It's safe to say that the weaning period is among the most critical phases in the life of cats as it signifies their independence. Most of the time, a mother cat should begin weaning her kitten once they reach 4-week-old and it tends to last for 2 weeks. The majority of the kittens would transit from milk to solid food without much difficulty. Nonetheless, a few kittens persistently ask for milk and refuse to leave the queen alone. In that situation, many people want to step in but unfortunately, they don't how to wean a stubborn kitten.
Stuck in the same predicament? If that happens to the case then this article may be of use to you. Take a good look at the information down below if you want to learn how to wean a stubborn kitten.
The Root Of The Problem
Being capricious creatures, the felines often do whatever they want which makes them seem a bit hardheaded on multiple occasions. That being said, if a kitten adamantly sticks to milk instead of accepting solid foods, there must be a reason. Here are a few possibilities you need to keep in mind while figuring out how to wean a stubborn kitten.
- Ignorance: Most cats have a carefree attitude so they rarely understand what is considered appropriate. As a result, it's natural for the felines to go bonkers now and then. In the case of kittens before weaning, mother milk is the current source of nutrient so it takes time to acclimatize them to solids foods. While many kittens comply with the wish of the mother cat, several ignore her pleas. Since the queen is tired after taking care of the entire litter, it's possible that she lacks the strength to push away stubborn children.
- Uncertainty: Generally speaking, cats excel at noticing changes in the surrounding which dictate their behavior. Therefore, if a kitten sudden finds an "odd" dish of solid foods instead of the "familiar" nipple of its mom, the pet shall freak out. Needless to say, the weaning process tends to get quite difficult if the kitten is overcome by fears of uncertainty. That is why it's essential that you time the transition carefully to avoid stressing your fluffy friend by mistake. Overall, the average kittens don't thrive if they have to live under constant stress.
- Character: Different cats have different personalities, some go with the flow while others refuse to be pushed around by anyone. As a result, it's strongly recommended that cat parents see felines as individuals. Occasionally, there would be kittens with a temper that requires special attention to wean properly. At first, things could be tedious as the pets decline to cooperate but if you keep trying, they should obey. Whatever happens, don't allow frustration to take over because cats read expression quite well.
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Weaning: Suggestions For Cat Parents
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Isolate The Stubborn Kitten Periodically
Every day, remove the hardhead kid from the mother cat just for a few hours in order to let it get used to her absence. Of course, you have to prepare separate foods, waters and litter for your fluffy friend. After realizing that it's able to survive by itself, the pet shall choose to be away from its mother. Similar to human babies, kittens would initially make a mess out of their foods so it's widely advised that you keep napkins on hand. To help your kitten stay warm, you have to wipe it off now and then.
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Use Fingers To Imitate Nipples
For kittens that don't take in anything besides the milk of their mother, the finger feeding method works well. To the eyes of your furball, your finger looks like the nipple of its mom. Because of that, if you hover your finger right around the mouth of your kitten long enough, the pet is going to suck on it. You could use that to your advantage by placing bits of foods on your finger then gently push it forward the lip of your cat. Needless to say, you may end up with a few nips but the pet should soon move to solid foods.
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Add Waters Into Foods (Moderately)
In case you have an exceptionally stubborn kitten, you must take a special approach. Mix foods with waters until you have a semisolid mixture. Since the consistency of the mixture is similar to milk that comes from its mom, your kitten would accept it without making a big fuss. When your fluffy friend gets a taste of meat, it's only a matter of time before the pet forgets its attachment to mother milk. Gradually reduce the amount of water mixed in the foods to allow the kitten to adjust to its new diet.
Essential Issues While Weaning Kittens
- Use Correct Types Of Foods: Generally speaking, kittens grow rapidly which is why compared to foods for adult cats, foods for kittens contain more nutrients. Hence, if you buy foods for your fluffy friend from pet stores, it's necessary to check out the label. Certain products could satisfy the nutrient of cats at all life stages but others limit themselves to particular age groups. Obviously, buying the right foods for the right cats is the key to the natural development of the average felines.
- Remain Calm At All Times: It's understandable for people to feel frustrated by kittens that refuse to say goodbye to the nipples of their mom. That being said, you have to keep yourself together as cats excel at reading expression. The feline, especially weaning kittens, gets stressed easily so things would get nowhere if you just give in to anger.
- Need Help? Visit The Vets: In case you run out of ideas, consider dropping by the local veterinary clinic with your furball for advice. Compared to most cat parents, trained veterinarians have superior skills and tools to see what is going with the felines. Therefore, a trip to the vet is always a safe bet regardless of what happens. Don’t know how to wean a stubborn kitten? Veterinarians could show you the rope.
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