Well Tabitha's five beautiful fur babies are three weeks old today and I thought I would start helping her out a bit with feeding them as she is looking quite thin. I 'phoned the vet this morning to ask about picking up some wormer for them (haven't wormed them yet) and checked that it was OK to start weaning them now and was told that it was.

I mixed up some weetabix (or an own brand equivalent) and mixed it up with some kitten milk, warmed it (checked it wasn't too hot), put some on my finger and then by their mouths individually. None of them showed any interest. I put them down by the shallow dish of mush and two walked straight through it - Tabitha then took them and gave them a good clean so at least she got a taste of the mush.

It was very messy but none of the kittens wanted to know.

Is it maybe too soon for me to be trying? Or am I doing something wrong? I do have some kitten crunchy biscuits I could moisten or some wet kitten food.

At the moment they are still all in their nest - not the one they were born in - I moved them from that once their eyes were open and Tabitha has moved them once herself but to another larger nest I had made for them in the same room. They are moving around the nest a lot but not really coming out of it yet. One did earlier today and Tabitha just put it back

I don't want to rush their development but I don't want them to be hungry either and they have grown loads since they were born. Tabitha is a tiny little thing herself and I think five hungry kittens are draining her a bit.

Any ideas? You all seem to know so much. I'm not a breeder and it is 13 years since I last had kittens - I usually get my queens spayed - and I can't remember much about weaning them.

Thanks

Lumpy

I start my kittens around 4 weeks
I give them baby rice with a little raw egg yolk,
then I gradually mix in a little bit of sardine after a few days, they love it

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Mazpahs Siamese & Orientals

i feel 3 weeks is a little early espec if they arent leaving the box yet - i wean mine from 4 weeks onwards - even then some dont take to it til they are 5 weeks.....

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Theres nothing better than coming home to hugs and kisses.....

http://drawn-to-animals.webs.com - pet portrait artist

hi my kitts are now 4 an a bit weeks old and I have just started to wean them,3 are loving it one is hating it but i put the food down and give them bits off my finger,move towards the dish and let them eat from that,they have used the litter tray already.....think they must be super intelligent !!!

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Emily



Star.


"Cat people are different to the extent that they generally are not conformists - How could they be with a cat running their lives?"

I won't stress too much then. One of them keeps sucking the sleeping bag they are sleeping on though so it looks like she is hungry. I'll give it another go later in the week, maybe with baby rice and egg yolk. I haven't ordered my Orijen yet - am going to do so after payday which is when I top up on all my animal feed. At least that way if I run out of money at the end of the month it's only me I have to worry about - my fur family have plenty of food

Lumpy

May, do you warm up the mixture or feed it cold? Also I don't have kids, so with the baby rice do I go up to a baby food counter and just ask them for baby rice and they will know what I mean? and sorry another question, does the batch last or do you have to make a fresh one every feed?

Thanks. C.x.

I get my baby rice from Asda you will find it with the baby foods
I mix evap milk.
1 part boiled water to two parts evap milk add an egg whisk it up this will keep in the fridge for 24 hours,
I then use some of the mix with baby rice and sardines enough for a meal,
I pop it in the microwave for a few seconds so it is just warm (and the kitten can smell it when it's warm)
I find all the little kittens love this and I just add other kitten food (Kitten loaf) after a few days
If your kittens refuse the solid food put some on there paws or dip your finger in the mix and put a little on the mouth they soon learn that your mix is every bit as good as mums milk
I hope this helps if you do need any advice just contact me anytime

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Mazpahs Siamese & Orientals

My kittens are 3 1/2 weeks old and I have not started weaning them yet, one of them got out of the nest for the first time yesterday.
I was planning on soaking dry kitten food in boiled water and allowing it to cool.

When do they start to poo? Is it when they start eating solid food? As of yest, their mum just licks their bums to make them wee.

If this is the case, then I was going to wait till they are able to get in and out of their nest before weaning them, so that they will be able to get to the litter tray.

They are already pooing-but either your missing it or their mums a really good housekeeper,but as their poo's solid up some mums don't do turds-so you have to help out