I have heard 4wk, 6 wks, and 8 wks I just want to make sure they are healthy and eating on there own before I give them to the people that are waiting for them that and I want to make sure they are litter trained to Can anyone help me?
2007-03-19 07:47:24 · 19 answers · asked by lenabean420 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
I am many other breeders start offering mushy canned food at around 3 weeks (particularly if they are orphaned kittens, if they're with Mom, they can go a bit longer), they usually step in it, fall in it and get it everywhere but inside them for the first few weeks. You will know they're ready when they start taking Momma cat's food (if there is a Mom)
If Mom cat is around, she should litter train them if she is trained herself. You will need a shallower litter box for the kittens to use and just a little litter on the bottom. Be careful of the type of litter you use, kittens tend to eat it and play with it before they learn what it is for and it can be dangerous if it's the wrong kind.
If Mom is absent, start offering the food now and mix it with a little water to make it more like milk consistency. About a teaspoon per kitten to start with, you can increase it a little each day and you will get to know how much they need. You can pop their paws or dip your finger in it and wipe it on their mouth and they will be inclined to lick it and that will give them the taste for it.
To litter train, after each feed, put them in the tray, take the little paw gently and make a soft scratching motion in the litter with it, some kittens get the idea straight away, others take longer. You can encourage them to go by stimulating them, rubbing the abdomen and around the genitals with a "licking like Mom" motion using a damp cotton wool or swab.
Be patient with them and relax.
2007-03-19 12:25:35 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Six weeks is weening time for a normal kitten. That is not to say that they'll be weened by that time. It just starts there, give or take a few days.
Be sure you're handling the kittens a lot. The new owners will get a great cat if you do.
Giving the kittens the choice of wet/dry food at any age is fine, as long as they have the choice to go back to Mom when they need to. They'll explore the new food and water situation and some will take to it right off, others may take a while to get going on it.
We have taken kittens at five weeks and they have turned out great. We have also taken kittens at ten weeks and they've been a little tough to deal with. It is often an individual cat/kitten situation. Each one is different. They'll give you little hints as to their outgoing personalities or their shyness. Just watch them closely.
Kev
2007-03-19 10:31:57 · answer #2 · answered by Hobgoblin Kev 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should not give them away before at least 10 weeks, ideally 12. 8 is the legal minimum, but in the time between weeks 8 and 12, kittens learn important kitty manners from their mother, like bite inhibition or covering in the litter box.
Back to your question - you should be feeding the mother cat a high quality wet *kitten* food at the moment - I know she's not a kitten, but she's gone through pregnancy and birthing and needs the extra energy. Feed her wet several times a day, and have high quality kitten kibble out at all times. That way, the kittens can start trying it out when they're ready. The mother will start weaning them eventually, probably at around 5 or 6 weeks, but it'll take a while before they're fully weaned.
2007-03-19 07:55:54 · answer #3 · answered by Ms. S 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would say 4-6 weeks you can offer them canned kitten food, but don't take them away from mom or off the bottle until 8 weeks. After about 6 weeks start mixing canned and dry kitten food together and offering it to them. By 10 weeks they should be eating either all dry kitten food or a mix of canned and dry if you prefer, but they should be off the milk by 8-10 weeks.
2007-03-19 08:06:24 · answer #4 · answered by Dreamer 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
3 weeks is young for straight soft food you should still be supplementing with formula and/ or the formula 2nd step grule stuff. I make sure that they can lap formula first. Make sure NOT to give cow milk this will cause diareah. You can add goat milk to the formula to bulk up on weight if you feel it's neccessary. Most Vets require the kittens to weigh at least 2 lbs to get vetted, I like them to be more like 3 lbs. and at least 2 months old (more like 3) kittens with out their mother tend to have other health issues and to hand them over too soon can create problems.
2007-03-19 07:57:27 · answer #5 · answered by Feline Foster Friends K 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Congratulations on your kittens! so a procedures as litterbox preparation is going- that's not in any respect too early to start up. Get a most suitable litterbox and scoop standard, replacing the finished muddle about once per week. once you get the threat, %. the kitten up and positioned her in her muddle field. After a at the same time as, that's going to develop into habit. As for foodstuff. moist foodstuff has been shown now to not contain a lot in the way of nutritional fee and is about ninety% water. a sturdy high quality dry foodstuff should be fed, with a touch moist foodstuff as a take care of now and back (optionally available). also feeding dry foodstuff may actually help the cats feces, as moist foodstuff can oftentimes reason the runs. make certain your cat has a lot of unpolluted eating water available at the same time as on a dry foodstuff foodstuff routine. also dry foodstuff is way a lot less expensive than moist foodstuff and does no longer reason the priority with flies laying their eggs on it and it going off and smelling extraordinarily. I actually have 2 cats and performance always fed them Purina- provides them a attractive coat and robust digestion. i have heard Iams is sturdy too, yet i have always used Purina- (if it ain't broke, do not restore it). sturdy success to you!!!!!!!
2016-12-02 06:00:22 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Like people are trying to say, you can start offering it to them around 4-6 weeks. They'll eat it when they're ready. Make sure it stays fresh. It should not be their only food source until 8 weeks or older.
2007-03-19 08:01:10 · answer #7 · answered by emily 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The kittens will start eating with their mama when they are ready. I think most of our kittens were around 4 maybe 6 weeks old when they started following mama to the food dish. As for litter trained. They will follow suit with mama too. Usually mama kitties are good mamas and train their babies well.
2007-03-19 07:53:30 · answer #8 · answered by Vida 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The longer they stay with thier mom the better, she will start to lead them to food when they are ready, they will follow her and attempt to eat what she eats, so have some softer food on hand when they do. I have had sickly kittens who were not ready for food or to be away from their mom. I got my last cat from someone who kept him with his mom well into his 10th week. He is the healthiest happiest problem free cat I've ever had. His siblings are all the same too. Momma will aslo teach them the litterbox!
2007-03-19 07:55:58 · answer #9 · answered by chikadee 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
At about 5 weeks you can offer softened kitten food. They should not leave the mother until 8 weeks.
2007-03-19 07:50:40 · answer #10 · answered by KathyS 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋