When To Wean Kittens From Mother

Here are some tips for smooth and successful kitten weaning.

When to wean kittens from mother. Weaning simply means a baby no longer nurses from its mother and receives nutrition from a non maternal source. By now the kitten weaning process is complete and they should be eating all solid food by week seven. For kittens the process starts as early as 4 weeks of age completed by the time they re 2 to 3 months old. Weaning is a big step in a kitten s young life.

But when the queen has trouble producing milk or when a litter of kittens is orphaned we need to intervene. It s not a good idea to let kittens go to a new home before the age of 8 weeks. However if the kitten in your care has been separated from his mother or if you are fostering a litter or a pregnant cat about to give birth seeing the young ones through a successful weaning process may be up to you. By cristina vulpe phd.

Before beginning the weaning process. It happens when kittens move from mother s milk to solid food. How to wean kittens. While most kittens are weaned by 8 10 weeks most experts recommend leaving kittens with their littermates until 12 13 weeks so they can be properly socialized.

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. Just as important it s a time when a kitten moves from depending on her mother s care to becoming a more socially independent cat. At this stage you too can start playing your role to encourage the feline to wean. As said earlier feline moms naturally begin to wean their kittens off at around the fourth week.

Socialization is the process whereby kittens explore their surroundings and accept what they find as normal. Weaning can begin earlier in the case of orphaned or hand fed kittens. Pet owners should make the transition as easy as possible for kittens. The liquid kitten food should gradually get thicker until it is a watered down canned kitten food or a moistened kitten kibble.

Expect to separate the kittens from their mother when they are around 12 weeks old. Weaning refers to the process by which a kitten goes from mother s milk to solid food. Give wet or moistened dry food mixed with formula to form a slush. Weaning kittens from mother s milk to eating solid foods.

During weaning kittens gradually progress from dependence on a mother s care to social independence. The weaning process usually continues for about another month until the kittens are fully weaned between eight and 10 weeks of age. Separating a cat from its mother. Weaning is the process that a kitten goes through to switch from mother s milk to solid food.

The weaning kittens should start to nibble on the kibble slightly moistened with water. Ideally weaning is handled entirely by the mother cat.