Two questions about kittens?

Question

I have two beautiful kittens and they are about a week old. I have two questions about them.

First, I was wondering for how long do they need milking from their mother and when I'm allowed to give them some other food, too.

Second, I've heard that people shouldn't touch kittens for some time because if they do, their mother will feel that and she'll abandon them. Is that true? If it is, for how long I'm not supposed to touch them?

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Are they still with the mother?
As a shelter worker, kittens will usually wean away from moms milk at about 5-8 weeks. Depends on the kitten really. They starting attempting to eat kitten chow around 3-4 weeks, when they can stand with better balance, and see real well. As far as touching goes, you can touch, but dont over touch or take the kitten away from moms view. Let the mom know your not going to harm her baby, and give love to the momma too ( if thats possible for u ) In pet stores that sell kittens, the kittens are usually 8 weeks old at youngest. Nowadays it seems to be a rushed process, and will take a kitten at 6 weeks, but 8 weeks is good. Theres some kittens at our shelter that dont stop getting mothers milk until they are sold, so sometimes thats 3-4 months! Its cute to see a bigger kitten nursing!!
Good luck with your lil bundles!

Answer 2

You can introduce solid foods at three to four weeks. Solids mean watered down canned or water softened dry. You can also put water down for them at this time. They may not eat right away, but they learn from watching the mother. They should continue to be able to nurse until 6-7 weeks.
You can touch kittens right away. The mother will not reject them. It is wise to handle them daily so they human contact and so you can feel them and be aware if there is a problem, like weight loss,or some other problem.
They and the mom should begin worming at 3-4 weeks. Kittens will get roundworm from the mother's milk and need worming to grow strong.

Then please spay the mom. There are enough cats in the world!!!

If you wait 5-7 weeks to handle the kittens, you can end up with some semi-wild kittens that do not want to be around humans!!!!

I have a foster litter of 5 kittens born yesterday, and they are handles and weighed daily. Mom not rejecting them either!!!!

Answer 3

Its usually at around 4 weeks where you START to wean them off of their mother. It can be a long process, kittens can be very stubborn and try to keep going back to the mother for food. Have them watch their mother eat, they will mimic her when they are a bit older. But its best to try to feed them soft diluted kitten food at about 4-5 weeks with the mother in a seperate room.

As for touching the kittens, with every litter my cats have had I have touched them from the time they were 3 weeks until they left. The mother will not abandon her babies at all. You may want to be careful touching them though, because mother cats are VERY possesive and will bite and scratch you to get her babies back. Its best to handle kittens at a young age so then they become socialized and much more friendly with people.

Answer 4

When the kittens start eating Mom's food (about 3 weeks), start giving them their own, they usually feed from her up to 6 weeks but it depends on the kitten's personality and if Mom wants to keep doing it.

Yes some cats will abandon the kittens, but you have to handle them or they will be feral. Wash your hands first, no smelly soap! ALWAYS touch Mom a lot before touching her babies (especially around her mouth, there are scent glands there containing her pheremones), her scent is on your hands and you won't upset Mom too much. Pet her a lot whilst you're touching the kittens and talk to her and tell her what a good job she's doing.

Answer 5

The second question in entirely false, a mother cat will NOT abandon her kittens because somebody touched them.

As for your first questions, you'll have to undergo the process of weaning your kitten.

Here are the steps (if the mother cat is not available):

Steps:
1. Continue to feed the kitten formula until it is about four weeks old.

2. Place formula alone in a bowl or saucer.

3. Put some of the formula from the saucer on your finger and hold it to the kitten's mouth until it laps it up.

4. Make the connection between your finger and the saucer of formula by slowly moving your finger back to the saucer, and then to the kitten's mouth several times.

5. Offer the kitten the saucer of formula.

6. Slowly start mixing the formula with a smooth-textured food such as strained baby food meats. The resulting mix should be about the texture of runny oatmeal.

7. Gradually use less formula in the food and add some softened kitten chow or canned kitten food to the mix.

8. Gradually add dried food to the mix.

9. Continue this process until the kitten is eating only cat food and the formula and baby food are eliminated.

Overall Tips:
The kitten should be fully weaned by the time it is about six weeks old.

It is best not to feed a kitten cow's milk. Use a milk substitute especially formulated for kittens.

If desired, you can use tuna in the weaning process. It is a food that kittens like and is a good incentive to get them to eat from dishes or saucers.

Kitten food should be served at room temperature.

Make sure to provide access to fresh water. Some cats and kittens prefer their water to be kept in a separate location than their food.


Overall Warnings:
Your kitten may experience temporary diarrhea with its diet change.


However if the mother cat IS available, follow these instructions:

After four to six weeks, your kitten will progress from mother's milk onto solid food. This is called the weaning period. Here are some top tips to help you wean:
Mix the Kitten food with water to make a gruel that can then be smeared around the mouth. The kitten's natural reaction is to lick it off.
Warm the food to body temperature, so it gives off an aroma that attracts your kitten's attention. Warm food is reminiscent of the warmth of mother's milk.
Wean your kitten at first onto food that is mashed into a gruel or into very small chunks, which are easy for your kitten to grasp.
Soak dry food in boiling water until it is soft. While it soaks, let it cool to body temperature. Then pop it into your kitten's mouth by hand.

After the weaning period, and until 12 months, your kitten's growth is much faster than at any other stage and requires highly nutritious and energy-rich foods.

During this time your growing cat has increased needs in:
Calcium for the development of strong bones and teeth
Protein for good muscle development
Vitamins and minerals for a good, all-round health

After 12 months, you can move him or her onto regular cat food.

Hope it helps! ^-^
~Sophie

Answer 6

About 4-5 weeks you can introduce food when their eyes open...
Try kitten food moistened with water...NOT MILK...no cows milk for kittens. They cannot digest it and makes them sick!
Water will add moisture if they are not getting enough water. And make the food softer for chewing.
TOUCHING:
It depends on your momma cat...if she is friendly to you when you come looking at the babies then she might allow you to touch them BUT touch both...IT is SMELL that they do not like so make sure if you MUST touch one touch the other too! Maybe use garden gloves to prevent your smell transferring on to them.
TOUCHING should only be done in an emergency not for playing with them...leave them in the care of MOM, she knows best...
I have had to move babies out of a BAD place that mom gave birth to them in, and she did not mind.
Try to touch them as LESS as possible.

Answer 7

They should nurse for about 5 weeks. Their mother will stop feeding them about then. Right about then, make solid food available. It might help to soften it with a bit of water.

As for not touching the kittens- well, you do want to not handle them too much. But I kept a momma cat my mother had found having her kittens in the rain in my room, and the momma didn't abandon them because I petted them. I think she was relieved to share the baby-sitting duties with me.

Answer 8

#1. About 8-10 weeks.

#2. Well... u shouldn't tough them in tell 6-8 weeks. But don't handle them so much or the mother might feel the need to move them to a more sucure place, and then u may not be able to find them. But I belive that a mother cat may abandon them if she is to stresed out.

Answer 9

5 weeks start other food. IT depends on the relationship you have with the mother cat. I had a cat that had kittens and she didnt mind me touching them. So it all depends. Normaly if she lets you close you should be okay, but if you have yoru worries then just leave them alone! I know its hard though! good luck though!

Answer 10

Watch the kittens.Kitten always are taken to 7 different places and subsequently mother will go away *** itcan not give milk Watch kinnen movement /changein places near by only.After 5 movements you may leave food .they may prefer and even the mother milk etc.do not touch .yes till volenterly mother leaves ,you may from distance see and enjoy.