Kitten Care

I have looked up on the internet time and time again to see when is the right time to start my kittens on food and when to start them on a litter box and to make sure they are growing alright. From what I have found they are exceeding their growing limit. They were three weeks on Friday and are walking around purring and playing with anything and everything. I read at three weeks you can try to give them soft cat food, so I've been trying it for a few days and only one will eat it and he mostly just gets it all over his face and sucks at it *really cute* but the other ones turn their noses to it and go and do their own thing. I have read if you put a kitten in a litter box to early they will eat the litter, I have one ready but im nervous as to if they are going to try to eat the litter and get sick, or even use it at all. I don't want to confuse them or do it to early. If anyone has any more information or accurate information, because I get all different kinds of ages to start, it would be most appriciated.

I've also put in a picture of one of the kittens playing just because its so cute!

Julia---she is the most playful one of all....

Oh wow it does look like they are exceeding their growth! look at this cutie with her ears standing up at 3 weeks old!!! They shouldn't eat the litter they might try to taste it but if it's not clumping litter it won't be bad for them...Somewhere I read that it's safe to use clumping litter at 3 weeks old but it seems like that's too early from what people say on this site...I'm using clumping litter with Jake who is almost 7 weeks old but I've been using it since he was 5 weeks old...It's been ok. The way the litter box training went for me: I put him in the litter box and as soon as he smelled it he started digging and peed there...ever since then he's been a really good boy and using the litter box every time! I couldn't have imagined it being any easier than that. I got a really small litter box that was only for kittens birds or other small animals...So that helped..

Okay I was just wondering, does anyone know about the food? When do they start eating?

Oh and their ears were standing up at about 2 weeks. Maybe a little before then. There still small but from what I read there doing everything faster than normal they were purring at 2 weeks and even walking at 2 weeks which i read they start walking around after 3-4 weeks. There already taken over the place, and there completely obsessed with me. I don't know why they follow me everywhere and constantly meow at me if I don't sit down with them and let them bite my fingers or my pants. I love them to death and I can't believe im going to give them all away. I've decided to keep one as a barn cat. Smokey. He's just too darn cute. Plus he will be male so I don't have to worry about more kittens to get attached to. After I give the kittens away Winnie is getting fixed. I can't deal with anymore kittens I've learned the hard way, no more letting my cats have kittens, its too hard to give them away!!

I dunno when they would start eating they are supposed to around 4 weeks old...but I would say don't worry about it or pressure them because their mommy's milk is really good for them...they will probably start eating from her food once they are ready..If you really want them to start eating you could give them some really really good smelling food like a tuna flavored canned food then there is a higher chance. But at first they will be confused, won't know that they are supposed to chew it they will try to suck on it..have you looked at their teeth? here is when their teeth are supposed to come out:
http://www.rescueguide.com/orphkits.html
I dunno how accurate that is because it says that premolars on top are supposed to come out at 8 weeks and Jake's came out at 6 weeks...and until those came out he was having trouble with chewing food..

because i had no idea my kitty was only 4 weeks old when i got her, i was giving her about 1/3 of a sachet of wet food twice a day, and she ate it just fine. (i gave her that based on watchng how much she'd eat when i put a whole packet out) i'd also syringe her some kitten milk a few times a day as well.

as for the kitty litter i started her on that at 4 weeks as well, she was great with the peeing (there were a few accidents though) - basically i put her in the kitty litter and took her paw and made her dig at it a bit, and she got the idea and started using it. everytime i found her having an accident i'd pick her up and place her in the kitty litter to finish it off, she was pretty much completely trained after about a week and a half, only having an accident or 2 a bit after that.