When Can You Wean a Kitten From Its Mother?

A mother cat nurses her young kittens until they reach four weeks of age, when they can walk on their own and begin to digest solid food. At this age, you can slowly begin to wean the kittens from their mother's milk and care, onto soft foods over a period of six weeks, until you can separate the kittens from their mom.

  1. Mother's Care

    • After birth, a kitten must nurse from its mother to ingest colostrum from its mother's milk within the first 24 hours, according to PetPlace.com. This substance contains antibodies to give the kittens immunity from disease. Kittens will continue to nurse from the mother for their first four weeks, during which time they receive her warmth and care. The mother attends to her kitten's cleanliness and stimulates them to eliminate with her gentle cleaning. Her initial care during the kittens' first few weeks of life is necessary, while they mature enough to open their eyes and walk around on their own.

    Growth

    • When kittens reach four weeks old, you will observe them being able to walk around on their own. At this time, the kittens begin to grow their first teeth, making nursing uncomfortable for the mother cat, according to Animal Planet. During this time, the mother cat will begin to separate herself from her kittens more often, to discourage their frequent nursing. Their new teeth allow the kittens to chew on solid food. With increasingly infrequent nursing from their mother, kittens will begin to sample their mother's food, imitating her behavior, to obtain their nourishment.

    Weaning

    • To assist the mother cat in weaning her kittens onto solid foods, provide them with kitten milk replacement formula in a shallow dish at around four weeks old. Allow the kittens to explore the dish, walking in the formula, to learn how to eat from a dish, rather than nurse. After a few days of feeding the formula, mix it with canned kitten food to form an oatmeal-like consistency. Continue to feed this mixture for six weeks, slowly increasing the portion of canned food and decreasing the portion of formula. Once kittens are between 10 and 12 weeks old, they can eat solid food alone.

    Separation

    • When kittens reach 10 to 12 weeks old, you can safely separate them from their mother. Prior to this time, between the ages of 3 weeks to 10 weeks, handle the kittens for short amounts of time to socialize them to touch and the presence of humans. Initially, after the separation, the mother and kittens may become stressed, eating less than usual for a few days, according to PetPlace.com. This is normal, while the kittens adjust to their new life away from their mother. Separation at this age is less stressful and safer than at a younger age; it also allows the kittens to learn all of the skills necessary for them to become independent.