Do Kittens Eat Milk
However you may feed orphan kittens goat s milk available at many large grocery stores or supermarkets.
Do kittens eat milk. Kittens don t need milk after weaning so don t use milk as a water substitute. Ensure your cat has a safe area for her birth and while kittens still require her for survival. Kittens are essentially baby carnivores with specialised needs. Even specially formulated kitten milk should be treated as a food or treat not a drink if you do give them specially formulated milk make sure it s designed for kittens delicate stomachs.
Basic kitten feeding guide. Cow s milk can upset a kitten s stomach and should be used as a last resort. Young kittens need milk either from their mother or if orphaned rejected a milk supplement if a foster mother can t be found. Weaning is the process of transitioning kittens from mother s milk to solid food.
You can also feed them kitten milk replacement formula. Mother cats will eat their kittens if she believes they re in danger from predators. After weaning milk is not necessary in a cat s diet. During weaning kittens gradually progress from dependence on a mother s care to social independence.
In fact kittens and older cats can be intolerant to the sugars in milk and this can cause diarrhoea. Kittens naturally wean off their mother s milk at around 8 12 weeks of age. Your cat has a built in instinct much like the hamsters on the video. Another side of mercy is she will ensure she can produce enough milk for her litter.
Diarrhoea can be fatal to kittens because it dehydrates their bodies very quickly. Kittens will drink their mother s milk for the first few weeks of life or a specially designed kitten formula milk if necessary. Their ability to digest lactose the sugar in milk reduces. However they will be fully weaned by around 8 9 weeks of age.
The kittens mother provides the best milk for their needs at that age. Cats can even become intolerant to ordinary cows milk resulting in the diarrhoea mentioned above.