A kitten's sense of taste awakens in the umbilical cord, so they are not yet born. It is in the heat of the womb that their senses begin to awaken and that they start to learn about the world.

Food: the key of brain development

The quality of food that you give the mother will determine the kitten's intelligence and emotional capacities. Kittens born to mother who suffered from malnutrition become somewhat unbalanced cats, fearful. Worse, they are unable to quickly find the nest if they are apart.
The pregnant cat has the distinction of having insufficient appetite relative to her needs. Therefore you must take care to give her richer food than usual.

Educating their palate with different textures

At weaning, it will be very easy for kittens to spontaneously imitate their mother, going to peck in her bowl. With moist food or small kitten kibbles soaked in milk, or wet food, our young gastronomes will spontaneously learn good manners in avoiding the wet sensation on their paws. However, at the beginning, they do not always manage to wash up, which their mother will take care of.
A good meal is always concluded with licking lips, allowing to wash but also to relax, preparing for the nap that follows. These are very important rituals that the kitten will learn very easily.

Teach them to drink

Wet food is perfect for your kittens. But eating, even wet food or their mothers milk, is not drinking, and your kittens must learn the taste of milk and of water, a fundamental step! Again, it is their mother who shows them some manners. Be sure to always leave a fresh bowl of clean water at their disposal, and don't forget to change it daily!
When they discover the kibbles, be patient with them: indeed at the beginning, it is not uncommon to see the kittens walk shamelessly in the bowl, since, by definition, dry food does not wet their little pads!

Good to know:

In terms of diversification of food textures and flavours, beyond water, baby formula, wet and dry food, you can give your three months old kittens white chicken, white fish, diced green vegetables ( beans, zucchini ).

Photo Credit : Thinkstock

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