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Weaning Kittens

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  • 09-05-2007 10:44am
    #1
    wexford12
    Registered Users Posts: 451 ✭✭


    Looking for a little advice kittens are 3 weeks old now starting to wean on milk got from vets.What is the best way to get them to drink on there own,its hard to find when mum is feeding them should i take her away for a few hours so they get nice and hungry or does nature step in ???and they start themselves


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    #2
    rubyred
    Closed Accounts Posts: 189 ✭✭rubyred


    I'm not sure about the rest, but I grew up on a farm and the way to get baby animals to drink themselves is to dip your fingers in the milk and let them suck them, then slowly lower your hand (while they are sucking your fingers) into the bowl of milk. Slowly remove your hand and they will suck the milk straight out of the bowl. My friend did this with his puppies recently. Once one of them started drinking from the bowl, all the other copied that one.


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    #3
    Irish-Lass
    Registered Users Posts: 363 ✭✭Irish-Lass


    Why are you trying to wean them so young, if they are still with mammy I would leave them for another 2/3 weeks there is no reason to take them away so young, they still need to be feeding off mammy.

    When you do start to wean them when they are about 5/6 weeks of age......what I normally do is get cat milk and some whiskers kitten tinned food make it into a slop but it on a large plate or even old tray put newspapers around it and sit them on the age of it, it will get on their paws and they will want to lick it off, you will have to keep an eye on them as there is always one slower then the rest and may have to be topped up with a syringe.

    But its not something you should be worrying about for at least another 2 weeks


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    #4
    Spliffany692000
    Closed Accounts Posts: 58 ✭✭Spliffany692000


    Im fostering a 6 week old kitten at the moment and I have her 3weeks. Soon they will be to big to suckle and will be pushed away by the mother...watch for this and introduce them to new kinds of foods such as plain chicken and whiskas kitten food...when they have their taste buds awakened they will forget all about mammys magic tonic!!


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    #5
    JB1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 59 ✭✭JB1


    wexford12 wrote:
    Looking for a little advice kittens are 3 weeks old now starting to wean on milk got from vets.What is the best way to get them to drink on there own,its hard to find when mum is feeding them should i take her away for a few hours so they get nice and hungry or does nature step in ???and they start themselves

    No, just don't interfere.Mum will do the weaning.You can offer vet's milk mixed with baby rice and a tiny little bit of kitten food, but it will be another 10 days before the kitten will be really interested.Mother nature will slowly stop mum's milk from flowing and the weaning comes itself.

    cheers,
    Jutta


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    #6
    wexford12
    Registered Users Posts: 451 ✭✭wexford12


    Ok thanks guys im weaning them now because i have to get mum spade asap as she is already looking to go out for a bit with big tom.I have asked the vet and she needs to be stopped feeding for a week anyway before opp.Yes in the real world it would be nice to wait till they are a bit older but im sorry i dont want more and more kittens,one litter is enough they have started a little lapping up from the dish so fingers crossed will keep an eye on them.


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    #7
    JB1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 59 ✭✭JB1


    Understandable.Start with a mix of kittenmilk& baby rice powder, but it will take at least 10 days.You need to give them this time or you risk loosing them.Lock mum up!


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    #8
    franksm
    Registered Users Posts: 1,487 ✭✭✭franksm


    Hi Jutta :D
    small world


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    #9
    Nala
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,959 ✭✭✭Nala


    Irish-Lass wrote:
    Why are you trying to wean them so young, if they are still with mammy I would leave them for another 2/3 weeks there is no reason to take them away so young, they still need to be feeding off mammy.

    When you do start to wean them when they are about 5/6 weeks of age......what I normally do is get cat milk and some whiskers kitten tinned food make it into a slop but it on a large plate or even old tray put newspapers around it and sit them on the age of it, it will get on their paws and they will want to lick it off, you will have to keep an eye on them as there is always one slower then the rest and may have to be topped up with a syringe.

    But its not something you should be worrying about for at least another 2 weeks

    ^^^ What she said.

    They are too young. One thing you will see with kittens is that they develop very quickly. In a week/10 day's time you will have a much easier job. Leave them with mammy for the minute, they will still only be crawling at 3 weeks.


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    #10
    wexford12
    Registered Users Posts: 451 ✭✭wexford12


    who is jutta????????????


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    #11
    magnumlady
    Registered Users Posts: 3,659 ✭✭✭magnumlady


    I was told by the vet to get the cat spayed around 7-8 weeks after the kittens are born.
    My cat had kittens just over 2 weeks ago.


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    #12
    JB1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 59 ✭✭JB1


    franksm wrote:
    Hi Jutta :D
    small world


    hm..got me puzzled..don't recognise name?:confused:


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    #13
    Gurg
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6 ✭Gurg


    Out cat has had 3 kittens and they are now 5 weeks old and we are trying to wean them onto whiskas milk and kitten food mushed up together but one kitten (the male) is lapping happily but the other 2 females are just not interested and wont copy him. Has anyone any suggestions please? By the way, the queen is an outside cat that has a bed at the back door and is fed each day by us. When she had the kittens, we put her and the babies in the garage when they still are in a very large box which they cant climb out of yet. Should we start keeping them outdoors yet or is it too soon?:confused:


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    #14
    Irish-Lass
    Registered Users Posts: 363 ✭✭Irish-Lass


    are you planning on getting mammy spayed to stop her having more kittens.

    The weather is very bad at the moment I would not let them out, they are also going to be easy target for any animal who happens upon them.

    As for weaning.....if you get a small amount of mince, zap it in the microwave for about 10 seconds then let the kittens smell it, they should show an interest you may have to place a small amount in the mouth of the kittens to get them started, it will take a few days but they should get the hang of it.

    The kittens we have are 6 weeks this friday (still with mammy) and they are weaned. I started them on the mince saturday week ago at just passed 4 weeks as mammy was sore, mashed the mince in with kitten milk then reduced the amount of mince and incresde the amount of kitten food all mashed in the milk and they are loving it. I would also leave a litter tray for them as you are introducing solids the bowls will start to move. The 4 kittens I have will now happily use the litter tray


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    #15
    magnumlady
    Registered Users Posts: 3,659 ✭✭✭magnumlady


    My kittens are now 8 weeks old, 3 of them are eating fine but the 4th is only drinking Whiskas milk and feeding from the mum, the mum is going in to be spayed on Friday and I'm worrying about the kitten, will it be OK on the milk and I'm wondering why its not showing any interest in solid food when the others are.


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