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Weaning kittens?
As some of you know, a stray had 5 kittens on my balcony and I have been helping to care for them. I believe they are now somewhere between 3-4 weeks old. That seems awfully young to begin weaning, however when I feed Mom her cat food, the kittens try to get into it. One even manages to grab a few pieces which worries me, obviously as he is to young and has no teeth to chew!! I bring them in during the day while she is out and about for a good 6 hours until she comes back. Should I start giving them a little kitten food with kmr? Or should I wait until she has weaned them. It is difficult as she spends her time outside and Im unable to bring her in due to aggression with my other cats..
* as for spaying we plan on it, when she is done nursing.
Obviously I am taking care of them for a reason. I dont plan on setting them out to the wild!! As for "proper" care, I am not sure why you think they arent getting proper care. We took them to a shelter where we were told their fate, and quickly decided to bring them home. When they are old enough,(after visiting a vet) two will be staying with me, and the others will be going with friends or family.
3 Answers
- raspberryswirrrlLv 61 decade agoFavourite answer
you can introduce soft cat food moistened with water to kittens around 3-4 weeks old.
what they are doing is normal - but youre right, they havent got teeth big enough to chew properly, but they will very very soon.
I would feed mum up one end of the balcony, and set a saucer down with watered down kitten food near the kittens for them to try.
dont let the kittens become strays too. at 6 weeks, remove them from their mother and bring them up yourself til 8 weeks, then find them homes.
they all need to be spayed to avoid more starving litters.
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Source(s): im a vet - KathySLv 71 decade ago
AT 3-4 weeks, they do have teeth. If they are trying to eat, they are probably older then you think. The kittens need to be checked by a vet and kept inside or should go to a cat rescue where they can be cared for properly.
- 1 decade ago
There is kitten replacement formula that can be purchased from a veterinarian or pet store. You can try bottle feeding them while mom is away for long periods of time.
You really should try to capture mom and have her spayed, though.