When do kittens start eating soft food?

Question

my mom brought home 2 stray kittens and ive had them for about a month now and im assuming when i got them they were only like 2 weeks old. ive been feeding them threw a bottle and i was just wondering when they would be ready to eat soft food i have tried putting it in a bowl and letting them smell it but they just wont eat it :(

Answer 1

Kittens can start with baby cat food after 3 week but they probably wouldn't do so. Most likely that they will start to eat when their teeth grows out so mother cat will start to getting them off in 4 - 6 week.

In that period they start to eat solid food for kittens and continue to breastfeed. Important! Always provide fresh weather for your cats, small and big ones!

Answer 2

you have to make the change slowly so they wont get sick .

Answer 3

When your mom brought the kittens home, they were extremely young and would not have been weaned by they mother.  they could barely see or walk..  

Start feeding them very small portions of soft food when you see some teeth.  

You kinda have to be like their mother, she gets tired of them trying to nurse, and trust me they will nurse until they are grown if she would let them.  I once saw one of my cats nursing his mother at three years old, along with another litter she had.  I think he was a little embarrassed by the look on his face when i discovered him. lol.

You will be really entertained once they decide that they like semi soft food . ..  And the start lapping liquids out of a saucer.

Try not to force them to eat only solid foods once they taste it.  Give them the bottle for a few minutes take it away and leave a saucer of kitten food.  This is what their mothers do if there is solid food for them to eat.  Try not to force them,  they kind of do it naturally.  

Be patient with your kittens.

foxx

Answer 4

Kittens can start eating regular kitten food between 6 - 8 weeks of age, sometimes sooner depending on when they grow their teeth -

You can buy dry kitten food specially formulated for the young kitten and as long as you water it down with hot water until it's mushy in texture, they won't hurt their little gums.

If you live near a Gander Mountain store, ask them about their feeding kits for animals. I know they sell feeding kits for baby racoons, baby rabbits, etc. and I'm sure they'd have advice for rescuing and feeding baby domesticated animals too!

Answer 5

At four to five weeks old they can start eating soft food. If you've had them for a month, they should be more than ready for the change. Try putting a can of wet cat food on a small dish. Mix in a bit of the kitten formula to make it softer and to add the taste they are used to. Slowly (every couple days) put less formula into it and eventually start adding hard kitten food. By 8 weeks old they should be able to eat hard kitten food alone with no problems.

Answer 6

Try soaking dry kitten food in the kitten formula that you've been bottle feeding them and let it get soft and mushy and offer them a little bit of this every few days till they try it. Sounds like your kitties are about 6 weeks old and should be interested in trying it.  In my experience, kittens will usually start to eat this around 5-6 weeks but still need the mother's milk/ formula in your case for another few weeks.  Good luck!  

Answer 7

Orphaned kittens can be weaned earlier than their naturally raised counterparts. So, you can start weaning him when he reaches 4 weeks old. However, for now, you can already test his readiness to accept semi solid food. To test, drip some formula onto your finger and your palm. Test to see if he is able to l**k them. If he appears interested and can l**k off the formula, he is ready to lap from a dish.

She should already be weaned so if possible, always put the kitten on a wet diet instead of offering dry food. There are many misconceptions out there about feeding dry food to your kitten/cat. Please be aware that feeding dry food is convenient to the owner, but might not be the best for your kitten/cat.

You can start now by mixing her wet food with water to make a gruel. Then, encourage her to lap on the food dish. If she is unable to lap or does not know what to do, dip one finger into the gruel and gently place it on her lips. She will l**k it and might just find it palatable. Slowly move your finger into the dish as she sniff it. Gently dip your finger into the dish and allow her to lap on the dish. It takes some time but she will get the idea.