressing out the mother, not the kittens. The mother's milk will slowly dissipate (production will become less) and the kittens, as they mature, will follow mom to her food and water. She will socialize them, show them the way. Yes, it is normal for them to be frisky, it means they are happy and healthy. Just don't give them away to early...six weeks at the earliest.

Answer 7

4 weeks is still young and they have their mother to feed them. I would not push the food. 6 weeks are usually when mom starts to wing them. The kittens are playing when they are biting each other. They are not hurting each other. Don't worry

Answer 8

oh yes kittens aren't weened until they are 5-7 weeks old. weened means that they don't drink their mom's milk anymore.

Answer 9

kittens Drink warm milk ( from moma) cause their still babys, but dont feed them warm milk when their adults or they'll get sick.

Answer 10

normal