When Do Kittens Stop Feeding From Mother

Although it s safe to remove the kittens from the mother at 4 8 weeks old i would leave it up to the mommy kitty.

When do kittens stop feeding from mother. I rescued the kittens mother whom i found as a pregnant starving malnourished stray. My cat sometimes gets annoyed and walks away but usually doesn t care. Continued how do i wean a kitten off of mother s milk or bottle feeding. I have a 9 month old kitten who suckles my 4 years old cat on her neck shoulder tummy or wherever because it provides her comfort.

The vast majority of mother cats will know when it s time to wean the kittens. Up until a kitten is roughly 1 month old her dietary needs can be fulfilled completely through nursing. Serve kitten milk replacer in a shallow bowl. Kittens usually begin the weaning process around 4 weeks of age according to the general consensus.

It is not recommended to separate the kitten from its mother before 4 weeks. Cats teach their young important skills that we cannot duplicate as humans. Dip your fingertip or the syringe or bottle the kitten is used to nursing from into the liquid let the kitten lick it then guide him by moving your finger down into the bowl. So it is quite difficult for you to match the mother cat s weaning method.

By terry kaye. Do not use cow s milk as this will cause stomach upset and diarrhea in some kittens. I had a cat gypsy when i was a teenager that adopted four weaned kittens that my mother brought home. The mom should wean the kittens herself.

Weaning a kitten who still has her mother is quite different from weaning a kitten who has been orphaned. At 11 weeks they can for sure already be eating dry food. It s an important part of the kitten s development and needs to be done at the right time and in the right way. I say just leave them be for another 2 weeks if they do not stop nursing try and get them eating dry food.

However anywhere between the 4 to 6 week mark is acceptable. But the kittens could keep feeding for a long time too. Normally kittens would find new homes at the age of 8 weeks. That s not a 100 guarantee though.

Generally the queen s method of feeding the kitten is different from yours. Bottle fed kittens are a huge time commitment so if you are adopting a young bottle fed kitten who has no mother cat be prepared to feed and clean them often. They stop feeding from their mother when they feel they are independent. A mother cat will instinctively know how to wean her.

Weaning a kitten is the process of transitioning the kitten from mother s milk to solid food. Bottle fed kittens do not receive the same care from humans as they would from a cat though. Most kittens are fully. The kitten is able to spend more time alone without the mother if it becomes independent.

I do not interfere.