When To Wean Kitten Off Wet Food
Gradually increase the amount of dry food over several days paying attention to the feeding instructions on the back of the bag.
When to wean kitten off wet food. Give wet or moistened dry food mixed with formula to form a slush. If you see any changes in the kitten s health or energy during this process immediately step back to bottle feeding. For example give your cat 50 percent soft food mixed with 50 percent dry food for days 4 through 6. Drop down to 4 then 3.
A general schedule for kitten weaning might be. Increase the amount of dry food and decrease the amount of soft food given every three days until you are feeding your cat only dry food. It s also important to buy wet foods that are labeled grain free because regular brands also contain grain carbs because it s a cheap filler ingredient including big names like iams kitten formula. Plan to give the kittens wet food 4 or 5 times each day.
By eight to 10 weeks kittens should be. Supplement with formula if the kitten is. If you are bottle feeding an orphaned kitten or one whose mother isn t able to feed her weaning can begin as early as three weeks. Cats by their nature get most of their water from their food.
It may not be readily apparent but it will result in a long term overall detriment to your cat s health. Your cat s health will suffer if you change him over to dry food. Begin by feeding your kitten soft or wet canned food. My vet suggested that i wean my cat off of dry food entirely since it does nothing positive for cats and switch him to a wet food only diet.
On the seventh day increase the amount of dry food so that the ratio is 75 percent dry and 25 percent soft. You ll also want to be sure to purchase high quality cat food which will be introduced to the kitten gradually. It is designed to replicate the nutritional value and to a degree the taste of its mother s milk. Now you can start to leave out small amounts of dry food and fresh water at all times.
Use your best judgement and follow the kitten s lead to determine the appropriate age to wean. As kittens grow older and pass 10 weeks of age you can begin to reduce the feeding times gradually. By five to six weeks he should be eating only lightly moistened food. For example set out a tablespoon of food per kitten at 8 am 11 am 3 pm 6 pm and 9 pm.
The process of weaning usually starts when kittens are about three to four weeks old and takes two to three weeks to complete. When you first start weaning your kitten off of its mother s milk you ll want to buy milk replacer. Pick up some wet kitten food making sure that it says kitten kitten food is higher in calories fat and protein that the kitten needs to help grow big and strong. Get the right supplies.