Friday, May 21, 2010

how long do kittens usually nurse?

the kittens were born about 5 weeks ago there are 5 of them. we took the stray mama cat in when she was about 1 month along. She was very loving until she had the kittens.i think that she is jelous of all the attention they get.i pay most attention to her though.well anyway in the last week or two she doesnt seem to want to nurse them and i feel so bad for the babies.what shpould i do.i tried dry kitten food mixing it with hot water to soften it up like baby food.but the mom ate it all! so i was thinking about getting some cat milk and still try the kitten food puree and just lock the mama out so she doesnt hog all the food.is this a good idea? I know that they have to be really hungry because if the get latched on to their mama's nipple she just kicks them off or gets up and walk away :( it makes my soo sad
thanks for any advice you can give me
Answers:
Normally a mother cat will nurse up to eight weeks. It seems as though she wants to abandon the babies. However you are very lucky that they are older kittens. My best advice to you is to get a wet kitten food, and keep the mother away from the kittens. You will have to try to get them to eat yourself. Nomally kittens would learn all this from their mother.
Buying cat milk would be a good idea as well. You're on the right track
2-3 weeks is a good amount of nursing for kittens. After, let them eat solids for a while, but you still can give them milk, but not from their mother.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Well all dogs and cat mothers get jelous. keep them alittle distant but not too distant. separate the kittans from the mom when they eat.
Momma cat will let you, and the kittens know, when it's time. Don't mess with nature. Peace
You can wean them at five to six weeks. You are right by mixing dry kitten food with water - but don't offer it to the mom! Don't give your kittens milk - they don't need it. Oh, I understand what you mean about the mama getting up while they are nursing, and the kittens just fall off - when we had a cat do that once to her babies, I used to feel so mad at her!
Untill the mother wens them. She will start hissing at them and smacking them. But usally its 6 weeks. All of the kittens we have had they do for longer. At 6 weeks start giving them cat food.
kittens should be weened between 5 and 7 weeks if they nurse too long the mother suffers and it takes all her energy seperate the kittens from the mother at meal times the kittens should have 3 meals a day then the mother cat wont eat there food gradually keep the kittens seperated from the mum as well and they wont rely on her so much and the kittens will get stronger eating kitten food
Generally 4-6 weeks.

Get some kitten formula cat food and put it in there with the kittens with some wate for the next week or so they can still get milk from mom and they can start to learn how to eat and drink from the bowls.

Also put a litter box in there. Than take each kitten one by one and put them in the littler box and take their front paws and run them through the littter.

My cat, Peanut, started eating kitten chow at 4 weeks and he' healthy. You don't have to do a puree just get the kitten chow they will be fine. You don't need to soften it up.
Kittens are usually fully weaned by 7-8 weeks of age, but it's not unheard of for a mother to wean them sooner than that.

Are you sure the mama cat is getting enough nutrition to properly feed all of the kittens? She should have a high-quality food available to her at all times to ensure she is producing enough milk.

If that's the case and she's just pushing them away, I'd say she's trying to wean them already. You could try getting some KMR (basically kitten formula) at a pet store and mixing it in with some food. Or you could just try a small amount of canned food for the kittens. With consistance, they'll get the hang of eating regular food.

For the mama cat, it's a good idea to impose a 24 hour fast with no food or water. It sounds cruel, but it encourages her body to reabsorb the milk so she doesn't become engorged and develop mastitis (mammary infection). If she is swollen, an ice pack can be applied to reduce the swelling and discomfort. And keep the kittens away from her for about a week. After a week, mama should be dried up, and the kittens should be eating solid food.

I'd recommend waiting until the kittens are AT LEAST 8 weeks old before separating them from their mother. They need the next few weeks to become more secure and learn proper social behavior from littermates and mom.
There is no set time. but usually a month.. but again.. NO SET TIME LIMIT

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