kitten food

when do kittens start eating kitten food? (soft food) mine are nearly a month old

4-5 weeks I think is average.

ah alrighty
and any info on how to get kittens to eat kitten food =p?

"sweeten the deal" by mixing their soft with kmr or heating it a little to release the smell more. offer it on your finger or dab a tiny bit of it on their noses so that they lick it off.

I would suggest to start by just putting out kitten food 3 times a day. Mom should be eating kitten food right now anyway.

She doesn't want to nurse forever, and she will be very active in getting them weaned too. She will start to push them away little by little, more and more to get them to start eating. So you might not have to do much at all. Take your cue from what's happening.

If you are feeding them dry, moisten it with warm water.

Good luck,

Originally Posted by Channy

ah alrighty
and any info on how to get kittens to eat kitten food =p?

Click to expand...

I started them out with KMR mixed with canned kitten food...kind of made a slop out of it. and put it on a plate. Then I brought them over to it and placed some on their lower lip, which they would immediately lick off. You can also smear some on their paws (smeared so that they don't just fling it all over the place). Most will naturally lick it off, if only to clean it off.

I started with a slop mixture because they are totally unfamiliar with texture and i wanted to make it closer to liquid than solid. This is a pretty messy endeavor at first, but you would be surprised how quickly they end up catching on. Some 'get it' quicker than others, but curiosity and the flavor end up making them interested in figuring it out. They also need to see their mother eating iit...they tend to understand that mimicking her is usually a safe bet.

They will start showing interest in mom's kitten food, which you should be free-feeding in the kitten room, along with water. I mixed the dry kitten food with canned food and fed them in tupperware-type lids, as they are broad and flat and it's easier for the kittens to jockey for position. It is probably also time to introduce the litter box, as momma won't clean them up once they start eating solid food (or so I remember). Make sure to use a non-clumping litter.

It is probably also time to introduce the litter box, as momma won't clean them up once they start eating solid food (or so I remember). Make sure to use a non-clumping litter.

Click to expand...

Good point, I forgot about that. You are right, that is when they start to need a litter box and it's amazing that they know that is where they should go.

Although, mine thought it was a sandbox to play in at first...

I did the warming of the KMR and food and touching Skittles nose. She was little over 3 weeks but was abandond.