[fayb300488]

I want to know when to ween kittens and if they do not start lapping what should I do?

[fredg]

Hi, fay,
Normally, it's about 7 or 8 weeks. If they don't want to eat some solid food, then might have to use a milk bottle for a little.
Here is a link for some good information:
http://www.petcaretips.net/weaning_kitten.html

Best wishes, and good luck with your kittens.

[orange]

Complete weaning occurs between 7-8 weeks. However, the weaning process usually begins around 4 weeks. At this point you will likely notice the queen (mother cat) leaving the nest more often and for longer periods. Some kittens are ready to start eating at this point, since their first teeth are coming in, but it varies greatly among kittens. One way to test if the kitten is ready for solid food is to offer finely strained mild meat, such as strained chicken baby food (for human babies). Pablum is also a good choice, but kittens usually prefer the meat. However, even if the kittens are eating at this point, it is best not to take them away from their mother completely. Over a period of about 3 weeks (from 4 weeks to 7 weeks), the kittens will go through a process of nursing only, then nursing and eating, and then eating only.

Once the kittens are eating solids, it is best to stop giving them milk, as most cats lose the ability to digest lactose as they mature, and will have diarrhea or even vomiting if they continue to drink it. Feed your kittens a good quality kitten food, either wet (canned) or dry, or a combination of both. If you're offering wet exclusively, you will have to feed the kittens about 5-6 times a day. It's best to avoid the semi-moist foods (such as tender vittles) for both kittens and adult cats, because of their propylene glycol content.

If your kittens are not lapping, they're likely not ready to be taken away from their mother. If their mother is not with them and they are still not lapping, then you can feed them with a bottle or a syringe, but as I mentioned earlier, do not feed them cow milk. Use human baby formula, pablum, or a special formula for young kittens which you can purchase at your vet's. Ideally of course, they should remain with the mother until they are completely weaned.

[ScottGem]

Fay,
I think your question may have been misunderstood, resulting in some apparently conflicting info. I hope I can jump in here and clarify things. If you look at what Orange is saying as well as the link Fred provided, it indicates that the kitten should be fed by its mother for around 4 weeks. At that point you start weaning (which is how I understood your question). The process is then usually completed within 7-8 weeks.

[fredg]

Hi, Fay,
The link I gave you has this quote in the second paragraph:
"If a kitten is orphaned when it's two weeks old, for example, it needs to be
bottle-fed for at least another two weeks until it can be
introduced to solid food at four weeks."
The quote above, in the link I gave you, does say that your kittens should be introduced to solid food at four weeks.
That's why I picked this particular link to pass along to you, because it does cover the 4 weeks introduction into solid food, as well as completely weened from the Mom around 7 weeks. It also gives some other good information.