When can you start feeding kittens solids?

Question

I have 2 kittens that are 4 1/2 weeks old, when can I start feeding them solids??

Answer 1

I have fostered kittens for several years now.. and for the most part, solid foods start at 5 weeks.. I've had some start as early as 3 (freaked me out) and some refused to well past six. Offer them canned food.. the pate type.. or gravy off of chunked food..

Unless you are bottle feeding them, don't rush it. They will get to solid foods eventually. Mom's milk won't be enough, and she'll no longer want to nurse them.

if you are bottle feeding, you can start slipping the pate type foods in with the milk to help them stay full longer.

Answer 2

At six weeks start with regular canned cat food , not the gravy , minced or chunks. At 8 weeks they can handle some kitten chow. Sometimes the chow takes a little longer as not all are ready to chew the dry food easily. Put water down also all the time as the mother cat will start weaning them at approx 6 to 8 weeks.

Answer 3

Well, it all depends on the kitten I started feeding mine solids when he was 6 weeks, but that was because his mommy wouldn't feed him anymore, so it depends. IS your kitty still with it's mom? If not than you could start mixing kitty food with kitty milk and once the kitty gets used to the taste you slowly begin to remove the milk over a certain period of time. Cats will never starve themselves.

Answer 4

Begin to offer then solids (eg mince or soaked dry food ) now so that they get use to it and slowly over the next 2 weeks they will wean off the mother and onto entire solid diet.

Answer 5

You can start weaning them onto solid foods at about 6-6/12 weeks, but it really depends ont he situation...
Basically you need to give them both liquid and solids for a while. Even mix wet food w/ dry food until they get used to it. You need to make sure they received all their nutrients, and they actually eat the dry food.

Answer 6

I have had foster kittens 3 weeks of age that were eating moist foods. (dry food soaked or canned food watered down a little).

You can start now. Soak the food or give them canned, then lead them into dry.

Answer 7

around 10-12 weeks old