🐱 Kitten
The young of a cat.
A kitten is the young of a cat. Kittens' eyes open on day 7–10. In the first days, a kitten drinks colostrum — its mother's first milk. From it, the kitten gets protection against disease: this happens in the first two days of life.
Until about eight weeks of age, a kitten's main food is its mother's milk. From 3–4 weeks, kittens are slowly introduced to soft solid food. By 6–8 weeks, they usually switch to solid food completely. Even after that, kittens often keep suckling from their mother as long as they live with her.
If a kitten has no mother, it needs a special cat milk replacer. Cow's milk is not suitable: it lacks substances a kitten needs. Orphan kittens are fed often, every 2–4 hours. As cats grow up, they digest milk sugar (lactose) less well. So it is better to give an adult cat water, not milk.
How it connects to milk
Links
- Fed with milk by
- 🐈 Cat
Frequently asked questions
Can kittens drink cow's milk?
No. Cow's milk lacks substances a kitten needs. Orphan kittens are given a special cat milk replacer.
When are kittens weaned off milk?
They start getting used to solid food at 3–4 weeks and switch to it completely by 6–8 weeks.