Kitten Welfare

[Maybole]

About 5 weeks ago a semi feral cat which has hung about our garden for a few years, produced a litter of kittens. After about 3 weeks they started to crawl into the open and I took to carefully checking my car every time I wanted to move. One morning I carefully checked under my car and inside the bonnet but could see nothing so I started up, opened the gate and then spotted that a small kitten had crawled out from somewhere. It was slightly hurt so I put it on a high step hoping that his mother would take him away. I came back 30 mins later and he was still there, but when I looked out 5 mins. after he had gone.

My Granddaughter heard him 2 days later crying in distress in some undergrowth below some of our flowering shrubs, apparently abandoned and put him in a box, fed him goats milk ( which he devoured avidly) and left him on the step.

The next day, he was still there crying with  hunger, she took him into the house and fed him again. That was a week ago and he is now thriving

and having climbed out of his box without help is scampering around our kitchen floor. 

Big question how do we wean him?

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[NORDO]

Quote

Kittens will drink milk forever.   U need to start with solid foods slowly.  As he becomes more aggressive, you have a choice of domesticating his food supply or get him a couple of mice to devour. All depends if you are going to turn him out or keep domestically.   Feral cats will learn to survive.

 

[ignore it]

Put the goat milk out in a saucer. If it's off the bottle it's already weaned.  Put a bit of canned food out.  Then try dry.  Your probably end up keeping it so get it fixed in 6-7 months.

 

[kingstonkid]

Mine likes tuna spring water and it is cheaper than cat food 

 

By some cat treats the get him into solid

 

Besides neutering also get him fully vaxed including against feline flu 

 

The bigger issue is sandbox.

Edited June 1, 2023 by kingstonkid

[Kwaibill]

Been awhile so I don't recall the exact schedule, but recall starting to offer soft kitten food at a few weeks and reducing the milk replacer a little at a time.

I bet a Google search on weaning kittens would give plenty of scenarios.

[AgMech Cowboy]

6 hours ago, ignore it said:

get it fixed in 6-7 months

Do this at the earliest opportunity. Ask a vet the earliest age. I had an indoor cat, who liked to bolt periodically. She came home pregnant at about 6 months. (no she wasn't out for 6 months. just one night, but she was only about 6 months old