Kitten Weaning Question

About 3 weeks ago I took in an orphaned kitten, Sugar, and she is now 5 weeks old [today actually]. I have been bottle feeding her with KMR and a few days ago she started using the litterbox [which she's been using full time now] and I mixed a bit of mushy canned food with KMR and she's been eating that [and usually some from a bottle too]. I've tried to get her to eat kitten chow with the KMR but she usually just laps up the KMR and leaves the mushy kitten chow pieces. She actually eats the canned food when mixed with the KMR.

Usually she'll eat a little bit of the canned/KMR mix and then play for awhile and then want some from the bottle. She even knows where the bottle is when I keep it in a mug of warm water while we're feeding/playing on the floor, and will go to it and attempt to get at the nipple herself.

As of the past couple of feedings she'll act like she wants more KMR from the bottle but she'll grab it after its in her mouth and start viciously attacking it, clawing at it rapid fire with both hands, trying to suck on it, tearing me up in the process and eventually spitting it out after I have to yank her claws out of me/make her stop attacking the bottle. At first she'd do it for a few seconds then start sucking the bottle and drinking the rest of her KMR. Now she won't stop and barely gets any out but continues to go for the nipple like she wants to drink from it. What gives?

I've been putting the remainder of the KMR/canned mix in her box with her after we're doing playing/feeding and usually she'll return to it and finish it and then use the litterbox.

If she no longer wants the bottle and is moving on to the more solid food, then why does she continue to go for the bottle like she wants it, only to attack it? I'm confused.

she is attacking the bottle because she wants more it would be like her pushing on moms belly to get more i would try to start feeding her the kitten xchow mixed with water instead of the formula and see if she wants that kittens that are not weaned by a certain age can come dependant on the bottle and will try to wean for the rest of there life so it is important that you get her to eat the kitten chow on her own good luck

She eats mushy canned food and I've barely been putting any milk on it but she won't eat the dry chow. I will try some water with it. She won't hardly drink water, she takes a lap here and there but I haven't had much luck at this point. The vet just told me to start weaning her so I don't think she's really behind schedule, I just didn't understand why she would be attacking the bottle like that if she isn't even drinking it.

I've been giving her some mushy canned food with water on it and she eats it without the formula but I was told to still offer her a bottle until she's completely weaned and she acts like she wants it still, and goes to it and tries to suck it but she starts clawing and doing that thing I wrote about in my original post.

Does anyone have any help?

I would feed her canned offering her a little kibble too. I also struggled with my bottle baby. Lucky didn't wean fully until she was 10 weeks old. One of the babies my Mama cat had didn't wean from Mom until 10 weeks. Some kittens are a little more needy than others. I would just offer the food as you have, I feed Lucky canned first, then gave her the bottle of KMR. That way she wasn't quite so hungry. she will come around.

Hello.

I'm new here, as of today. I don't know if anyone is still watching this thread, however, this is the reason I'm here. I am having the same problem but with different circumstances.

I have an approximately 5 week old feral kitten that a friend found in his yard at about 2 or 3 days old, and I have been taking care of him since then. The vet gave him a clean bill of health at about a week old. He took to the bottle just fine, has been eliminating well, etc etc.

This last weekend, we introduced him to the litter box, and that seems to be going smoothly.

We are attempting to wean him off the bottle, however, he really hasn't grasped the lapping of the formula quite yet. I did however see him attempting to lap up some water from his water dish.

Here is my problem. Just like the poster, I am having the same trouble with the bottle now. He chews on the nipple and sometimes looks like he is going to latch on, but only occasionally can I get him to actually latch on. During these episodes where he won't, he frantically claws at the bottle and my hands but won't latch on. He isn't eating regular food yet, so I know he's hungry and we are feeding him about every 6 hours with the bottle, then attempting the lapping with a dish.

Am I doing something wrong? I'm just trying to figure out why he won't latch on when I know he is hungry.

Thank you very much.

Originally Posted by rockyzeus

she is attacking the bottle because she wants more it would be like her pushing on moms belly to get more

Click to expand...

To both AnnaBabe and AA´mom:

I too think they wants more. I suspect the hole is too little for them now.
The hole was enough when they were small. Now they begin to be "big girl" and can swallow more.
Try to widen the hole a little more!


Tx for caring and helping!

Good luck!