From the early stages of life, the food a kitten takes must be very balanced so that deficits do not cause problems in the future. A good diet is equivalent to good health and well-being of our cat.
Whether you are going to bottle-feed a kitten or have a cat with kittens, you will be curious to know when the kittens will start eating alone. Therefore, in this ‘ Pets Feed ‘ article, we are going to talk about the age and type of food that kittens eat, so keep reading and find out with us how old cats eat alone.
What food do kittens take at birth?
The first food a kitten takes from birth is breast milk. This food is very important to them, as it will transmit maternal immunity to the main infectious pathogens.
If we have adopted a kitten that is breastfed or that its mother has rejected, we must give it a bottle every two hours with special cat milk, being very digestive and avoiding cow’s milk.
The milk that kittens drink, both through breastfeeding and artificial lactation, is rich in fatty acids, colostrum (antibodies) and vitamins.
When do kittens start eating alone?
Breastfeeding lasts about 9 weeks and when his teeth start to come out, that is, about four weeks, he can start eating food. It must be fed with a food suitable for its age, making sure to moisten it a little with water to facilitate the start of the chewing process, or to add wet food (pâté or pieces of sauce).
The food that cats must take at the end of lactation in the year of life must be composed of highly digestible proteins, antioxidants and omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. This food must be of quality and quantity to give is estimated according to the weight and guidance table provided. However, depending on the characteristics of our kitten, the veterinarian can tell us whether he should eat more or less.
Trade names of foods for growing kittens have names such as “kitten”, “growth”, etc. So look at this detail to select the best food for your little one.
If you prefer, you can prepare homemade food for this stage of life but, by consulting a veterinarian, who will recommend a complete food, since it is very difficult to maintain a perfect balance between all the nutrients.
Gradual changes
Now that you know from what age kittens start eating on their own, if you are trying different foods to see which one is most suitable, you should know that the change in diet should be done gradually and gradually introduce the new one. food, because sudden changes cause intestinal dysbiosis that leads to diarrhea or vomiting.
If the kitten continues to live with its mother, it will gradually stop breastfeeding them, so there is no need to separate them. In addition, it is not advisable to remove the kittens from the parent before a certain age, because it is with its mother and brothers that the kitten begins to learn the typical behavior of the species.
Once the weaning process begins, the kitten will instinctively go into the food bowl, if not, we can teach him by giving him food with our hand so that he can follow the routine. If he lives with his mother, it is advisable to let him eat on the same plate to observe and imitate.
It will ration, although it is always advisable to monitor it to prevent it from fogging up. On the other hand, it should be noted that the ideal container will be a large flat plate.
Other care to take into account
By eating more solid, the kitten can constipate, and one way to help it is to stimulate its intestine carefully, by giving it gentle massages. We will leave a small sandbox at his disposal.
Coinciding with the beginning of the ingestion of solid food and by itself, the first internal deworming will be given, very important to maintain the health of our kitten. On the other hand, we must offer free access to fresh, clean water. The water bowl should not be very close to the food bowl and, of course, away from the sandbox, if possible in another room.