How_to_Wean_a_Bottle_Fed_Kitten

							How to Wean a Bottle Fed Kitten

Word Count:
401

Summary:
Weaning your new kitten does not have to be hard if you follow these
tried and true methods.


Keywords:
cat urine cleaner


Article Body:
A common problem with new kitten owners is knowing when to start the
weaning process,

First off, a kitten needs milk during the first four to five weeks of age
so it’s usually not a good idea to start before week four.

It is important to be patient! Remember, your kitten is still a baby and
has a very delicate stomach. Also, always use high quality cat food
during this important stage of your kitten’s life.

Week four is the average time to start weaning but some kittens might
take longer so looking for some signs will help you in knowing when to
wean a kitten.

They will generally signal an interest in solid foods by biting the
bottle nipple or showing an interest in licking milk or formula from a
finger.

To start weaning, try feeding some formula or milk from a spoon or in a
small bowl or flat dish.

The next step is to begin adding some high quality canned kitten food
with the milk (or water) and making a soft paste out of it.

Don’t use a dry food yet unless it is thoroughly moistened as a kitten
can’t chew dry food until they are 8 weeks old. It is a good idea though
to make some dry food available as some kittens like to crunch on the
smaller pieces.

Use a bowl that is easy to access and putting a little of the food on the
kitten’s mouth might help stimulate their appetite as they will have a
natural tendency to look it off. Avoid blocking the nose with food or
formula so your kitten can breathe easily and not panic.

You should continue to bottle feed during this process to make sure the
kitten is getting enough to eat and slowly reduce the feedings as the
kitten eats more solid food.
Around the eight week mark you can start to make the transition to dry
food if you wish by slowly introducing dry food with the canned and
reducing the amount of canned food you use until you only use dry.

Weight gain can be slow and some diarrhea is common but if it is
excessive it can be a serious life-threatening problem and you should
take the kitten to your vet immediately.

Continual weight gain is the goal and a good rule of thumb is around four
ounces a week.