At four weeks old, kittens are typically ready to start the weaning process. Here are some guidelines for feeding kittens at this age:
- Mix kitten formula with wet food and either let the kittens eat it themselves from a dish or feed them the mixture with a kitten-specific bottle.
- Gradually adjust the mixture so its more wet food and less formula.
- Once the kittens can eat wet food, start mixing formula with dry food, too.
- Provide a shallow bowl of fresh water once the kitten reaches 4 weeks of age.
- Feed gruel 3-4 times a day and thicken the gruel gradually. Dry food and water should be available at all times.
- Some kittens do not like wet food and some kittens do not like dry food. Make sure your options are meeting the needs of your kittens’ tastes.
It's important to remember to introduce solid food slowly into their diet by mixing a little canned kitten food with milk replacer on a tablespoon. It may take a few tries, but eventually, your kitten will be interested enough to begin lapping up the mixture on its own. Never rush this process.
