Expert: Dear Tabbi - 7/19/2008

Question
at what age can I give my kitten hard food? My kitten is scratching and biting alot what can i do about this ?

Answer
Amy,


3-4 weeks old give the kitten small amounts of canned food or meat baby food in a flat dish (because they usually walk in it).

5-6 weeks old the kitten should be ready to start eating water moistened kitten chow from a dish. You should feed him small amounts often. Every few days cut down the amount of water you add to it so  the kitten is eventually eating dry food.

Not all kittens progress at the same rate. He will eat solid food when he is ready.

If the kitten is with the mother let him nurse as long as he wants (or that she lets him), even though he is eating solid food. It makes a more well adjust kitten and both the mother and kitten get comfort from it.

The kitten may be biting because he is teething. Give him a toy or a thick plastic straw to chew on (exchange it if there are signs of it being damaged).

If the kitten was weaned too early it doesn't get a chance to learn about acceptable (and non-acceptable ) behaviors from it's mom and littermates. A mother cat will correct a kitten if it uses sharp claws or bites too hard. When kittens play together, they learn that biting or clawing a sibling results in being grabbed and bitten in return. A kitten that didn't get that learning opportunity doesn't know how to act or react properly. he will not have learned acceptable

The first rule is NEVER to play rough with the kitten with your hands. It will get more painful as the kitten gets older and a harder habit to break. Only use your hands to pet. Blow in his face and say "No Biting! when the kittens tries to bite you. If he learns early that toys and straws are OK to bite, but humans aren't, then you won't have biting problems later on.  

The kitten is probably missing his littermates to play with and is playing with you like he would another kitten. A 2nd kitten is preferable to a single kitten. That way they can roughhouse and play kitty games with each other and not with you. A kitten needs a friends for companionship, to learn with, to cuddle with, and to comfort him when he is alone. 2 kittens keep each other amused and take some of the need off of you to keep him amused, and to keep him from being bored and lonely.

I hope this answered your questions.

Tabbi