When to teach kittens to eat on their own. Teaching a kitten to self-feed

Those who want to get a kitten at home, as a rule, want to take a baby who is not yet three weeks old. This is the main mistake, because not knowing at what age the kitten begins to feed on its own, you can do much harm to it. It is necessary to become familiar with the tiny universe of kittens in order to understand what they can be fed and when their menu may change.

Most often, little kittens eat mother's milk for quite a long time, especially if the cat herself allows it. However, after they are three weeks old, they begin to take an interest in everything that is around, including the contents of the mother cat's plate. They cannot yet eat any food other than their mother's milk, especially from a saucer, so it is in this situation that little kittens need human help. It is necessary to study how teach a kitten to eat on its own.

ordinary food

A small kitten is in many ways similar to a tiny human child, although some may consider such a comparison to be incorrect. Why is this allegory here? People teach their children to eat gradually, without haste, but the child still continues to eat mother's milk or special mixtures. In the same way it is necessary to behave with a small kitten. If there is no cat, and the kitten is very tiny, under three weeks of age, then you will have to feed it using a baby bottle or pipette.

Age features of cat nutrition

The cat feeds her babies for two months, however, even so, in order for the transition to a normal diet to be successful, the kitten needs to be fed as soon as the first three weeks of his life have elapsed. At this time, babies can eat liquid porridge.

When kittens are two months old, their first milk teeth are growing, and at this time, solid food can be gradually added to the diet. So, by the age of ten weeks, the pet can eat all kinds of food, at this time he is increasingly moving away from mother's milk to the usual menu.

How to know if your pet is hungry

The main rule in feeding small kittens is not to harm them, which means that the animal should never be overcooked. If the kitten wants to eat, it squeaks loudly enough, crawls in the place where it is, pokes its nose into every corner, as if trying to find its mother.

Features of feeding a kitten during a period of diet change

It is very important that complementary foods of any kind are introduced gradually. First, you should make ordinary liquid semolina porridge, using milk diluted with water for this, you should not put sugar in the porridge. After the baby's stool returns to normal, he can eat liquid rice, oatmeal and buckwheat porridges cooked in milk. At the same time, fat-free cottage cheese can also be introduced into such feeding. Keep in mind that the food that the kittens eat will not be eaten completely, so there should be a small amount of food in the bowl.

In order to eat, kittens can come to the plate very often, but you need to make sure that no more than six times. When the babies approach the age of two months, they need to learn to eat harder food: boiled meat and fish, sometimes you can offer your pet fresh, but make sure that large bones do not come across in it. Food should be cut into small pieces, sometimes you can put pieces of fish in porridge cooked in water. It is better to use ready-made canned food for kittens at an early age, but keep a close eye on your pet when he eats such food.

How to teach a kitten to a saucer

Here the most important question is considered: when and how exactly to accustom a small pet to eating from a saucer and how long such a procedure will take. As mentioned above, a kitten begins to be interested in a bowl when he is about three weeks old, or rather, the baby is attracted to the food of his adult counterparts. For this reason, three weeks of age is the best and most suitable for accustom kitten to the bowl.

First, pour some milk into a saucer. Then wet your finger with milk and let the kitten lick it. When he realizes that it is tasty, put the crumbs near the bowl and carefully dip his muzzle into the milk. At first he won't like it and will recoil, but then he will remember the taste of the milk he just licked off the man's finger.

At first, the kitten will constantly snort and sneeze, releasing funny bubbles from the milk. This is due to the fact that he is still learning the technique of lapping, because not so long ago he did not have to do this - he just sucked milk from the mother cat's breast. In addition, sometimes you can see that he climbs into a bowl with his feet, and such attempts must be nipped in the bud.

To do this, simply remove it from the bowl, wipe its paws with a napkin and place the kitten next to the saucer. When he starts climbing into the bowl again, hold him down a little. So you can teach your pet that his paws should not be in food.

The appearance of an animal in the house is by no means an ordinary event. Any living creature needs affection, care and proper care. Small pets require special attention. Unfortunately, many of us, trying to enliven our home with the presence of a kitten, do not even think about how comfortable the baby will feel in unfamiliar conditions.

In addition, not knowing when the kittens begin to eat themselves, you can cause tremendous harm to the body of a small creature. It is important to take care of the correct diet of the pet from the very first days, to know how and what to pamper him.

Nutritional features of kittens

I would like to note right away that kittens in their development go through almost the same stages as our children. They are born completely helpless. For the first weeks, the mother-cat takes care of all the newborn babies. But this time passes, and fluffy fidgets are already running and playing with pleasure. This is exactly the period when the kitten begins to eat itself: first milk, and a little later - more serious food. The owner must teach the baby to eat on his own, cultivate the right behavior, and provide a complete diet.

Although kittens can feed on mother's milk for up to two months, by the end of the third week, such a limited menu does not suit them. They show interest in the contents of the mother's plate. Kittens try to taste adult food. Of course, at first, the kids do not succeed. Therefore, a person is obliged to help his pet at the initial stage. In the first days, when the kitten begins to eat on his own, it is best to give him a very thin porridge boiled in milk.

With the advent of the first milk teeth, and this happens at the age of two months, you can gradually accustom the baby to solid food. When the kitten is two and a half months old, he will be able to eat any food. At the same time, he will gradually wean from his mother's milk.

What to feed a newborn kitten?

Often the baby, just born, loses maternal care. To save a kitten from inevitable death, the owner must make a lot of work and patience. In such a situation, first of all, you need to contact your veterinarian. The specialist will tell you when the kittens begin to eat on their own, explain how to replace cat's milk, and help make a diet for the newborn.

For the first month, the pet needs to be fed about eight times a day. Replace mother's milk with cow's milk, give it warm. Since the baby still does not know how, it is advisable to use a pipette for feeding. In the future, all complementary foods should be introduced slowly. It is very important. First, add unsweetened semolina porridge cooked in diluted milk in a ratio of 1: 2 to the diet. After normalizing the stool, you can diversify the menu of your favorite rice, herculean or buckwheat. In the event that the kittens begin to eat the proposed dishes themselves, you can diversify their diet with a small amount of low-fat cottage cheese.

Nutrition after 1.5 months

Later, closer to two months, you can give boiled meat and fish. It is also worth pampering a pet with fresh fish, but only occasionally. Be sure to make sure that there are no large bones in the product. It is recommended to give food in small pieces, it is acceptable to mix meat or fish with any porridge cooked on water. The best food option for a small kitten is ready-made canned food, which can be easily purchased at any supermarket. True, it is first worth clarifying what time the kittens begin to eat such food themselves.

Eat better from your own saucer

Day after day you watch your pet grow up. He loves to run and frolic, so he needs enhanced nutrition. It's time to teach him to live independently. So that he does not lose his head from the first difficulties, he again needs help. It has already been said above that kittens become interested in a bowl or saucer at a fairly early age - about three weeks.

This is the most convenient time to teach your baby good manners, that is, to eat from his own plate. At first, when the kittens begin to eat on their own, they still do not understand what they have to do in order to eat deliciously. Therefore, first pour a little milk into a shallow bowl. Then dip your finger and let the cat lick it. When the baby feels the taste of milk, put it closer to the saucer and gently dip it with the muzzle. From fright, the animal will back away, dust itself off and lick itself vigorously. And then he will remember the taste of milk, which he was given to lick from his finger, and the contents of the saucer will become attractive to him. Remember, when kittens begin to eat from a bowl on their own, not everything goes smoothly for them: they snort and sneeze, blow milk bubbles. This happens because fluffy creatures have not yet learned to lap.

Often babies try to get into the dishes with their paws. Such practices must be stopped immediately. To teach your pet decent behavior, take it out of the bowl, wipe its paws with a napkin, and put it near the food container again. If the prankster wants to repeat the unsightly act once again, hold him back. Thus, consistently and patiently, you will teach your baby the main rule: paws are not supposed to be in food!

Experienced people advise when a kitten starts to eat on its own from a saucer, you should not immediately give him potatoes, pieces of bread or dry foods. The little body needs to get used to the new food. Let the adaptation period be comfortable for him.

Do not forget to pour clean water to a kitten that is starting to eat on its own. Don't be upset if he drinks a little. The fact is that animals receive the necessary amount of liquid with food. Many owners complain that when kittens start eating on their own, they cannot determine if they have enough food. It is easy to understand this by evaluating the condition of the tray: if the baby visits it regularly, it means that he receives a sufficient amount of food.

Conclusion

Here's everything about feeding little kittens in a nutshell. For pets to grow up healthy, their owners must make a lot of effort. But how many joyful minutes they will then give to their benefactors! How much heat will be given to your home!

Kittens are born small and completely helpless, then at first all the difficulties fall "on the shoulders" of the mother cat, but 3 weeks have passed and she needed the help of her owner in order to cope with these little fidgets. At the age of three weeks, babies begin to move around, they already see, hear, go to the toilet on their own. Now the owner will have more problems with caring for this wonderful creature. In addition to the question of how to protect a little fidget, a person will have another one: how to teach a kitten to eat on his own. In our article, we will talk about at what age he begins to eat on his own, and how to change his diet.

The cat feeds her cubs with milk for 2 months, but despite this, for a better transition to a complete diet, the baby can be fed after the first 3 weeks of life. At this time, kittens should eat liquid porridge.

When the kittens have reached 2 months of age, they have their first milk teeth, at this time you can gradually include solid food. Gradually, by 10 weeks of age, he can eat all kinds of food, at which time he gradually moves away from mother's milk to complete food.

How to feed a newborn kitten

If a newborn kitten was left without the care of a cat, then the owner will need a lot of patience and work in order to leave a helpless baby. Of course, the veterinarian will be the first assistant for him, he will help determine the type of food, explain how to use cow's milk instead of cat's.

Until the kittens have reached the age of one month, they need to be fed up to 8 times a day. Milk should be warm, it must first be heated to about 37 degrees. The desired temperature can be checked by dropping milk on the back of the hand. Up to two weeks of age, it is more convenient to feed a kitten from a pipette.

When the baby has reached three weeks of age, you can begin to switch to a bottle with a nipple. After he has eaten, it is necessary to carry out a light massage of the tummy. This is necessary in order to make the digestive system work properly.

If the kitten was left without the care of a mother cat early, then you need to consult with a veterinarian about the individual selection of a nutrition scheme.

How to tell if a kitten is hungry

The main rule in feeding newborn kittens is do no harm, that is, kittens should never be overfed. If the baby is hungry, then he will squeak piercingly, crawl in his place and poke his nose into all corners, as if looking for his mother.

How to teach kittens to eat on their own

Basically, such problems arise when babies are taken away from their mother too early and given to new owners. They have already prepared for him a new and beautiful house, a tray, a bowl, but he still stubbornly refuses to eat, despite the fact that he is hungry. What to do in such a situation? Firstly, pull yourself together, and secondly, be patient and teach him to eat on his own. To do this, you must follow a number of rules:

• Of course, it is best to start feeding with milk, because until recently the baby suckled his mother, and this type of nutrition is familiar to him. Before feeding, the milk must be warmed to the optimum temperature and poured into a bowl. If the fool backs away and moves away from the bowl, and does not understand what is required of him, then you can lightly poke his muzzle into a bowl of milk. After that, he will lick himself, and perhaps he will be interested in the taste of the food offered. If the kitten does not give up, then you can repeat this procedure several times, in the end he will still give up.
• There are times when babies refuse to eat if the bowl is inconveniently located, for example, too low. Pet stores have bowls on special stands that will not slip on the floor and the pet will not need to bend over.
• After the kitten began to drink milk little by little, it will be necessary to offer him semolina.
• In order to teach a kitten to eat from a bowl, you can offer a meat pate designed for kittens. You need to be prepared for the fact that not all animals have the same attitude to the new food, someone easily tries the new food, and someone refuses and does not take anything in their mouths except for the familiar porridge. In this case, you should put up with it, because anyway, nothing will change, no matter how hard you try, until he grows up. In order to teach a kitten to a new food, you need to put a small amount on your finger and offer it to him. If the pet licks it, then everything worked out, you can safely put it in a bowl, if not, then you should not be nervous, because sooner or later he will start eating new food. In this case, the cat should not be offered dry food, he will not eat it anyway.
• It is necessary for a beginner to eat a kitten, do not forget to pour clean water. If he drinks it in small quantities, then you should not be upset, because not all animals drink a lot, sometimes they get enough water from food.
• At first, pets, together with their paws, climb into a bowl of milk, thus, as if bathing in it. Do not despair, you need to wipe the baby and be patient, after a while he will eat with great pleasure.
• In order to understand whether the baby has enough food, you need to assess the condition of the tray, if the kitten visits it regularly, then everything is fine, he receives food in the quantities he needs.

Sometimes, in order to teach a baby to eat on his own, patience is required from the owner, but sooner or later he will still begin to eat heavily and will slowly get used to a variety of foods.

When kittens are born, their main food become mother's milk. This is a natural process. As a pet grows up, it learns to consume a variety of foods on its own.

At first glance, the very idea of ​​teaching a pet to eat seems comical. Hungry - eat, what could be more natural? But, often, by the will of fate, a kitten left in this world without a mother-cat is not so easy to learn about the world around her alone and learn elementary things, including independent eating. Most likely, in such a difficult situation, the kitten will not survive without the support of its owner.

It will not be superfluous veterinarian consultation. Show him your pet. The doctor will give an assessment of the health of the kitten and recommendations on how to teach the tiny creature to eat on its own, and what mixtures can be used in such a situation. At first, you will have to feed the baby from a pipette, and then gradually switch to lapping from a plate.

It will not be superfluous if you become give a kitten a massage after he has eaten. Just avoid pressing and sudden movements. This massage will help normalize the digestion process: it has long been noticed that a cat caring for its children does the same.

And remember that for a long time pipette feeding a kitten, bottles and other devices are not recommended. The longer you delay with accustoming the animal to independence, the more difficult it will be to “re-educate” it later.

In most cases, when the kittens reach a month, you can smoothly transfer them to food from a bowl. Do not be discouraged if the kitten cannot drink milk the first time: this is normal. The main thing is to provide him with a comfortable (best low) bowl. After a while, everything will work out for your furry friend.

At first, the kitten may choke and sneeze during the meal - this is normal, he is learning. Don't be in a rush to switch to solid foods. To begin with, dishes that have a creamy consistency are better suited (cottage cheese with milk, yolk with milk, porridge in meat broth, etc.).

After a month you can start smooth transition to solid foods. Start with minced meat (meat and fish are pre-boiled and then chopped), and then move on to meat and fish in pieces. From now on, these products will become the basis of your pet predator's diet. As a rule, a kitten licking milk from a bowl on its own does not experience difficulties with swallowing small pieces of food, but there are exceptions. If your four-legged ward is from the category of "dumb" and has been courting a small piece of meat for a long time, help your pet and put this ill-fated piece in his mouth - he will quickly learn to chew on his own.

You have a little fluffy ball of happiness in your house. He is still very small and requires increased attention and care. It is good if he grows up with a mother who cares for her child. But if you found a baby on the street and in a fit of feelings brought him home, then you will have to take on parental functions.