My boyfriend found a stray kitten on Labor Day and the vet said at that time he was barely 2 weeks old, if that. I have been bottle feeding him and he now is getting teeth. I can't seem eto get him to "lap" up any milk from a lid. Any ideas an how to get him off the bottle?
2006-09-25 05:52:03 · 13 answers · asked by saga127 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
First, I want to mention that it's a good idea that the kitty to suck on a bottle for another 2-3 weeks. I have found that when you take the bottle away too soon you get an adult cat that sucks on stuff. Not the prettiest thing for a cat to do.
That said, you can start supplementing feedings with cat food and start the weaning process.
What I do is start mixing a TINY amount of canned food into lots of the formula you have been giving him. Like a "fingertip" full of cat food mixed with 2 tablespoons of warm formula. Rub a little on his mouth right under her nose, and wait until he licks it off, be ready with the lid and shove it under his tongue when he goes to lick his lips. It will be messy, but all babies are when they are learning how to eat.
Good Luck
2006-09-25 06:20:20 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I just finished bottle feeding four myself. Unfortunately, at 4 weeks old, regardless of whether or not they have teeth - they are still not ready to wean. Give him another week or so before trying. Then try the following:
You cannot go straight to solid food, soft or otherwise. You continue to use mixed formula, and slowly add a little moist food - really soupy and then let him at it. Only miss one bottle feed to offer the soupy mix - do not let him go for more than four hours without eating. They need every drop of nutrition at this age and can really go downhill quick without it.
They are ready to wean at about the same time that they become interested in using a litterbox.
Good luck! It will be worth it when you're done, because you are mom and always will be!
2006-09-25 06:01:28 · answer #2 · answered by joycaro 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Use canned meat for cats or kittens. Don't use dry food. The meat is what the mother weans them on. Usually they love it. Just start him by finger feeding and smearing a little around his lips he should be happy to dig into a plate of the stuff right away.
Get him high quality food - Natural Balance, Wellness, Nature's Variety (Prairie). If you use the best foods you don't have to have "kitten" food. Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul is the most inexpensive. You may have to go to a small, owner-operated pet store to find them and they will pay you back in a healthier cat with fewer veterinary trips over his lifetime.
2006-09-25 06:17:51 · answer #3 · answered by old cat lady 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get him some soft kitten can food and mix it with some water . Make a "mush soup" out of it. Just keep offering it to the kitten and it will eat it eventually. It is just that it is used to feeding from the bottle and now you have to train it to eat . Once the kitten is about 7 weeks go ahead and intoduce it to hard food.
2006-09-25 06:03:09 · answer #4 · answered by MAS 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the kitten is too young to be weened off the bottle, give him another week or two,then try warming up some milk, and dunk his nose into the milk, and see if he will lap it up, evenually the kitten will lap it up, when the kitten is about 7 or 8 weeks old, then try soft kitten food. my kittens at 8 weeks old didnt like the soft kitten food, they ate the hard food, hope this helps.
2006-09-25 07:21:03 · answer #5 · answered by diane d 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
try mixing wet food in with some KMR milk replacement to make a mushy mix that is softer then just wet food. after about a week you can probably just give the kitten wet food. supplement with some dry food. make sure the litter box is close by and show the kitten it so it understands to go there after eating. i've fostered a few litters of kittens and have found that they catch on to eating the wet and dry food pretty quick.
don't feed any fish flavors to the kitten! it can cause loose stool
2006-09-25 06:02:01 · answer #6 · answered by Jenn 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well he is pretty young yet to be off the bottle. Give him maybe another week or two. Then you take some kitten food and wet it down with warm water. Let the food set for awhile until the food is soft and cool enough to eat. Serve to kitty.
2006-09-25 05:54:15 · answer #7 · answered by Kamunyak 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It might be too soon... you'll have to slowly start adding canned food to the bottle (you'll have to cut a bigger hole in the nipple)... well, look at the website suggested. It gives you directions. Good luck. Kittens are very delicate creatures and the fact that you've made it to 4 weeks is kudos for you!!! You'll have to be patient just a little while longer tho. It is usually the 5 to 6 week mark that they start weaning.
2006-09-25 06:03:51 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
We have successfully used small pieces of bread soaked in the milk, then moved to hard kitten food soaked in the milk, finally to hard kitten food. You may have to help him at first by putting his mouth to the milk to give him the idea. We found a kitten that small too and never fed from the bottle; this worked for us and he's three now and thriving! Good luck.
2006-09-25 06:03:04 · answer #9 · answered by Merrie L 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
well what i do is take a syringe and get some of that kitten food in a can and mix it with some water and put it in the syringe and then feed it to the cat he will eventually like the taste and every now and then put some of the food on a plate and try to give it to him he will eventually eat on his own and if that does not work take him to the vet and get advice from them
2006-09-25 06:02:07 · answer #10 · answered by hottie411 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋