How to Wean Kittens

Weaning a kitten is something that needs to be done at just the right time in the kitten’s life. Find out How to Wean Kittens and when to do that in this article here.

To begin weaning a kitten, mix the kitten food with formula so they recognise the taste. Smear the mixture around their mouth with your finger and let them lick it off. Once they get used to the taste, they’ll seek it out elsewhere. Then you can introduce them to lapping from a bowl. Monitor them so they don’t lap too fast, and never push their face into the bowl, which could cause them to inhale the mixture and develop pneumonia.

Between the fourth and sixth week, gradually transition the weaning kittens to dry food, supplementing with formula if needed. Use canned food or dry kitten food mixed with water; at first, add a lot of water, and then reduce the amount of water as the kitten matures. A general schedule for kitten weaning might be:

Weeks 4-5: Give wet or moistened dry food, mixed with formula to form a slush. Supplement with formula if the kitten is not taking to the new food, to make sure it gets enough calories.
Weeks 5-6: The weaning kittens should start to nibble on the kibble, slightly moistened with water.
Weeks 6-7: By now, the kitten weaning process is complete, and they should be eating all solid food by week seven.

Other Kitten Weaning Tips

When you are weaning a kitten onto solid food, it’s important to use a food formulated specifically for kittens. These formulas have the higher levels of calories, protein and calcium that growing kittens need. If you are caring for a mother cat and her litter, it’s okay for the mother cat to eat the same kitten food while she’s nursing. Weaning kittens must be kept warm. Build a nest by lining a high sided box or pet carrier with towels. Benson also recommends adding a layer of diapers above the towels, cutting the leg holes to make them lie flat. “They’re going to get messy,” he says, and this makes clean-up much easier. Place a heating pad or hot water bottle under the towels on one half of the box. This gives the kittens plenty of heat, but also a place to cool off if they are too hot.Kitten weaning is a natural process; they may just need a little help from you. The key: a little patience and a lot of love.