The appearance of an animal in a house is by no means an ordinary event. Any living creature needs affection, care and proper care. Particular attention to themselves is required by small pets. Unfortunately, many of us, trying to revive our home with the presence of a kitten, do not even think about how comfortable the baby will feel in unfamiliar conditions.
In addition, not knowing when the kittens begin to eat themselves, you can do tremendous harm to the body of a small creature. It is important to take care of the correct diet of the pet from the very first days, to know how and what to pamper it with.
Features of feeding kittens
I immediately want to note that kittens in their development go through almost the same stages as our children. They are born completely helpless. The first weeks, the cat-mother takes care of all the newborn babies. But this time passes, and fluffy fidgets are already running and playing with pleasure. This is exactly the period when the kitten begins to eat itself: first milk, and a little later - more serious food. The owner must teach the baby to eat on their own, to educate the right behavior, to ensure a complete diet.
Although kittens can feed on breast milk for up to two months, by the end of the third week, such a limited menu does not suit them. They show interest in the contents of the mother plate. Kittens try to taste adult food. Of course, at first nothing works out for the kids. Therefore, a person is obliged to help his pet at the initial stage. In the early days when the kitten begins to eat on its own, it is best to give it a completely liquid porridge, cooked in milk.
With the appearance of the first milk teeth, and this happens at the age of two months, you can gradually accustom the baby to solid food. When the kitten turns two and a half months old, he will be able to eat any food. At the same time, he will gradually wean from his mother’s milk.
How to feed a newborn kitten?
Often a baby, only when it is born, is deprived of maternal care. To save the kitten from imminent death, the owner must put a lot of work and patience. In such a situation, you should first contact your veterinarian. The specialist will tell you when the kittens start eating on their own, explain how to replace cat's milk, and help create a diet for a newborn.
The first month of the pet should be fed about eight times a day. Replace mother's milk with cow, give it warm. Since the baby still does not know how, it is advisable to use a pipette for feeding. In the future, all complementary foods should be introduced slowly. It is very important. First add unsweetened semolina porridge cooked in milk diluted in a ratio of 1: 2 to the diet. After normalizing the stool, you can diversify the menu of a favorite of rice, hercules or buckwheat. In the case when the kittens themselves begin to eat the offered dishes, you can diversify their food with a small amount of low-fat cottage cheese.
Nutrition after 1.5 months
Later, closer to two months, you can give meat and fish in boiled form. Pampering your pet with fresh fish is also worth it, but only occasionally. Be sure to ensure that no large seeds are caught in the product. It is recommended to give food in small pieces, it is permissible to mix meat or fish with any porridge cooked on the water. The best food option for a small kitten is canned food, which can be easily purchased at any supermarket. True, it’s worthwhile to clarify at what time kittens begin to eat such food themselves.
It’s tastier from your own saucer
Day after day, you watch your pet grow up. He loves to run and frolic, so he needs enhanced nutrition. It is time to accustom him to an independent life. So that he does not get confused from the first difficulties, he needs to be helped again. It has already been said above that kittens show an interest in a bowl or saucer at a fairly young age of about three weeks.
This is the most convenient time to teach your baby good manners, that is, eat from your own plate. At first, when the kittens begin to eat themselves, they still do not understand what they have to do in order to have a tasty meal. Therefore, first pour a little milk in a shallow bowl. Then dip your finger and let it lick the cat. When the baby feels the taste of milk, put it closer to the saucer and carefully dip in its face. From fright, the animal will back off, shake off and lick itself intensely. And then he remembers the taste of milk, which he was given to lick with his finger and the contents of the saucer will become attractive to him. Remember, when kittens start to eat from a bowl themselves, not everything goes smoothly: they snort and sneeze, let out milk bubbles. This happens because the furry creatures have not yet learned to lap.
Often babies paws try to get into the dishes. Such manners must be stopped immediately. To teach a pet decent behavior, remove it from a bowl, wipe its paws with a napkin, and again place it near the food container. If the prankster wants to once again repeat the unsightly act, hold him. Thus, consistently and patiently, you will teach the baby the main rule: paws are not supposed to be in food!
Some useful tips
Experienced people advise when a kitten starts to eat from a saucer himself, you should not give him potatoes, slices of bread or dry foods right away. A small organism needs to get used to new food. Let the adaptation period be comfortable for him.
Do not forget to pour clean water on a kitten who begins to eat on his own. Do not be upset if he will drink a little. The fact is that animals receive the required amount of liquid with food. Many owners complain that when the kittens start eating themselves, they cannot determine if they have enough food. It is not difficult to understand this by evaluating the condition of the tray: if the baby visits him regularly, then he receives a sufficient amount of feed.
Conclusion
Here's a quick summary of feeding small kittens. To pets grow healthy, their owners must make a lot of effort. But how many joyful minutes they will then give to their benefactors! How much heat will be given to your home!