When do you start feeding kittens wet food

Reviewed by Amy Flowers, DVM on July 12, 2021

The process of transitioning young kittens from their mother’s milk to solid food is called weaning. During this in-depth process, kittens develop quickly, moving from a state of complete dependence on their mothers to social independence in a matter of weeks.

In an ideal scenario, the mother cat will handle the entire weaning process. However, it may be necessary to step in if you are caring for a kitten who's been separated from their mother. Orphaned kittens, or kittens you may be fostering, rely on you for warmth, nutrition, and socialization in the absence of their mother. Weaning is an important step in socializing your young kitten.

At around four weeks old, kittens are ready to begin weaning. Under four weeks of age, kittens are considered neonatal and might not be ready for weaning from their mother’s milk or formula.

When kittens are ready to wean, you may notice that they've become more mobile and can stand on their feet while holding up their tail. They'll also have their canines and incisors at this point and should be exploring their surroundings through play.

If your kitten is unable to stand, play, or focus their eyes, it's too early to start weaning. At the very earliest, you may begin weaning at three weeks if the kitten shows signs of readiness. Keep a close eye on your kitten to make sure they’re getting enough food.

Most kittens take between four and six weeks to be weaned from their mother or a bottle (if orphaned). The weaning process is relatively brief — a typical kitten will be entirely weaned when they are between eight and ten weeks old.

To begin the weaning process, start by separating mother and kitten for a few hours at a time. This will gradually lessen the kitten’s dependence on their mother and her milk. Both mom and kitten should have their own special area, complete with a litter box, food, and water.

As the kitten becomes more socialized and independent, they'll be able to spend longer periods of time away until they are completely weaned.

Remember that removing a kitten from their mother too quickly can have negative consequences for both mother and baby, such as aggression and other anxious behaviors. Kittens learn how to play, eat, interact, and use a litter box by observing their mother or another adult cat. Ideally, a weaning kitten should be left with their mother.

If kittens are not orphaned, you don't have to feed a bottle. They can still nurse when they are with mom. Just want to have some time away from mom to give her a break and decrease their dependence on her.

While your orphan kitten is weaning, you should feed them kitten formula from a bottle or shallow bowl. When bottle-feeding, always tilt the bottle and make sure the kitten is on their stomach, never their back.

When kittens are still drinking formula, you will need to burp them. Burp a weaning kitten by placing them on your shoulder or on their stomach and patting them gently. You will be able to hear or feel them burp.

To encourage a kitten to make the shift from bottle to bowl, dip your finger into the bowl and let the kitten lick formula off your finger. Gradually direct your kitten to the bowl — patiently — until they learn the process.

IOnce a kitten has started trying to eat mom's food, the process of offering them mushy food can begin.

f you are weaning an orphaned or fostered kitten, plan on serving the kitten milk and food in a shallow saucer or bowl. Don’t use cow’s milk, which can cause an upset stomach and diarrhea in some kittens. Instead, use kitten formula.

Gradually mix the formula with wet food and encourage the kitten to eat it on their own. The next step is to adjust the ratio of formula to wet food until the mixture is primarily wet food. Next, mix formula with dry food and repeat the process.

Remember to always provide your kitten with fresh water.

If you are weaning an orphaned kitten, you can begin weaning at about three weeks of age to begin fostering independence early. Without mom, you’ll want to make sure the kitten is confident about eating on their own as soon as possible.

While weaning can be challenging, remember that kittens are young animals. Don’t be surprised if your kitten wants to step in the bowl, bat the pieces, or spill the saucer. Play is a normal and healthy way for them to explore their environment, so be patient and don’t rush the process. Things may get messy, so make sure to keep your kitten clean after each feeding.

Kittens live the first 2 weeks of their lives only consuming their mother’s milk. By the time kittens are 6 weeks old, they will be ready to wean and starting eating some solid food. The weaning process lasts approximately 2 to 4 weeks, so kittens should be fully weaned by the time they are 8 to 10 weeks old.[1] X Research source Go to source In order to begin introducing kittens to solid food, you’ll need to wait for the kittens to begin weaning naturally, and then serve small amounts of wet cat food in a room with the kittens for them to begin eating.

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Do not begin weaning too early. Kittens need their mother’s nutrient-heavy milk to gain sufficient weight in the first two or three weeks of life. Forcing the kittens to wean early will be physically harmful to them, and will also upset the mother cat. The kitten’s eyes will be open and it will be steady on its feet before weaning naturally begins.[2] X Trustworthy Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Leading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty Go to source
- If the kitten’s eyes are still shut and the animal is not yet steady on its feet, it’s still too early to begin weaning the kitten.
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Let the mother cat begin the weaning process. The kittens will be weaned naturally: starting when the kittens are around 3 or 4 weeks, the mother will begin pushing them away when they nuzzle her to nurse.[3] X Research source Go to source At this point, the kittens will begin to look for other sources of food, and you can start to present them with solid food.
- Were the kittens living in the wild, at this point in their development (3 or 4 weeks) they would begin eating birds, squirrels, and other animals that their mother killed for them.
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Allow the kittens to continue nursing intermittently. Weaning is not a sudden, abrupt process. Although kittens will begin being weaned in week 3 or 4, they will continue to need diminishing amounts of their mother’s milk for the next 4 weeks. During weeks 5, 6, and 7, kittens will become more assertive with their mother and will initiate nursing on their own, rather than waiting for their mother to initiate nursing.[4] X Research source Go to source
- It’s also important that the kittens gain independence from their mother as the weaning process goes on. This will encourage them to look for food sources other than their mother’s milk.
- Between weeks 3 and 8, give the kittens a safe space to wander around in your house or apartment – while supervised – to fulfill their natural curiosity.

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Begin with a milk substitute. If you’re concerned that kittens will not readily take to eating solid food, you can provide a milk substitute as an intermediary step – one designed for kittens that will give them the nourishment they need.[5] X Trustworthy Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Leading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty Go to source Mix the milk substitute into canned kitten food, since it can upset their stomachs alone. You should serve the milk substitute around the times when the kittens usually nurse from their mother. So, if the kittens typically nurse every two hours, you should set out a fresh bowl of mixed food and substitute at the same interval.
- You can find a milk substitute at most pet stores, and it may even be for sale at your local supermarket. If you prefer to order online, you can order a milk substitute (sometimes called a "kitten milk replacement") from stores like PetCo and PetSmart.
- Do not give kittens cow’s milk. Cow’s milk is not very nourishing to the kittens, and can give them upset stomachs and diarrhea.
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Serve the kittens a kitten-specific wet food. Many cat food brands manufacture a kitten-specific wet food that will provide the specific forms of nutrition needed by kittens between 3 and 10 weeks old.[6] X Research source Go to source The food packaging itself should include instructions for when to switch the kittens over to a food for full-grown, adult cats.
- Kitten-specific wet food should be included in the "Pet Food" section at any local grocery store. If you’d like a wider variety or are searching for a specific brand of food, you can look at a local pet-supply store.
- If this is your first time introducing kittens to solid food, ask your veterinarian for nutritional advice and what wet food for kittens they recommend.
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Dampen small kibble before serving it to the kittens. It often works well to transition kittens from soft, wet food to kibble. You can feed kittens wet food starting in week 3 or 4; by week 5 or 6, you can begin to introduce some dampened kibble.[7] X Research source Go to source When you decide to start serving kibble to the kittens, you should first dampen the kibble with a small amount of water or milk substitute. This will make the kibble easier to chew and swallow for kittens not used to hard food.
- Even if you’re introducing kittens to hard kibble before introducing them to soft, wet food, it’s still important to serve them kibble that has been designed specifically for kittens.

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Place wet food in a low saucer or dish. To begin feeding solid food to the kittens, you can scoop some soft, wet food (or milk substitute) into a small dish. Make sure to use a low dish so that the small kittens can easily access the food. This food should be served at roughly room temperature, although you can refrigerate leftover wet food. Do not serve the food to the kittens hot, as it could burn them.[8] X Research source Go to source
- To encourage independence, set this dish away from the mother. Place the food dish (and a water dish) away from the kittens’ litter box, too, since cats don’t like to eat near their litter.[9] X Research source Go to source
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Begin by serving a single tablespoon of food. Although the kittens will soon develop larger appetites as they stop consuming their mother’s milk and begin to grow rapidly, at first they will eat relatively little. Scoop only a tablespoon of wet food (per kitten) into the dish; the kittens are too small to eat much more than this.[10] X Research source Go to source
- By serving only a small amount of food, you’ll save yourself from having to throw substantial amounts of cat food away after every feeding. The kittens will also likely step in the food in the saucer, so be prepared to throw this food out also.
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Feed the kittens multiple times throughout the day. Unlike grown cats, kittens need to eat many times throughout the day, as they’ll be used to frequently nursing from their mother. Since kittens will eat solid food periodically during the day, you need to serve food multiple times.[11] X Research source Go to source Plan to give the kittens wet food 4 or 5 times each day: for example, set out a tablespoon of food per kitten at 8 am, 11 am, 3 pm, 6 pm, and 9 pm.
- As kittens grow older and pass 10 weeks of age, you can begin to reduce the feeding times gradually: drop down to 4, then 3. When the kittens are between 4 to 6 months old, you can try only feeding them once in the morning and once in the evening.
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Offer the kittens a little solid food on the tip of your finger. If the kittens are hesitant to approach the wet food, or are uncertain of how to interact with the new substance, pick up a little on the tip of your finger (or on the top of a clean spoon) and offer it to the kittens. Once they have a chance to smell the food, the kittens will begin to eat. Don’t be surprised if they initially only eat small amounts of the wet food.[12] X Research source Go to source
- When offering wet food, be careful not to force it into the kittens’ faces. This could give them a fear of food, and could also accidentally be inhaled. Just hold your finger (with food on it) 2–3 inches from the kitten’s nose and let the cat come closer.
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Introduce food to each kitten individually. Due to personality differences, some kittens will naturally be more inquisitive, and others more shy. To make sure that all of the kittens are successfully weaned, you can introduce solid food to each one individually. You can do this by picking up the kittens one at a time and taking them each over to a small dish with food in it, or by extending your finger with a small amount of food to each kitten individually.[13] X Research source Go to source
- If some kittens are especially shy around the food, try gently holding their mouths open and swipe a tiny morsel off food on their tongue. This will let them taste the food and hopefully encourage them to try more.

Co-authored by:

Certified Veterinary Technician

This article was co-authored by Deanne Pawlisch, CVT, MA. Deanne Pawlisch is a Certified Veterinary Technician, who does corporate training for veterinary practices and has taught at the NAVTA-approved Veterinary Assistant Program at the Harper College in Illinois and in 2011 was elected to the board of the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Foundation. Deanne has been a Board Member of the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Foundation in San Antonio, Texas since 2011. She holds a BS in Anthropology from Loyola University and an MA in Anthropology from Northern Illinois University. This article has been viewed 92,112 times.

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 92,112 times.

"This article was very clear that weaning a kitten and starting them on solid food is a gradual process and that the kittens may not eat much to begin with."