My kittens are now 7.5 weeks old. They are happy, healthy, and growing. Unfortunately, I am still having major issues getting them to eat.
Mom still nurses them freely and never pushes them away.
Two girls will eat canned food with minimal encouragement.
One girl will eat hard food when hungry and rarely eat canned food. If the canned food tastes really good, she will eat it. She likes Iams but shuns much of the other 20 brands and flavors I have tried! She loves baby food.
The other two girls I have never seen eat hard food (with or without water). They are the smaller ones in the litter (although they are growing also, just not at the speed of their sisters). They will both eat baby food. They rarely eat canned. One will on occasion depending on her mood and the flavor. The other one has only ate canned food once! Ever!
I try not to give too much baby food since I don't want them to get spoiled. I have tried putting food on their paws, noses, and mouths. They usually now try to run when I come near them with food! They definitely seem to have some brand preferences (Iams seems to be the favorite). They definitely know how to eat. They just seem to prefer nursing.
Any ideas on how to get these girls eating well? They know how to do it. They just choose not to most of the time! I once had one kitten who skipped over the canned food phase and went straight to dry. I have never had such difficulty with kittens this age. Thanks for any more advice.
Mom still nurses them freely and never pushes them away.
Two girls will eat canned food with minimal encouragement.
One girl will eat hard food when hungry and rarely eat canned food. If the canned food tastes really good, she will eat it. She likes Iams but shuns much of the other 20 brands and flavors I have tried! She loves baby food.
The other two girls I have never seen eat hard food (with or without water). They are the smaller ones in the litter (although they are growing also, just not at the speed of their sisters). They will both eat baby food. They rarely eat canned. One will on occasion depending on her mood and the flavor. The other one has only ate canned food once! Ever!
I try not to give too much baby food since I don't want them to get spoiled. I have tried putting food on their paws, noses, and mouths. They usually now try to run when I come near them with food! They definitely seem to have some brand preferences (Iams seems to be the favorite). They definitely know how to eat. They just seem to prefer nursing.
Any ideas on how to get these girls eating well? They know how to do it. They just choose not to most of the time! I once had one kitten who skipped over the canned food phase and went straight to dry. I have never had such difficulty with kittens this age. Thanks for any more advice.