Weaning Kittens Off Formula

As the kitten gets comfortable eating the gruel you will want to slowly decrease the amount of formula in the mix.

Weaning kittens off formula. You can switch a kitten from kitten milk replacer to solid food over the course of about a week. Smear the mixture around their mouth with your finger and let them lick it off. Please do not push. By now the kitten weaning process is complete and they should be eating all solid food by week seven.

The cat owner will however need to supplement the feeds with a kitten milk replacement formula if the kittens have not yet reached the minimum weaning age of three weeks and especially if they don t look strong enough yet to handle the change. One thing to keep in mind before beginning is that weaning is a process that is going to require a bit of patience on your part. Weaning is the fun messy adventure of helping a kitten transition from nursing or bottle feeding to eating solid food on her own. Then you can introduce them to lapping from a bowl.

By five weeks old they should be getting used to their new diet. Monitor them so they don t lap too fast and never push their face into the bowl which could cause them to. When you first start weaning your kitten off of its mother s milk you ll want to buy milk replacer. Give wet or moistened dry food mixed with formula to form a slush.

If the kitten seems interested and licks it off then you can start weaning her. Kittens often need extra support during this time to help ensure they re receiving the proper nutrients in proper quantity and to keep them on track for success and independence. This is also the case if you are taking care of orphaned kittens or if the mother cat is ill. If none of the kittens start to lap the formula rub it on their tongues with your finger to show them it s.

Try putting a drop or two of the kitten formula on your finger. Put the kittens near the dish and allow them to explore it on their own hand raised kittens should recognize the smell of formula. A good rule of thumb is to see if a meat is listed first on its ingredients. When weaning kittens the kittens should receive 3 4 meals a day of this to start.

Dip your fingertip or the syringe or bottle the kitten is used to nursing from into the liquid let the kitten lick it then guide him by moving your finger down into the bowl. If your kitten is bottle fed the weaning process starts at 4 5 5 5 weeks of age and happens much more quickly than under a mother s care. No one would expect a baby to go from bottle to solid food in one day and neither should that fast of a transition be. How do i wean a kitten off of mother s milk or bottle feeding.

Avoid allowing a sick mother cat to nurse because the. It is designed to replicate the nutritional value and to a degree the taste of its mother s milk. Place a shallow dish filled with kitten milk replacement formula in an enclosed easy to clean space such as a bathtub since weaning can be a bit messy. You ll also want to be sure to purchase high quality cat food which will be introduced to the kitten gradually.

Do not use cow s milk as this will cause stomach upset and diarrhea in some kittens. But we don t always have the advantage of mother cat s leadership in the weaning process. Once they get used to the taste they ll seek it out elsewhere. Serve kitten milk replacer in a shallow bowl.

To begin weaning a kitten mix the kitten food with formula so they recognize the taste.