General feeding questions about feeding and kittens

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  • 3 May, 2017 at 12:47 am #858611
    Lee V
    Participant

    We’ve got out four kittens that are now almost five weeks old and so far are doing great. They’re at the point where they’re just starting to run and climb.

    So here’s my question; at what point do we try to introduce them to food and what are some suggestions? Obviously it’s gotta be wet food since I’ve read they shouldn’t be given dry food until closer to seven or eight weeks.

    I’ll get some current photos up shortly.

    Thanks!!
    Vance

    3 May, 2017 at 12:58 am #858612
    Kittyzee
    Participant

    Hi Vance, congratulations on getting your kittens this far and them being healthy…no small feat!

    You can start now by introducing them to wet food. There are several ways you can do it. Mixing with formula/milk and opening up nipple so food and milk can flow through or mixing the same gruel and putting it on a plate and letting them sniff and lick, or putting wet food on finger and letting them sniff and lick and put a dab on the roof of their mouth letting them taste it. You can usually tell right away which ones are interested, which ones are not. The uninterested ones, the bottle with the food works best. It gives them more nutrition and gets them used to the taste and their bodies processing something different than just plain milk.

    This is also the time when you can introduce the litterbox to them. Make sure the box is easy to get in and out of and use plain, unscented, non clumping litter. Kittens think everything is food and will sometimes eat litter, so non clumping is best for now.

    Bottle Babies

    3 May, 2017 at 12:59 am #858613
    Lee V
    Participant

    Photos as promised!

    Steve
    [URL=http://s51.photobucket.com/user/Hulick/media/IMG_7917.jpg.html][IMG]http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f359/Hulick/IMG_7917.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

    Jiro
    [URL=http://s51.photobucket.com/user/Hulick/media/IMG_8004.jpg.html][IMG]http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f359/Hulick/IMG_8004.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

    Tigger
    [URL=http://s51.photobucket.com/user/Hulick/media/IMG_8008.jpg.html][IMG]http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f359/Hulick/IMG_8008.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

    Emi – she’s the black and white one
    [URL=http://s51.photobucket.com/user/Hulick/media/IMG_8019.jpg.html][IMG]http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f359/Hulick/IMG_8019.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

    3 May, 2017 at 1:38 am #858616
    Lee V
    Participant

    As soon as I can get to a computer I’ll clean this mess up.

    3 May, 2017 at 2:35 am #858619
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I wanted to the babies NOW so I fixed your links, Vance.

    Steve

    Jiro

    Tigger

    Emi – she’s the black and white one

    3 May, 2017 at 2:45 am #858623
    Lee V
    Participant

    Thanks PG!!!!

    3 May, 2017 at 4:45 am #858628
    katzenjammer
    Participant

    Hey Lee V

    You’ve got yourself a clowder of cuties! Concats!

    And PG, tks for letting us see them NOW! 😉

    3 May, 2017 at 3:31 pm #858643
    Kittyzee
    Participant

    EEEEKKKK!

    6 May, 2017 at 1:55 am #858726
    Lee V
    Participant

    Looking for a couple specifics on this same subject. First, is there any kind of schedule we should be aiming or with regards to when to feed the kittens? We’ve got some pate food that we’re going to mix up with some replacement milk powder that’s already mixed up. The kits will be five weeks old tomorrow and are scurrying around like nobody’s business so we figure we better get on it. We’ll also be adding a shallow water dish too.

    Will introducing them to something other than their mother’s milk cause any issues with the mother? I thought I read that once they start on other foods, the mother stops producing milk – I don’t want that to happen too soon.

    We’re also going to introduce them to kitty litter. we bought a bag of non-clumping litter and it’ll go in a shallow pan. Any advice the group has here would be appreciated as well.

    Thanks for all the advice so far – it’s been great!!!
    Vance

    6 May, 2017 at 2:10 am #858727
    Kittyzee
    Participant

    The more the kittens eat on their own, the less milk the mother produces–hence the ‘weaning’ process. It’s gradual, not sudden, and she will still nurse them as they will still want the closeness of her, the kitten pile and the comfort and nutrition of nursing.

    Put the litter in the box and after they have eaten, or you have some of their poops, put it in there and they will figure it out pretty quickly. Some take longer, even ones from the same litter, others will go as soon as you put them in there.

    6 May, 2017 at 2:25 am #858728
    Lee V
    Participant

    Thanks KZ. So no real schedule to speak of.

    6 May, 2017 at 6:51 am #858731
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I don’t know if you know this but use unscented, non-clumping litter. Kittens will try eating anything…including litter. The clumping litter can cause serious intestinal problems.

    6 May, 2017 at 11:08 am #858736
    Lee V
    Participant

    That’s what we got, unscented, nonclumping Fresh Step.

    Thanks PG!

    Vance

    6 May, 2017 at 3:09 pm #858739
    Kittyzee
    Participant

    It’s always good to have them on a schedule, but what works best is what works for you. They are obviously small kittens still, but can go for longer periods of time between feedings. Feed them in the morning of course, and if you are home at lunchtime, you can feed them again. And again before bedtime. If are not home at noon, then you can leave some crunchies out for them, to have as a meal before you leave in the morning. Then feed them when you arrive home, then again before bedtime. Of course, they will act like they are going to die, because that’s what cats do…..but they should be just fine.

    31 May, 2017 at 5:42 am #859444
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    hi Vance,

    We haven’t heard from you in ages! How are your kits doing?

    PG

    31 May, 2017 at 11:16 am #859447
    Lee V
    Participant

    They’re doing great. All but the first one are eating dry kitten food. Steve, the first one, will only eat wet food and oddly, he’s also the only one of the four not using the litter box, at least at least not that we’ve seen.

    This weekend is eight weeks and Emi and Jiro will be going to their forever home soon. This brings me to a new question – is there anything we can do to make the separation of Mom and these two less stressful on Mom? Even now, when she doesn’t have the kittens in sight, she yells and yells.

    I’ll try to get back on here later to post some new photos.

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