We have kittens who are 4 weeks old and are trying to wean them?

Question

One of them has got it and loves blended kitten food with kitty milk and has happily eaten a few chunks of kitty food, the other don't seem that interested even though we have given them tasters with a syringe. Any ideas??? Also even if we feed mum and the kittens the same food she just gobbles theirs and leaves hers for later.
Also how soon can we get them litter trained - we have not even seen a kitten poo!!

I would not feed my 4 week old kittens cows milk - I wouldn't give it to my cat so why would i give it to her kittens

Did i say they were leaving thier mum at 4 weeks - NO - We have homes for them all but they are stayiong until they are 8 weeks and all the homes know that they just come to visit the kittens!!

Answer 1

weetabix soak in kitten milk or dried kitten food some kittens don't like wet food also keep mummy cat away from the kittens until they are nearly finished they see mum as food It's a good idea to start to introduce a litter tray now they will probably play in it first but one of them will within a couple of days do the toilet in it and the rest will follow

Answer 2

Kittens at 4 weeks old are too young for solid food. Let them stay and keep taking milk from their mother for another 4 weeks. After around 5-6 weeks is the time to introduce solids. Another thing about kittens is that they will litter train themselves if you just provide a litter tray for them. Each time a kitten shows that it wants to do something just put it in the tray. It will soon connect the tray with going to the loo.
Kittens should be left with their mother for 8-9 weeks. Four weeks is WAY TOO SOON to separate them from the mother!! One other thing is never give cats or kittens cows milk. Cats can't digest the lactose found in cows milk.

Answer 3

I'm not a specialist on this or anything, but this is what I tried and seemed to work. I have 6 week old kittens. At about 4-5 weeks old I got them kitten chow, soaked some in some water til it was soft and gave it to them. The same day I made them a liter box. I thought the mom was taking their food, but seems she was showing them how to eat. Then she went to liter box with them. If one went toward box she would go to liter box again. She was very busy mom for couple days. She still lines up at dish and eats with them, lays down with them and just seems to be cuddleing them. I don't think the kittens are nursing any more. Hope this helps. Good luck! (Was told milk for kittens is a big no-no, cause diahrea)

Answer 4

Four weeks is far too young to wean the kittens. Unless there is a medical reason for it (like you had the mother speyed and her milk has dried up) you should leave them with the mother. She will wean them when she is good and ready and they will make the transition to solid food more happily and with fewer dietary difficulties. The reason you have not seen kitten poo is because the mother, when she has fed them, licks their bellies until they pass a motion and then she cleans this up herself - another sign that they are a far too young to be weaned. Let nature take its course, the mother cat will know when they are ready to go onto solids and will be the first to beat them up if they keep on trying to drink when they are too old. The mother will also teach them how to use a litter tray. You are just making a rod for your own back by trying to take on all these processes yourself.

Answer 5

They should still be nursing for a few more weeks. You should not wean them...let them do that themselves. Keep kitten food out at all times for whoever wants it. Nursing moms need the extra protein and calories in kitten food. The momma cat takes care of body waste by stimulating the kittens to go. Once they start with the litter box, that will stop.

Answer 6

email me i have lots of tips, weaning hand reared four week old kittens. it is difficult trust me. they should also have control now of badder and bowels so provide a litter tray that they can investigate and use all by themselves. some of the tips for weaning
don't blend milk into moist food to them it tastes and smells foul. my kittens first of all had natures menu no blending/pureeing mash with a fork only draw back one flavour but it got them investigating food.
my mum cat eats their food too it pretty normal she is only showing them how to eat so double up the blended moist food so there is enough to go round.
i open those kittens mouths who aren't so sure about the food and finger a small amount in let them swallow it put a bit more on my fingers for them to lick off then as the get the hang of it i move my fingers closer to the bowl until eventually they are in it and they are taking from the bowl. i also leave moisten kitten biscuits down as some prefer them to blended meat. as they get bigger don't blend the meat down so much.
make sure they can all get to the bowls.
you do not need to supplement mums milk with kmr as she will have enough for them still and if it is the ready prepared stuff they shouldn't have it until they are eight weeks old.

Answer 7

i have had no end of kittens and puppies, i started them on weetabix with goats milk and warm water mixed together, they had that for breccy most mornings, then i introduved them to kitten food gradually, weaning ages vary too, some might take straight away, others might not want to till 6 weeks old. You havent seen any poos yet as the mother will still be sorting that. just alot of patience is all you need really. good luck

Answer 8

first I would wait until 5 weeks to start to wean them.
The best way is to weperate mom for a few hours so they can't eat form her and get hungry then feed them. mom should stay with tehm for eight weeks at this time mom is still cleaning them and eating any of what comes out. She should train them but it's important they stay with her for 8 weeks. they also get the imunity form mom's milk.
I hope the mom has had her shots so she can pass the immunity to the kittens I would also check tehm for worms and possilby worm them.
also if you are thinking of getting her spayed I would make an appointment for her as soonas the jkittens get 8 weeks as she can come into heat and get bred rightaway. i wussually call at 6weeks of the kitties and make an appointment in 2 weeks so you don't have to wait and take chances.
Good luck oh I also find htat the smell of can food attracks them better mixed with the mushed dry.

Answer 9

4 weeks is somewhat youthful to initiate weaning a kitten. At around 6 weeks, the mum could start to wean off the kittens via herself. i could wait 2 extra weeks. as quickly as you spot the moher commencing up to deter her kittens' feeding, or as quickly as the 6 weeks are up, you may initiate attempting to wean the kittens. continually supply them get admission to to water and moist meals. i could %. a accepted type style of moist meals, including Merrick, Enova, or wellbeing. Whiskers is somewhat low high quality and not wholesome to your kittens. moist meals is presented in some distinctive textures, in my journey Merrick cat meals is such as toddler meals in texture and cats love the style. you additionally can locate kitten milk in the two pre-blended cartons or (extra cost-effective) tins of powder which you combine into water your self. although, as a results of fact the mum is modern-day, the kitten milk is not sensible. do no longer rush the weaning technique, that's much less annoying for the kittens in case you're taking it slowly.

Answer 10

4 weeks is far too early. The RSPCA refuse to home kittens till they are 12 weeks old. Let the mum train them and feed them till she doesn't want to any more. Nature's way is better