3-4 week olds eating dry food

Ok I am fostering a mother and her babies for the first time ever. I have only had experience with abandoned babies. Anyway, I have been putting down dry food for momma and dry food with water added for the babies since they are now interested. The problem is, the babies totally ignore the wetted food and only go for the crunchy!!! Should I be worried about this or let it happen. I leave the food down for momma all the time because she is terribly skinny. Another thing is one of the babies is having huge puddly poops. I thought it was the mom because there was so much but it has to be one of the babies. I am feeding Science diet Kitten provided by my shelter.

This is just me so take it with a gain of salt if ya want to ok

3-4 weeks is way to young for the dry they can choke, but you can mix in a little warm water and mush it for them and maybe a little powder KMR. Like I said it was just me. Others may feel differently.

my kittens tried to eat dry at that age aswell, i mixed some warm water in with it , my vets told me it was way to young because they can chock . if they wont touch it with water then try with some kmr.

Mine did choke so be careful with that. I found lots of little kitten puke piles until I realized Gabby needed to be fed away from the kitten room. The dominant one of the litter, Spike, he was able to digest it though at 5 weeks. But I wouldn't recommend it as I am sure they are not ready.

Originally Posted by Nellers

Mine did choke so be careful with that. I found lots of little kitten puke piles until I realized Gabby needed to be fed away from the kitten room. The dominant one of the litter, Spike, he was able to digest it though at 5 weeks. But I wouldn't recommend it as I am sure they are not ready.

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my vets seemed to think even at 8 weeks there not ready , but iv always just mixed warm boiled water with them and always seemed ok for them.

I'm glad I saw this. I was just about to post a thread exactly like this

My kittens are just over 4 weeks old, and tried to eat the hard kitten food I have laid out for Alley the last 2 days. Only one of the kittens really tried to eat the hard food, the rest were licking the food sniffing around the bowl. As soon as I noticed that, I raised mom's bowl up higher so they couldn't reach it as easily, and tried some warm water to soften the food. That kitten went to town on the bowl! I had to take it away, I was afraid she was going to stuff herself till she exploded. She is also the biggest one right now, and the heaviest.

The others have started picking at the food, but don't seem too interested.


I do have another question, the one who had eye problems in the beginning, Squintz, seems considerably smaller than the biggest one (the weight is a considerable difference, the size isn't hugely different). The only thing is, the bigger one is not so active, and Squintz is running all over the place, all day long. A complete bundle of energy. She seems to be eating as much as the rest of them (the bigger one eats more then the rest of them), and as far as I can tell, completely healthy, just not growing as much or as fast. Is she lighter possibly because she's SO much more active than the rest?

Science diet isnt a good brand of cat food its grainy and has alot of paservitives, meat by products in it , its one case where the vets try to sell to people for making money and not for cats. www.Naturapet.com is a very good food website. or you can switch to a raw/barf diet, expensive but worth it, and you have a plus going for you it would be easy with such young kittens but do be careful.

If money is an issue though it IS better then Friskies/Meow mix,ect. http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/ima...lies/frown.gif

i always recomend royal canini like pantha pride said vets only sell sicence diet to make money , its far to over priced for what it contains. and plus iv seen the videos od testing on animals , so just another reason why i stay away from it.(please dont say RC does aswell).
anyway as long as your kitten is putting on weight and not lossing it everything should be ok, the more they get about the more energy they will burn. the kittens lilly had 1 of them is huge and one is so tiny and skinny but not underweight. its amazing how much difference there can be between a litter or kittens.

Royal Canin Baby Cat - the best you can get for weaning kittens. The kibbles are tiny so no fear cof choking. My Aby babies were on that from the beginning and have thrived!!!

Another vote here for the Royal Canin BabyCat 34. The little biscuits are tiny and easy to digest.

I agree they are tiny. If your baby likes kibble it is a very good brand.