Weaning A Kitten From Its Mother:

Mother Cat and Kitten Weaning Tips

When a Kitten Should Leave Its Mother

So when should a Kitten leave its mother? Kittens should stay with their mothers and receive her milk until they are eight weeks old.

If kittens are separated from their mother too early, they may develop behavioral problems later in life. They may also develop suckling issues and suckle on whatever they find (blankets, you, themselves). This suckling can lead to excessive cleaning where a cat will lick itself until they’re bald. So please do not separate a kitten from it’s mother before eight weeks.

If a kitten has been orphaned, or the mother can’t nurse, the kitten should be bottle-fed with formula.

Mother Cat and Kitten Weaning Process

At three to four weeks, begin the mother cat and kitten weaning process gradually by slowly introducing some premium kitten food. Do not use cat or dog food. If you’re feeding canned kitten food, mix with 2 parts water. If feeding hard kitten food, mix with 3 parts water and allow the food to soften first. It must be mushy and resemble cooked oatmeal. Put the food in a shallow dish, then bring the kittens to it. To train them to eat out of the dish, you may need to stimulate them. If they don’t eat on their own, put a bit of food in their mouths.

As the kittens demand for their mother's milk declines, so will the amount of milk being produced.

By seven to eight weeks of age, kittens should be obtaining about 80-90% of their nutrition from premium kitten food, and 10-20% from their mother’s milk. At eight weeks, the kitten should be fully weaned.

A kitten's weight should double or triple during the first weeks of life, and then continue to gradually increase to the adult weight between 9-13 months of age.

Cat Health and Cat Food Nutrition - Helpful Links

• Weaning A Kitten From Its Mother

• Post-Weaning Kitten Feeding

• Kitten Food Nutrition Guide

• Cat Health and Cat Food Nutrition Guide

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