When Does Kittens Stop Nursing

Serve kitten milk replacer in a shallow bowl.

When does kittens stop nursing. The weaning process involves slowly incorporating solid foods into the kitten s diet and it is generally over by the time the kittens are between 8 and 10 weeks old. Weaning a kitten who still has her mother is quite different from weaning a kitten who has been orphaned. Answer 1 of 3. Sometimes the family stays together in a colony and sometimes.

They just stop feeding them and will swat them away when they try to nurse. However anywhere between the 4 to 6 week mark is acceptable. When do kittens stop nursing. Most kittens will start to wean between four to five weeks but they will often continue to nurse until eight weeks a mother cat produces milk for twelve weeks and some kittens will nurse up to this point.

So it is quite difficult for you to match the mother cat s weaning method. Kittens usually begin the weaning process around 4 weeks of age according to the general consensus. A normal lean cat needs about 30 calories per pound of weight per day so a pregnant and nursing cat will need between 60 and 75 calories per pound of weight per day. Generally the queen s method of feeding the kitten is different from yours.

That means they have to learn to get their own food. While the kitten is licking he will sometimes bite the other kitten. Dear simba we recently got two 14 week old male kittens from a shelter. Kittens can safely stop nursing at around 4 weeks old.

Kitten suckling can occur when cats suck on their nipples other areas of skin and other objects. One of the kittens has this habit of licking the other kitten s stomach as if he were nursing. Cats might suckle on rugs your skin tags your ears or your fingers. It is not recommended to separate the kitten from its mother before 4 weeks.

Why is nursing important. Feral cat mothers don t actually abandon their kittens. Dip your fingertip or the syringe or bottle the kitten is used to nursing from into the liquid let the kitten lick it then guide him by moving your finger down into the bowl. The kitten is able to spend more time alone without the mother if it becomes independent.

Since this isn t the case here the only down side would be a similar sore spot on the momma who is well equipped to beat up the kitten making her hurt. For the first week the kittens absorb colostrum from their mother s milk. Kittens nursing on each other can irritate or injure each other especially if they nurse on the wrong spots.