When Can Kittens Eat Dry Food Only
By weeks eight and nine they should be grown enough that they can eat wet and solid food on their own without any issues.
When can kittens eat dry food only. Make the transition easier by mixing it with kitten milk replacer. By the time the kittens are eight weeks old most easily eat dry kitten food although some may take a week or two longer. When can a kitten eat dry food so to the main question when can a kitten eat dry food. The answer will range depending on the kitten.
Don t use the cow s milk you drink or you ll likely end up with sick kittens on your hands. You can feed your cat on wet or dry food or a combination of both. Some mother cats will begin to push the kittens away at this point but some will allow nursing to continue indefinitely. Your four week old kittens can eat dry food but it may be tough at first.
Very small kittens have very small teeth and can t chew dry food well. Most kittens will still want to nurse even after they are on dry food. It s important that very young kittens have at least some canned food to eat as part of their diet. If your lifestyle means you re not able to feed them four times a day feed them three times but leave out some dry kitten food as a snack.
The higher water content of wet food may contribute to a decreased incidence of dehydration kidney and lower urinary tract problems in cats but if your cat insists on eating only dry food this can be addressed by making sure your cat has free access to a fresh and clean drinking water supply. Buy this milk replacer at pet and farm supply stores and some grocery stores. Without some canned food. Dry food is convenient in that it will stay fresh all day so it can be left out for your cat to eat whenever it wants.
Another alternative is to mix both wet and dry food to get your kitten used to the texture. We must feed them with food appropriate for their age. However most kittens will be ready for dry food anywhere from seven to eight weeks. Breastfeeding a kitten lasts about 9 weeks and when their teeth begin to come in after about four weeks they can begin to eat food.
Dry diets are readily accessible and less perishable when left out for house cats while we work and go about our day just like they are a convenient option for shelters and rescues so young cats are acclimated to them and adult cats are maintained on them. Ideally give them dry food only this means you don t have to worry about it being out all day as it doesn t go stale. It is advisable to moisten it a little with water to make it easier to adapt to the process of chewing or add a bit of wet food pâté or pieces in sauce. The fountain s flowing water is.
Dry food must however be stored in a dry clean environment. Feed your kitten wet canned food four times a day. Because of the cat s propensity to not drink a lot of water their ancestors being desert dwellers getting a good quality pet water fountain is a good investment. Some cats prefer to be fed wet food in the morning for example but have dry food left out during the day to snack on.
It s best to start with wet food first as he won t be able to chew dry food just yet.