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What Do 8 Week Old Kittens Eat

Raw Foods For Your Kitten

What & How to Feed Kittens age 4 to 6 Weeks old

Meats that are human-grade such as raw chicken or lamb can, in theory, be used but always ensure the food is fresh if youre going to go down this route. Bear in mind though that research suggests a mixed opinion and I would go with the majority here that say leave the raw foods out of the kittens diet until they are around 20 weeks. There are so many alternatives these days.

One argument for introducing raw foods is that animals in the wild eat raw. This is true. It is also true that animals in the wild have a significantly lower lifespan than domesticated cats.

How Much To Feed A Kitten

Kittens are growing rapidly at this young age and eat a lot of food compared to adult cats. We want to provide their bodies with everything necessary for growth, but we also want to develop healthy long-term eating habits.

Feeding guidelines are variable by kitten. However, most often, using the feeding directions on the bag or can of food is a good starting place, and then you can adjust as needed for your kitten. Your veterinarian can use metabolic formulas to calculate the number of calories required per day based on your kittens current weight.

We want kittens to come hungry for their meal, but we also dont want them to be feeling so hungry that they devour the entire meal in a few seconds. Often, young kittens may eat ¼ to ½ cup of food at a time.

If your kitten is thin, we may need to increase the caloric requirement per day. If your kitten is gaining too much weight too quickly, we may need to cut back. Your veterinarian will use a tool called a body condition score to assess your kittens weight.

What Does A Kitten At 8 Weeks Do All Day 8 Week Old Kitten Behavior

Most of us know that kittens are very playful, and you can spend a lot of money on kitten toys! But what do kittens really like to play with? And what do they do all day?

Well, perhaps the largest part of your new kittens time will be spent sleeping. Cats sleep a lot throughout their lives, but an 8 week old cat really does sleep for much of the day, and your kitten will probably be asleep for at least 18 hours out of every 24.

When your kitten is awake, hell enjoy playing with toys, and for a quick shopping guide we have put together .

Billys favorite puzzle box * came from Amazon.

Ive also written a detailed review of the best toys for kittens that you might find helpful. It is of course heavily biased by my own kittens opinions!

As for where your kitten should sleep, whenever possible, hell probably chose your lap, or a place near to where you spend a lot of your time.

If you want to buy him a cozy bed of his own, he may enjoy a kitten cave*.

This was Billys favorite bed for the first few months of his life. You can find

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When Can Kittens Eat Dry Food

Ensuring your kittens get the vital nutrients they need from their diet is essential for their growth and development. According to animal sanctuary and activism group Best Friends, kittens should be exclusively nursed or bottle-fed for the first month of life. Heres what a general feeding schedule should look like:

I Just Got Two 8 Week Old Kittens On Friday Over The Course Of The Weekend They Have Been Eating Less And One Threw Up

Best food for 8 week old kitten. Recently adopted this bundle of joy ...

Customer: JA: Customer: JA: Customer: JA: Customer: JA: Customer:

Hello, this is Dr. Cynthia. Thank you for contacting JustAnswer. I am credentialed as a cat specialist, but I do all animals. Dogs, cats, horses, and farm animals. I have over 30 years clinical experience with a degree in animal nutrition also. I will try to help with your concerns on here.

Please try to read each post in its entirety and answer all questions as best you can as the amount of information can be challenging especially if you are on a mobile device.

PLEASE NOTE! I cannot do phone calls. If you prefer a call and/or you accept the offer this chat will automatically end and I will not be able to respond further in this chat. You will be transferred to the next available Expert by phone. There may be a time delay until another Expert is available to call. If you want to continue here with chat just decline or ignore the phone call offer.

Please understand that this is a consulting site only. Without a proper physical examination we cannot by law issue a prescription for medication or make a definitive diagnosis for your pet. Based on the information that you provide we can evaluate your situation and advise you on home care and treatment or determine if it would be best to see your local veterinarian.

I just want to be sure I understand the problem clearly.

Is the vomit clear/white, yellow, brown, or all food?

Also, is your kitty strictly indoors? Are there other pets in the home?

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Feeding Kittens 6 To 8 Weeks Old

When a kitten is 6 to 8 weeks old, it should be thoroughly weaned from the bottle and transitioned to solid foods. At this time, offer only food thats been specially formulated for kittens. Its a good idea to mix dry and canned food together so your pet experiences both at a young age. As your kitten ages, you can switch to an all-dry or all-canned diet. You should be feeding a kitten this age three to four times per day, depending on their appetite. Its also important to keep a clean, shallow bowl of fresh water available at all times to keep your kitten hydrated.

What To Feed Kittens At 8 Weeks Old

There are several different types food manufactured as a kitten diet at 8 weeks. Dry food is very popular because it stores well, is light, is low odor and not messy. But sadly, it can cause problems.

For the best food for kittens at 8 weeks we recommend wet food*. This is especially important for male kittens, as dry food can give them painful crystals in their bladder. The first you may know of this is when you see blood in the litter box.It wont affect every male kitten but we dont think it is worth the risk. There are lots of different types of kitten food on the market. It comes in cans, like the popular Purina brands shown above. And in pouches. Either is fine.

Look for a wet food that is specifically designed to provide a complete diet for a young kitten. Food for adult cats is not appropriate.

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First A Transitional Time

A mother cat will start her litter on the weaning process when they’re about a month old. The kittens will begin to show an interest in cat food around that time. Slowly, they can be given tastes of kitten food that is soaked in water until it’s quite soft. Solid food can be gradually increased as the kittens nurse less often over the next few weeks. When a kitten is about eight weeks old, the weaning process will probably be complete, and he’ll be eating 100 percent kitten food.

At 8 Weeks Is A Kitten Weaned

8 week-old Kitten Care

Weaning or stopping breastfeeding or replacement milk is normally done when the kitten is around 6 weeks old. The kitten then switches from a 100% milk diet to a more solid diet . If the kitten stays with its mother, weaning can be done gradually over several weeks. But if it is separated from its mother, the kitten quickly switches to a 100% solid diet. Therefore, at 8 weeks

If your kitten is still drinking milk at 8 weeks, it should be replaced gradually its milk with kibbles and in this way wean your 8 week old kitten. An 8 week old kitten is usually ready for gradual weaning. If your 8 week old kitten had difficulty chewing dry kibble, you should moisten them with a little hot water to be able to soften them slightly

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How Long Can Newborn Kittens Go Without Milk

If you find an abandoned kitten or your kittens, they will only survive for around 12 hours without food. Older kittens can live as long as four days without nursing, but time is of the essence. If you cant find a home for your kitten, you may be able to adopt one from an animal shelter or rescue organization. You can also adopt a kitten from a breeder or pet store.

How Often Should 6 Week Old Kittens Eat Wet Food

Offer wet food 2-3 times a day . They can eat and drink from a bowl of dry kibble and water. Play with your kitten on the floor or in a crate. They will love to play with a ball or toy. If you have a litter box, make sure it is large enough for the kittens to climb in and out of.

Make sure they have plenty of room to run around and play. Do not leave them alone for long periods of time, as they can become very anxious and fearful if they are left alone too long. Give them lots of love and attention, but do not over-stimulate them or they will become fearful of you and will not be interested in playing with you.

Read Also: When Do Kittens Stop Drinking Milk From Their Mother

What Should My Kitten Eat

Before your new kitten arrives home with you, it is useful to have checked what food they were weaned onto and have some of this ready at home, even if its not the diet you want to use long-term. Sudden changes in diet can cause digestive upsets. It is best to get your kitten happily settled in their new home and then gradually change their food over the course of 4-5 days if you wish to.

A complete kitten diet is recommended: this can be wet, dry or a combination. High quality diets will have the correct balance of energy and protein, with added vitamins and antioxidants for growth and development.

What Human Food Can Kittens Eat

Hedgehog and kitten sharing food photo WP12432

Cats are obligate carnivores, so really your cat can eat plain, well-cooked meat of any kind. Raw or undercooked meat is not good for your cat, as bacteria and parasites can cause serious health concerns in your cat including diarrhea and vomiting.

Cats should only eat up to 10 percent of their daily food requirements as food other than their main balanced diet.

If you choose to feed human food to your cat, it would equate to approximately 1 tablespoon in total per day. As long as the human food is safe for your cat and all treats including human food are kept to a total of 1 tablespoon per day, your kitten can enjoy some human food!

Examples of safe human foods for kittens include:

  • Meat, plain and well-cooked
  • Vegetables , fresh and plain
  • Fruit , fresh and plain including strawberries!
  • Starches, plain and cooked such as rice, potato, bread or noodles
  • Popcorn, cooked without salt or butter

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How To Mix Gruel

Small batch : ½ can of wet kitten food mixed with ¼ can of formula .

Large batch: Whisk 8 cans wet kitten food with 4 cans of fresh, warm formula . At this age, kittens like their food a little lumpy so they can chew.

Note: Substitute the warm water for formula in gruel for kittens 5 weeks and older.

Helpful tips when using gruel:

  • When introducing kittens to gruel, put gruel in a flat dish and place kittens near the dish. If they do not start to eat on their own after a few minutes, use tongue depressor or spoon to scoop gruel into kittens mouth. You may have to open their mouth and put a little in. You can also put a little gruel on their nose and see if they will lick it off. Sometimes the kittens need to adjust to the new taste.
  • Once kitten starts to eat gruel off the spoon or tongue depressor , slowly start to lower it towards the dish of gruel. The kittens should easily transition from the spoon or depressor to the dish .
  • During the weaning process, kittens still need to be bottle-fed three times per day to ensure they are receiving proper nutrients.

What Treats Can I Feed My Cat

Every cat-owner will be all too aware that cats love treats. If you do opt to give your cat treats, make sure you limit the amount throughout the day so they dont gain weight. Treats specially formulated for cats are a much better option than leftovers or raw meat, although a small amount of cooked chicken or fish is fine.

Food enrichment puzzles and toys are great ways to keep your cat occupied as well as limiting their treat intake. Alternatively, why not treat your cat to a little extra attention or play time? Youll strengthen the bond between you and your cat, without the potential weight gain.

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Stimulation For Urination And Defecation

Mother cats groom their kittens to stimulate urination and defecation on a regular basis. If you are acting as their foster parent, you get this important duty. Very young orphan kittens will not be able to urinate and defecate without your help, so this is a crucial part of neonatal kitten care. Before and after each feeding, gently rub the kitten on its lower abdomen, as well as the genitals and rectum with a cotton ball/pad dipped in warm water or a fragrance free baby wipe. Make sure to rub only enough to get the kitten to eliminate because overstimulation will irritate the area. Keep an eye out for chafing and lingering dirt and do not let the kitten get chilled. Kittens should urinate during each stimulation. They should defecate at least once daily.

General guidelines are:

  • Kittens need to be stimulated until about 3 weeks of age.
  • Kittens should be stimulated before and after each feeding.
  • Kitten should urinate every time and defecate at least once daily.

When kittens get to be 3 4 weeks old, they no longer need help eliminating body wastes. Place a litter box in the crate or cage and fill with non-clumping litter or shredded newspaper. Clumping litter can create litter clumps in their stomachs and respiratory passages and should not be used with young kittens.

for a video from Maddies Institute on how to stimulate a kitten to urinate and defecate.

Supplies You Will Need For Newborns And Young Kittens:

1 Week Old Kitten Update!
  • Kitten formula such as Just Born or KMR . The liquid formula is best to use if you are not sure what to do.
  • Feeding bottles and several nipples .
  • Eye dropper or syringe in case the kitten will not eat from the bottle.
  • Several bath towels for bedding and cleaning kittens.
  • Kitchen food scale for weighing kittens .
  • Digital rectal thermometer

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Kitten Not Eating: A Vet’s Guide To Causes And Solutions

Is your kitten not eating? These tips can help get your kitten back to the food bowl

You may be understandably worried about your kitten not eating, especially if theyre turning their nose up at even the more premium kitten food from the kitchen cupboard or they simply avoid the food bowl altogether.

A kitten not eating for more than 24 hours is cause for concern and she should be evaluated by a veterinarian. There are many possible reasons why your kitten may stop eating, but the good news is that your veterinarian can often help solve the problem with appropriate diagnostics and treatment.

Lets take a look at some of the potential causes for loss of appetite in kittens and what you can do to help get your kitten back to the food bowl.

When To Worry About A Kitten Not Eating

If your kitten hasnt eaten in more than 24 hours, then its time for a visit to your veterinarian. This is especially important if your kitten has any other symptoms of illness, such as vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, or abdominal pain.

Very young kittens, such as those under 6 weeks of age, should see a veterinarian even sooner because they are at risk for hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, if they do not eat regularly.

Signs of hypoglycemia include loss of appetite, weakness, stumbling, falling over, disorientation, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, and death. If you suspect your kitten may be hypoglycemic, rub some karo syrup, honey, or even maple syrup onto your kittens gums and take her to a veterinarian immediately.

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Feeding Kittens 4 To 5 Weeks Old

By the time a kitten is about 4 weeks old, its often ready to start eating solid food. 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. Sometimes it helps to gently rub a tiny bit of canned food on the kittens lips to give them a little sampling of whats available. Never rush this process. A kitten will begin eating solid foods on their own schedulea timeline that can vary from kitten to kitten.

Meanwhile, keep offering milk replacer in a bottle to make sure the kitten is maintaining their weight and getting all the nutrition they require. Weighing your kitten every day or so is also a good way to be sure your pet is gaining weight and developing properly. Make sure to provide a shallow bowl of fresh water once the kitten reaches 4 weeks of age.

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