Our kittens are nearly 8 weeks old. and they are still drinking from their mother. I give them dries and wet food three times a day. They also drink water..Lately the mother has started to kick them.Why would this be?We want to give up the kittens soon.
2007-01-05 13:33:42 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Cats
She's indicating that she has had it with the kittens. If they are eating on their own they can go to their new homes. Depending on how many you have you should encourage people to take a pair of kittens rather than just one. They will still benefit from having a sibling playmate for a while even though they don't need their mother any more.
2007-01-05 13:48:09 · answer #1 · answered by old cat lady 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
First, I know that people say that the kittens should be weaned at 4 weeks old, but it is totally up to the mother when they are weaned--unless she is super passive, like ours was, and doesn't do it herself. Then it is up to the human owner to wean them. They are still babies. My 6 month old kitten still was trying to nurse way after 8 weeks, and I have heard of others going way longer than that.
Second, as for the mother kicking the babies when they nurse, she is weaning them herself. That is a mother cat's way of telling the babies 'no more'. Let her be and let her teach them.
Third, you are doing the right thing by giving them soft food as their teeth are still pretty soft and they need that right now. I think at about 12 weeks, maybe before, they can start on hard food. They will start eating it when it is comfortable for their mouths and teeth.
Fourth, defeinitely don't let them leave their mother completely until they are at least 12 weeks old. They need the social skills they get from their siblings and mother. Then they will be ready to go to another home.
2007-01-05 13:54:05 · answer #2 · answered by honey 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It totally depends on the kittens. Our were eating wet kitten food by 4 weeks old. They were all fat little things. By the time they were 6 weeks old, they didn't really want mama anymore. She was mostly there for biting and chewing on. We had a previous litter and they would not eat normal food, I had the hardest time weaning them. Keep food with them all the time as well as water, and they find it themselves. If they are eating and drinking away from mom, and using the cat box, they are ready to go. Good luck! We advertised ours in our newspaper and got rid of them within two days! Now the mama is fixed! No more kittens here! They are so fun!
2007-01-05 14:08:14 · answer #3 · answered by dezzer85 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just like puppies, kittesn should be weaned between 6-8 weeks and starting with wet cat food between 5 and 7 weeks. 4 weeks is way too early but your kittens sound ready now. The mother knows when it's time and she is kicking them to let them know that nursing is over and she's ready for them to wean. That's her signal to them. Completely normal! The kittens can also start going home anytime from now on. One good thing to do is having anyone adopting them bring a blanket or bed for the kitten with them and rub it on the mother and other kittens. Since animals main way of "knowing" someone or something is by smell, this will be a huge comfort in their new home and help lessen any separation anxiety they may have. Good luck!
2007-01-05 13:48:12 · answer #4 · answered by MasLoozinIt76 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Hi Terry, Your kittens are definetly ready to be weaned from their mother, but they should stay with her awhile longer (three months or a little earlier is the best time for them to leave)because of the social skills they will learn from her. The Mom will let you know when she's ready for them to go (sounds like she is) so you may want to try separating them a bit. Kittens can actually be weaned at four weeks, but when they start eating food and the Mom gets fed up (four - eight weeks) is when you should wean them. I suggest you spay the Mother too, you will have health benefits for her, she won't go into heat, and you won't have kittens. It's also not that expensive, it's a great all around deal. Keep up with the wet food, that's a good start. If you want some tips on weaning them, this site is a great place to learn how: http://www.catfocused.com/cat-care/feeding-kittens.php
2007-01-05 13:37:34 · answer #5 · answered by sir'slady 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The mom always knows when the kittens are ready to be weaned so she's probably kicking them as a way of doing that. Usually they should be weaned at 6-8 months.
2007-01-05 13:45:15 · answer #6 · answered by Amanda S 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
They wean anywhere from 6-12 weeks. The mother is kicking them in order to start to wean them. She will do it for you. The longer they are with their mother the better up to 12 weeks - you could start finding homes for them soon, however.
2007-01-05 13:59:11 · answer #7 · answered by Princess Fallopia 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
8 weeks??? that is way too old, they should be eating only kitten food by now and should have their first round of vaccines. You want to wean the kittens at 4 weeks (2 weeks before their first round of vaccines) I would definitely stop them from nursing.. they are ready for the real stuff!!
2007-01-05 13:37:39 · answer #8 · answered by doodlebugmeem 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
my kittens were born four months ago and there mom has since been spayed (1 month+ ago) and since she's not dry yet, they are still trying to nurse. It doens't really matter 'cause they've been eating reg cat food forever, but it's kinda weird. I think that 6-8 wks is the norm for most cats.
2007-01-05 13:42:22 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
4 weeks, but you should wait until the kittens are 3 months old before you sell or whatever
hmm.... my kittens were beaten by their mother too...
i dont know if its ok, but it does happen
2007-01-05 13:40:42 · answer #10 · answered by anonymous 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋