What Age Should Kittens Eat Dry Food

Many people feed their new kitten by simply filling a bowl with dry food and leaving the food available the entire day.

What age should kittens eat dry food. Begin by feeding your kitten soft or wet canned food. However most kittens will be ready for dry food anywhere from seven to eight weeks. By the time the kittens are eight weeks old most easily eat dry kitten food although some may take a week or two longer. A general schedule for kitten weaning might be.

Make the transition easier by mixing it with kitten milk replacer. Gradually increase the amount of dry food over several days paying attention to the feeding instructions on the back of the bag. A feeding schedule for your kitten allows you to control the kitten s diet more easily and make sure your kitten does not overeat and gain too much weight. When young cats are old enough around 8 weeks old they start to eat food on their own whilst simultaneously decreasing the amount of milk they suckle from their mother.

Buy this milk replacer at pet and farm supply stores and some grocery stores. You can also give kittens canned food or mix dry and canned. Kittens can begin eating solid food at around four weeks old. Larsen agrees that it s fine for young kittens to free feed by making unlimited kitten food available to them all day long and then to transition to meal eating around four to six months of.

However establishing a feeding schedule for your kitten is a good idea. The answer will range depending on the kitten. Kittens start to eat solid foods from about three weeks of age. Kittens naturally wean off their mother s milk at around 8 12 weeks of age.

Your new kitten should eat three times daily. Use canned food or dry kitten food mixed with water. This should be given as small amounts often as their mum will still be feeding them too. Most kittens will still want to nurse even after they are on dry food.

At first add a lot of water and then reduce the amount of water as the kitten matures. Don t use the cow s milk you drink or you ll likely end up with sick kittens on your hands. Your four week old kittens can eat dry food but it may be tough at first. Gradually reduce the amount of milk.

Breastfeeding a kitten lasts about 9 weeks and when their teeth begin to come in after about four weeks they can begin to eat food. Food made especially for kittens is higher in protein and calcium. By weeks eight and nine they should be grown enough that they can eat wet and solid food on their own without any issues. Basic kitten feeding guide.

Kittens are essentially baby carnivores with specialised needs. It is advisable to moisten it a little with water to make it easier to adapt to the process of chewing or add a bit of wet food pâté or pieces in sauce. Some mother cats will begin to push the kittens away at this point but some will allow nursing to continue indefinitely. We must feed them with food appropriate for their age.