6 Week Kitten Struggling To Wean

[Tillycat17]

Indie was 6 weeks on Tuesday and we've been weaning since 5 weeks, mum cat has nearly completely stopped feeding them. All the others I have weaned well (I followed kitten lady's website/did a slurry mix) but Indie has completely refused. After over a week I can finally get her to have kitten milk in a dish and water. But she refuses all other food. She is obviously hungry (she just climbed on my lap meowing for milk again). Any tips? I've tried a whole host a different foods and amounts in her milk to get her to try it but she refuses.
The vet said on Monday to stop the cat milk all together which we've tried but she's starving! Any advice much appreciated!

 

[di and bob]

5-6 weeks is awfully young for a mother cat to stop nursing. Indie is obviously not ready. She will eat solid/semi solid foods when she is ready and mature enough to handle it. I would keep giving her the kitten milk, you obviously have no other choice, but keep trying everyday to introduce her to food, sooner or later she will eat. Try to tempt her away from the others so they don't compete with her, offer tuna, bacon, anything with a strong smell. You might just add a tiny amount of cat food to her milk and see if she will accept it, then increase the amount of solids until she is eating. All kittens mature at different rates, just like humans, a week behind is not alarming. If she is not eating at 8 weeks have a vet check her out. Good luck!

 

[talkingpeanut]

Can you bottle feed her? If she's not ready to wean, she needs to eat

 

[Sarthur2]

I agree you need to continue giving her kitten formula. She must have nutrition to grow.

Have you tried Gerber turkey baby food? Offering it to her on your finger? It does not need thinning with anything as it is easy to lap and digest.

Also try softening dry kitten chow with kitten milk, like a bowl of cereal.

My cats loved both when they were weaning.

 

[Tillycat17]

Mum cat just decided she's had enough of them and won't let them feed at all. So Indie I'm giving kitten milk and also still trying kitten milk mixed with a little kitten mouse food but she still won't try any. I've try mixing it with the dry food. I don't think I can buy that baby food here in the U.K.? We've been using royal canin baby mouse and dry food. Also natures menu. For indie I've also tried a few others brands of mouse to see if she would try any (they've all been natural/at least 70% meat) and different amounts in her milk.
I'll keep trying, my next thought was tuna or chicken cut up?

shall I still let the others have kitten milk too?

 

[Sarthur2]

Sure! The others still need the calcium from the milk!

I started to ask what kitten mouse food is, but I see you meant mousse!

 

[LTS3]

I'm not sure if Gerber (Human) baby food is sold in the UK You can get the Gerber 2nd Chciken from Amazon.uk:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gerber-Foods-Meats-Chicken-2-5-Ounce/dp/B004BCYWY8

Any baby food that is just pate meat in broth with nothing else is fine to give to a kitten.

Have you tried watering down canned kitten food with the milk replacer and feeding that from a bottle or syringe?

 

[riley1]

I just had to wean 5 fosters at 5 weeks and they were not happy! I would have kept bottle feeding them but they never took to the bottle and the shelter feed them with a syringe before I got them. The shelter always sends people back to get mom but she was too feral to stay with her kittens. She went to Friends of Ferals to be a barn or warehouse cat. Problem was I could not get enough milk into these guys with a syringe. All except one would not suck on it and it was taking hours to get enough food into them. I tried turkey and chicken Gerbers and neither was acceptable. Got some Mother and Baby Cat canned food. Mixed it with milk and delivered it to their little mouths; sort of like it or not. After a bit they decided it was not too bad and we slowly moved to a plate and let them lick it off a plastic spoon. I think it took almost a week but now they are eating it off the plate. Sometimes I have to prime the pump by taking them to the plate and putting some on their mouths. Mother and Baby Cat as well as prescription AD are very soft and work well with a syringe or bottle. Just make the hole in the bottle a little bigger. Start out with mostly milk and work your way up. And by all means give the others milk mixed with their wet food. You can start to decrease when they are 8-9 weeks old. Baby Cat and AD are very expensive, about $3 for 6 oz can. I am starting to work another canned food and eliminate the expensive types. I hope this helps you and good luck raising babies!

 

[Tillycat17]

Sure! The others still need the calcium from the milk!

I started to ask what kitten mouse food is, but I see you meant mousse!

Haha sorry yes I did mean mousse! Silly auto correct. I'll try mixing it with dry food and I'll also try a bit of mousse in a bottle.

How much milk should I give to give to the others? I've been doing 2 dishes a day. The vet said to stop it all together but they love it and the others drink water and eat well anyway.

 

[Sarthur2]

Two dishes a day is fine. I gave it to mine until 12 weeks, as mom was spayed when they were 8 weeks, and her milk was drying up.

 

[riley1]

I don't give them bowls of plain milk. I mix it into the wet food.