Newborn kittens need nothing more than their mother's milk to develop, but there comes a time when they will switch from milk to solid food. In this article on our site we will explain how and when to wean kittens Although there will be differences if the litter has been bottle-fed or, on the contrary, has the presence of their mother, the process for substituting solid food for liquid is going to be the same for all kittens. Therefore, keep reading to know the steps you must follow.
Feeding the kittens
Before explaining when and how cats are weaned, it is important that we know some basic aspects of their diet in those first weeks of life. If we want to know when the kittens start to eat we have to go to the beginning, to colostrum This liquid is what cats produce as soon as they give birth and is characterized by its properties immunological. For this reason, as soon as the kittens are born, once their mother frees them from the amniotic fluid bag, cuts their umbilical cord and cleans them of secretions in the nose and mouth, we can see how they go to a nipple to start breastfeeding by ingesting the precious colostrum that will later be replaced by mature milk.
Breast milk will be the exclusive food during the first weeks of life. Milk completely covers all the kitten's needs in terms of both physical and psychological development. In addition, mother and young communicate during lactation. They will all purr as a sign of well-being. This way the cat knows that her little ones are well and feeding satisfactorily. For their part, they massage the mammary glands with their front paws, which is a stimulus for the milk to come out.
Kittens are born with their eyes closed and will spend most of the day sleeping. Around eight days of life, their eyes will begin to open. Approximately a week later, at about 15 days, they will take their first steps and, around three weeks, they will be able to start eating solid foods, beginning a transition stage until they completely replace milk. We will explain the cat weaning process in more detail in the following sections.
When to wean cats?
The ideal age to start weaning kittens is around three weeks old. Before, as we have seen, they don't need anything more than milk and, therefore, we shouldn't try to make them eat anything, we won't even offer them water.
At three weeks, the kittens already interact a lot with each other, play, their mother gives them time alone and their interest in the environment around them will grow, and this will include food. If we ask ourselves when and how the weaning of cats happens, data like the ones we have mentioned indicate that they are ready to start the process.
However, we must know that weaning is not an exact science. There will be cats that show interest in food later, while others will be more precocious. We must respect their times and, above all, bear in mind that we are dealing with a process that must always be done gradually and naturally. It should also be borne in mind that mother's milk must be part of their diet, at least, until they are 6-8 weeks old, so lactating kittens will continue to be lactating until approximately this age.
How to wean cats?
Once we know when to wean kittens, it's time we know how to wean them. To do this, we can choose different formulas Thus, for sale we will find feed or wet food, always specially formulated for growing cats, or we can choose to prepare home-made food for them.
If we opt for the feed we will have to start by soaking it in warm water to form a porridge, since, otherwise, the kittens will have difficulty eating the hard balls. On the other hand, if we want to offer homemade food, it is essential that we know that this is not synonymous with human leftovers. We would have to contact a veterinary specialist in nutrition and prepare a balanced menu, always bearing in mind that cats are carnivorous animals that require a diet based mainly on the intake of meat and fish.
With three weeks we can give the kittens a plate with the food we have chosen 2-3 times a day A plate with edges low will facilitate access. Thus, they will continue sucking on demand and will eat solid food if they want. If the kittens do not have a mother and we are feeding them with a bottle, for which we are interested in knowing how orphan cats should be weaned, we must know that we can put the dish on them before giving it to them. Afterwards, we'll let them drink whatever milk they want.
Little by little we will notice that they will be eating more solids and less milk, so we will adapt the quantities, always gradually. If we give them porridge every time we must prepare them more solid. It is very important that we accompany the increase in solids with the offer of water, since it is essential that the kittens are always well hydrated. They must have clean and fresh water freely available. We insist that kitten weaning should never be completed before 6-8 weeksEarly weaning and early separation from the family will have consequences on the future character of the cat. If the kittens are with her mother, she will be the one to decide when to stop nursing
Any questions that may arise about how and when to wean cats can be resolved by our veterinarian.
When to remove the cats from the mother?
As we have already pointed out, the weaning of cats and the separation from their mother must be something that marks the feline family itself. An early separation will cause socialization and behavior problems in the kittens in the future. Therefore, it is not recommended to separate them before 6 weeks of age.
For more information on this, don't miss the following article: "When can kittens be separated from their mother?"
