When To Wean Kittens To Solid Food
This should be done when the kittens are around four to five weeks of age and ideally no sooner.
When to wean kittens to solid food. Other kitten weaning tips when you are weaning a kitten onto solid food it s important to use a food formulated specifically for kittens. Generally when a kitten s eyes are open and able to focus and he is steady on his feet the introduction of solid food can safely begin. Most people that raise orphaned kittens choose to wean them onto solid food early at around four weeks or so. At this point the kitten s stomach has developed to the point that it can process solid food.
The weaning process lasts approximately 2 to 4 weeks so kittens should be fully weaned by the time they are 8 to 10 weeks old. How long does it take to wean a kitten. But the weaning period of your kitten usually lasts for about 6 to1 0 weeks. This process usually begins when a kitten is around 4 weeks of age and it ends when he or she reaches the age of 8 to 10 weeks.
The reason being just like with all mammals a mother s milk is very crucial in the kittens newborn stage. If the kitten is orphaned weaning can be done before the cat gets to 1 month of age. By now the kitten weaning process is complete and they should be eating all solid food by week seven. The best time to start weaning your kitten is when it is 4 weeks i e.
In order to begin introducing kittens to solid food you ll need to wait for the kittens to begin weaning naturally and then serve small amounts of wet cat food in a room with the kittens for them to begin eating. Around 5 weeks of age the kitten s premolars will begin to emerge indicating that she is likely ready to start trying out some meaty foods. A kitten 0 5 weeks old should be nursing or bottle feeding. Kittens generally nibble solid foods at three to four weeks of age which is a great time to start setting out moistened kitten food for them.
You can also complete this process in your kitten when it becomes 8 to 10 weeks old. Start at the right age kittens bodies are very sensitive to premature weaning so be careful about starting them too young. It just needs to be taught to eat solid food. Just add one part warm not hot water to three parts dry or canned kitten food changing frequently to ensure freshness.