How to Wean Hard-to-Wean Kittens

Kittens are naturally weaned by their mother, yet sometimes stubborn kittens refuse to stop suckling. In such cases, assistance by humans is often necessary to prevent the kittens from depleting their mother's health. According to the ASPCA, weaning is the process of transitioning a kitten from its mother's milk to solid food. The weaning process begins when a kitten is around 4 weeks old and usually ends when the kitten reaches 8 to 10 weeks.

Things You'll Need

  • Shallow bowl
  • Moist kitten food
  • Kitten milk replacement formula
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Instructions

    • 1

      Remove the hard-to-wean kittens from the mother and place them in a separate room or area for a few hours each day. According to the ASPCA, placing the kittens in a separate area for a few hours at a time will reduce the kittens' dependency on their mother's milk and presence.

    • 2

      Create a moist, semi-solid food for the kittens and place it in a shallow bowl. The Stray Hearts Animal Shelter recommends preparing 1 part canned food to 3 parts hot water or kitten milk replacement formula.

    • 3

      Introduce each kitten to the food. Dip your finger into the food and either gently place it into the kitten's mouth, smear it onto the kitten's lips or simply allow the kitten to lick the food from your finger. Direct the kitten's attention from your finger to the bowl, containing the food, as soon as it becomes attracted to the food. As the kitten becomes accustomed to eating the semi-solid food, the ASPCA recommends gradually decreasing the amount of hot water or milk replacer added into the food and slowly increasing the amount of solid or dry foods.

    • 4

      Feed each hard-to-wean kitten the semi-solid meal multiple times per day to prevent the critter from becoming hungry and seeking out its mother for its meal. The Stray Hearts Animal Shelter recommends feeding the kittens the semi-solid food 3 to 4 times daily for maximum success.

    • 5

      Help dry the mother's milk supply. According to the Stray Hearts Animal Shelter, you can help dry up the mother's milk supply by withholding her food for 24 hours and then slowly increasing it by 25 percent each day for four days. Drying the mother's milk supply will put a definite stop to the kittens' constant suckling.