How to Wean a Bottle Fed Kitten

If you've adopted a tiny kitten, chance are you've had to bottle-feed it for the first few weeks. The weaning process can be a bit tricky, but in a few weeks your kitten should be eating from a dish just like a grown-up cat.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• baby food meats
• dry kitten food
• kitten formula
• canned kitten food or chow
• cat food saucer

1. Continue to feed the kitten formula until it is about four weeks old.

2. Place formula alone in a bowl or saucer.

3. Put some of the formula from the saucer on your finger and hold it to the kitten's mouth until it laps it up.

4. Make the connection between your finger and the saucer of formula by slowly moving your finger back to the saucer, and then to the kitten's mouth several times.

5. Offer the kitten the saucer of formula.

6. Slowly start mixing the formula with a smooth-textured food such as strained baby food meats. The resulting mix should be about the texture of runny oatmeal.

7. Gradually use less formula in the food and add some softened kitten chow or canned kitten food to the mix.

8. Gradually add dried food to the mix.

9. Continue this process until the kitten is eating only cat food and the formula and baby food are eliminated.

Tips & Warnings

• The kitten should be fully weaned by the time it is about six weeks old.

• It is best not to feed a kitten cow's milk. Use a milk substitute especially formulated for kittens.

• If desired, you can use tuna in the weaning process. It is a food that kittens like and is a good incentive to get them to eat from dishes or saucers.

• Kitten food should be served at room temperature.

• Make sure to provide access to fresh water. Some cats and kittens prefer their water to be kept in a separate location than their food.

• Your kitten may experience temporary diarrhea with its diet change.