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how do i feed my cats?

Updated: 10/9/2023
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Jeremiah Lampley

Lvl 1
3y ago

Best Answer

There are two answers to this depending on the age of the kitten.

For kittens not yet weaned:

Use kitten milk replacer sold at vet practices, pet stores and Walmart. Use a bottle or eye dropper if they don't get the hang of the bottle. Just don't shoot it into their mouths though, let it slowly flow into their mouth and they will lap it up. Keep feeding like this up till about 5-6 weeks old. Use the guide on the back of the kitten formula. It recommends every 2-4 hours, every hour for very young kittens. You will have to do this around the clock, night and day.

At 4 weeks old you may mix in canned or wet food with the formula and let them start to learn how to eat off a plate or Tupperware lid. Don't forget they need you to stimulate their genitals and bottom to go to the bathroom. Use cotton balls, paper towels, and warm water. Yes, its gross but necessary when you feed them. Do that until about 5 weeks.

With solid food, be sure to feed little and often. Kittens that are weaning or just weaned should be given many tiny meals throughout the day - as much as 6 meals or more. Some have the best luck using two bowls of food and letting the kitten choose how much from each they want at first. The bowls are: one dish with "wet" food--canned food--in it. And one bowl with dry food in it. The kitten dry food is made in smaller bits than adult dry food so the kitten can get it into their mouth. Because they do not yet have large strong jaws the wet food is very well liked by them, as they have no problem eating that at all. It does not matter if they do not like dry food much; wet food is usually better due to the water content helps keep them hydrated, and it is easier to find a good quality canned food high in meat and free of grain and cereal than dry food.

For tiny kittens from age 1 day to about 3 or 4 weeks, you have to use a dropper for a while. The only time this becomes necessary is if the mother cat has died for some reason, otherwise they nurse.

In this case you should buy some kitten milk formula (NOT expensive), mix it up per the directions, and feed it to the kitten with a dropper. Just hold the kitten with one hand and put the dropper in the kittens mouth with the other hand. The kitten usually is quite anxious to eat, so this should be pretty easy. You will want to feed them about 6 times a day, if you have the time. Once they are old enough to start walking around, roughly 3 weeks, you can start to introduce them to the solid food, both wet and dry.

Tip: Milk is not something that vets ever say to give to kittens. Something like 50% of cats get diarrhea from milk, so feeding them milk is not the way to go.

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Wiki User

11y ago
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Wiki User

6y ago

Buy a food bowl, a separate water bowl, and cat food. Place water in one bowl and food in the other. When your cat gets hungry it will come to the food bowl and eat.

Related Information:

Leave at least one bowl of clean water out all the time, preferably away from food bowls or the litter box. Clean the bowl and replenish the water as often as necessary to keep both clean, but at least once per day.

Be sure to clean all bowls, and the area around them, after each feeding. Store leftovers for the next meal or throw them away, but don't leave them out. They might invite unwanted critters; and the cat will notice too. Many cats, understandably, won't eat food that has been left out for any length of time.

For wet food: A variety of fresh meat is best for a cat, as cats have evolved to ingest water from their food. However this is not the most convenient method and its expensive. Canned food, with the meat product listed first, is a pretty good alternative. Variety of meat type is still required though.

Dry food can be used as a supplement or occasional alternate, but it won't fill the cat's nutritional needs by itself. Make dry food available and remove it in the same manner as wet food.

Store leftover food in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. When left unrefrigerated, they lose their freshness quickly. It can be warmed, but this is normally not desirable, and it certainly isn't necessary. Put out only what you think the cat will eat. When the cat walks away, leaving an empty bowl or not, pick up the food and the bowl. Clean the bowl so it will be ready for the next feeding.

Warnings:

Never heat or warm unopened containers.

Never put metal containers in the microwave oven.

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Wiki User

13y ago

Well you don't really need to feed the kitten anything, unless they don't have a mother. because if kittens have there mother they well nurse when they need to. But if they are motherless kittens i would recommend giving them KMR (kitten milk replacement). You can purchase this at your vet or any major pet stores. once they have start getting frisky and playful and they start biting, Start to feel how strong the teeth are. if you start feeling a slight pinch start feeding them regular hard cat food

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14y ago

Get a can of skim milk and an eyedropper Warm up the milk alittle not too hot and use the eyedropper to get alittle milk on their lips to make them lick and they start drinking after they taste it Do not feed baby kittens cow milk! it can kill them,they can have goat milk ,buy cat replacement formula

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11y ago

This varies a bit based on the cat.

If it is a kitten or an elderly cat, place the food on the floor in a low-rimed dish. There isspecificfood made for kittens to eat. It may be best to give older cats soft food depending on their teeth, but check with your vet.


A healthy adult cat can have their food at any height, and can eat most cat foods. Experiment with different foods to see what the cat likes. Just like you may not like carrots, but your friend does, some cats hate dry food while others love it.


Always have a water dish with the food. Not all cats will drink the water, especially if there is another source (ex: My cats will only drink from the sink).


Be sure when obtaining a cat to show it where it's food is located (as well as its litter box). Some cats will not be able to find it without seeing it first.

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Wiki User

13y ago

Kittens need mothers milk or formula purchased from a pet store for the first 7 - 10 weeks of life. Then they wean and gradually begin eating solid kitten food.

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Wiki User

12y ago

simple you hold by ur chest then you hold da bottle up then then the kittem feeds if you are holding it the wrong way like on its back it can drown while you are feeding the kitten formula

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Wiki User

12y ago

Contact/take it to a vet.

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mari ybarra

Lvl 2
3y ago

youuuu give em food

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