Kitten Weaned Too Early
25 cats have serious behavior problem.
Kitten weaned too early. In total the weaning process can last as long as ten weeks at which point your kitten should be eating strictly kitty chow. If you are in charge. The weaning process normally begins when kittens are around four weeks old and is usually completed when they reach eight to ten weeks. Very young kittens who are too young to be weaned are called neonates.
In finland for example the experts in the country recommend to begin weaning process when the kittens are 12 weeks old. Around 5 weeks of age the kitten s premolars will begin to emerge indicating that she is likely ready to start trying out some meaty foods. Orphaned kittens or those weaned too soon are more likely to exhibit inappropriate suckling behaviors later in life such as sucking on blankets pillows or your arm. A kitten 0 5 weeks old should be nursing or bottle feeding.
A mother cat wean her babies naturally when kittens are about 2 3 months old by starting to reject her kittens. At what age should kittens be weaned. Kittens are usually weaned at six to seven weeks but they may continue to suckle for comfort as their mother gradually leaves them for longer periods of time. At what age should kittens be weaned.
The best way to know for sure if your kitten was weaned too early is to get her checked by your veterinarian. So what happens when you separate the kittens too early. There are slight differences of opinion regarding the exact best weaning age but all groups agree that ideally weaning should take place between 6 12 weeks of age. Then in many other countries like us the weaning process is started at 8 weeks old.
The most common and widespread belief is that the kitten who may now be an older cat was weaned too early from its mother. There has been some changes over the past decade or so about how some animal control facilities or shelters deal with the problem of orphaned kittens who are too young to eat on their own. Start at the right age kittens bodies are very sensitive to premature weaning so be careful about starting them too young. Making sure your cat is healthy the biggest concern for cats that have been weaned too soon is not the silly little habits that danger held on to but their overall health.
Your vet can give you a good estimate of your kitten s age and give you advice and. Kittens can acquire a lot of negative behaviors because of this early separation as well as health deficiencies.