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![]() For kittens, this generally begins around 3 to 4 weeks of age. Weaning is the gradual transition from a diet of only mother’s milk or an appropriate milk replacer to solid foods. What To Feed Kittens 4 To 6 Weeks of Age - Weaning Begins Once they start using it regularly, you no longer need to stimulate them to urinate and defecate. Keep a shallow litter box in the kitten enclosure (a small cookie sheet works well). After every feeding, wipe around their anus and penis or vulva with a warm, damp cloth to stimulate them and then clean them up well. Young kittens also need help urinating and defecating. Let kittens nurse until their suckling slows and be sure to perform daily weight checks. Premixed formulas can be heated to body temperature by placing them in a cup of warm water. Powdered milk replacer should be mixed with warm water immediately before feeding. Follow the instructions printed on the label of your kitten’s milk replacer. This kitten feeding schedule can generally be stretched out to every three or four hours fairly quickly. Newborn kittens will need to be bottle-fed about once every two to three hours. Your veterinarian can give you tips on bottle feeding kittens if you run into trouble. Watch or gently feel the kitten’s throat to ensure they are suckling and swallowing. Hold the bottle in a tipped position so any air inside is at the point farthest away from the nipple. Never feed a kitten on their back because they may inhale rather than swallow the milk! Support the back of the head with one hand while you guide the nipple into the mouth with the other. Next, place the kitten on a towel on your lap in a normal, belly down position. They must be housed in a warm, draft-free environment with adequate bedding and access to a safe, hot water bottle or heating pad. Under normal circumstances, kittens will snuggle up with their mom and littermates, but hand-raised kittens don’t have this natural source of warmth. If their ears, feet or mouth are cool to the touch, they could be hypothermic and unable to digest their food. When you’re ready to feed, first make sure the kitten is warm. Once kittens are a bit older, you may still need to try several different nipple styles before you find the one that your kitten uses best. Many people find that an eye dropper or small syringe works best at first. Talk to your veterinarian if you are concerned that a kitten is failing to nurse, grow, or develop as expected.īottle feeding kittens may not be the easiest option when they are very young. Feral kittens under the age of four weeks who no longer have access to a nursing mom will also need to be bottle fed.ĭo not feed newborn kittens cow or goat milk or human or dog formula only a milk replacer made specifically for kittens will provide appropriate nutrition. Bottle feed the kittens who are growing the fastest at this time so they don’t go hungry. With especially large litters, you may want to give the smaller or less assertive kittens time alone with the queen so they have easier access to the best food available-mom’s milk. When Bottle Feeding Kittens Becomes NecessaryĪt times, a kitten’s diet needs to be supplemented with or switched to a milk substitute designed specifically for cats. Momma cats should have 24/7 access to fresh water and a cat food labeled for growth and reproduction or all life stages so they can produce enough milk for their litters. In general, kittens should gain approximately ½ to ¾ of an ounce (15-20 grams) each day. The best way to check that kittens are getting adequate nutrition during this time is to weigh them daily. Thankfully, most queens (the official-and perfect-name for female cats) are excellent mothers and will provide their newborn kittens with all the care they need. After kittens are 1 or at most 2 days old, they can no longer absorb antibodies through their intestinal tract. It is extremely nutrient dense and even contains antibodies (disease fighting proteins) that help protect kittens against infectious diseases. The milk that mothers initially produce is called colostrum. You simply can’t beat nature! This is especially true during the first day of life. ![]() The best food for kittens from birth up to around 3 or 4 weeks of age is their mother’s milk. What To Feed Newborn Kittens From Birth to 4 Weeks of Age Read on to learn how and what to feed kittens so they can get the nutrients they need to grow into happy and healthy adult cats. Growing from a 4-ounce newborn kitten to a full-grown adult takes energy, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and more-all in just the right amounts and proportions to avoid potentially dangerous nutritional deficiencies and excesses. We all know that good nutrition is vital to our cats’ health and wellbeing throughout their lives, but determining what to feed kittens is especially important.
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