Weaning Cats: Everything You Need To Know
Like other species, cats also need to be fed by their mother for the time necessary to enjoy good health and proper development. For this reason, it is important to know everything about cat weaning. Do you know anything about it? Don’t worry, we’ll talk about it to follow.
What to know about cat weaning?
When
This is the most important aspect to know. A premature weaning could interfere with the correct development of the animal, as well as a late one, which can also cause malaise and problems for the mother.
For a correct weaning of cats, it is necessary to wait four weeks. It will be the mother herself who will stop giving milk to the little ones and induce them to look for food for themselves.
Sometimes, however, the mother weans her babies ahead of time. For this reason, owners need to know what to do and pay attention to it.
They don’t have to be separated abruptly
Even though it is time to wean the cats, do not part them abruptly, as it could be counterproductive for both parties. On the one hand, the mother may become aggressive and even depressed.
On the other hand, the puppies will not have finished their period of socialization and could also imitate the aggressive behavior of the mother, the result of your actions: having separated them in an abrupt way.
Don’t worry and don’t get impatient, before the tenth week they will naturally separate. After the four regular weeks, however, it is advisable to separate them for a few hours a day, so that they get used to it and the little ones begin to develop their independence.
What to feed him
Even though the deadline for cat weaning is four weeks, you need to make sure the weaned cats have opened their eyes and are able to move on their own. If so, now is the time to give it another type of power.
Some foods are considered to be substitutes for breast milk and can be given together with the feed, which must be for puppies. These substitutes provide all the nutrients the little ones need and taste similar to milk.
However, solid foods must also be included in the diet of the little ones. These milk replacers will only help them get used to dry food.
Never give cow, goat or sheep milk to your cats. The stomach of the felines cannot assimilate them and this will cause them diarrhea.
Prepare the bowls
Each kitten will need to have its own bowl for eating and another for drinking. They must be small and not very deep, so that the animal can easily drink and eat.
If you see that it is still difficult for them, put the milk replacer in a syringe and feed the kittens this way until they are self-sufficient. However, don’t let them get used to it; you will have to bring them often close to the bowls so that they get used to the idea. Remember, however, not to force them, they were born recently.
Solid food only
Between the eighth and tenth weeks, you will need to completely eliminate milk replacers and give only solid food to the kittens. Cans of wet puppy food are a good option that can help them get used to it faster.
Remember to follow these tips: in fact, the weaning of cats done properly is the only way to guarantee a correct development of the kittens.
