Kittens grow up very quickly. Before you know it, they’ll be crawling up and down your furniture like ninjas. Because they mature at such a fast pace, they need to be fed properly to aid their development.
A kitten at five weeks old is a crucial time, because this is around the time that kittens are weaned off of milk. At this time, they are introduced to wet cat food and kibble. The transition has to be done smoothly to not cause any digestive issues for your kitty.
Before we dive into how much wet cat food a five-week old kitten is supposed to consume, let’s discuss this developmental stage of a kitten as a whole.
The five-week-old kitten
By the five-week mark, your kitten is going to weigh around 18-19 ounces. Their premolars are starting to come in, their eyes are blue and their ears are going to be fully upright.
This is the age where kittens will start showing a personality. They will become very playful and energetic. With their fully developed eyesight and much improved coordination, they’ll start using their tails for balance. Both indoor and outdoor cats will start digging, pouncing, hiding and stalking at this age.
Kittens should use the litter box at five weeks, so keep a litter box near them at all times and they’ll soon know to use it instinctually.
Socialization at this age is vital to teach the kitten how to interact with different people at a young age. Play with the kitten to form a bond and build up their confidence and trust in you. Pick the kitten up several times throughout the day so the kitten gets used to being handled and touched.
How much wet food should a five-week old kitten eat?
You should start incorporating wet cat food and kitten kibble into your kitten’s diet. Provide the kitten with half a can of wet cat food mixed with kitten kibble in a dish for their meal, with a total of two or three meals in a day.
Aside from their meals, make sure that you provide a bowl of kibble for them at all times. Water should also be replenished throughout the day. If you feel that milk formula is still needed, you can give it supplementarily.
It is normal for kittens to still want formula while transitioning into solid food, so through the first couple of days, feed the kitten a mix of both. This will also help in avoiding any digestive problems for the kitten due to the sudden shift in their diet. By the end of the week you should have lessened their formula intake gradually while slowly increasing the solid food.
Use the kitten’s feeding time as a bonding experience. Stay close to them as they eat their food so they learn to feel comfortable around you even while they eat. When you think they trust you enough, move closer to their food dish while they eat. Then one day, pick the dish up and place it on your lap. If the kitten trusts you completely, they will not have a problem eating out of your hand.
Try petting and touching them while they eat, if they do a good job and stay put, give them a treat at the end of the meal, like canned cat food.
If you execute the kitten’s diet transition correctly, they should be eating the mixed wet cat food and kitten kibble for every single meal.
Conclusion
The five-week old kitten needs to be taught to start eating solid food. This age is the crucial point of weaning the kitten from formula. Feed the kitten half a can of wet cat food mixed with some kitten kibble for their meal two or three times a day. If formula is still necessary, go ahead and keep it in the diet, but you have to lessen it throughout the week. Grab this opportunity to build trust with the kitten by being present during their meals so they learn to trust you.
Image: istockphoto.com / OlyaSolodenko