I have a question concerning a litter of 3-week-old kittens, and why the queen isn't feeding as much as she should. It seems that she is easily distracted or just plain bored. The kittens are hungry and cry when their mom walks away. Is it too early for kittens to drink a supplement or cat milk? Maybe I can teach them or show them how to eat and drink? Please respond soon as possible, I'd like to get started helping the kittens as soon as I can.

A. By the time kittens are 3 to 4 weeks old they can be started on kitten food. You can get kitten dry food and soak it in water until it softens up or you can try canned kitten food. Put some out in flat pans so they can access the kitten food easily. At first they will probably walk through the food and wear most of it, but eventually some will end up in their mouths and they'll figure out that it is pretty good stuff! Within a couple of days they should be eating more than they are wearing. They may continue to try and nurse on mom as well, but the sooner you can help wean them on kitten food the happier everyone will be!

As creatures of habit, cats thrive on routine. They sleep in the same sunny spots during the day, gaze from the same window at the outside world and eat the same cat food day after day. Now that you've introduced your new kitten to your home, you'll need to establish a regular feeding routine that works with your schedule and helps maintain your pet's good health. Follow these tips to make foodtime manageable and meet your kitten's food needs.

1. Maintain your kitten's current diet. When you first bring home your new pet, feed him the same kitten food he was eating at his previous home. If you plan to change the food, do so gradually, mixing it with the kitten's current diet. A sudden change can cause upset stomach and diarrhea.

2. Feed a high-quality, complete kitten diet. Such foods are specially formulated to meet the kitten's unique nutritional needs, containing the proper balance of protein, vitamins and minerals. Your veterinarian can help you choose a kitten food appropriate for your new young cat.

3. Consider your pet's tendency to eat small amounts at a time. Don't interpret your kitten's habit of nibbling small amounts as finicky eating behavior. Ask your veterinarian if you should leave kitten food out at all times, or offer small amounts several times a day.

4. Feed your kitten at the same time and same place each day. Your pet will quickly adjust to a feeding schedule. Start now to establish regular eating times this can help prevent future 4 a.m. wake-up calls from your pet!

5. Provide plenty of fresh water at all times. In addition to a nutritionally complete kitten food, your new pet needs access to fresh water to help maintain his health.

6. Don't offer treats from the table. Human foods can upset your kitten's stomach and also upset the nutritional balance provided by his regular kitten food. Over time, too many treats can also cause your pet to gain weight.

By establishing good cat food habits right from the start, you and your kitten will enjoy many happy years together. If you're not sure where to start, ask your veterinarian for guidance.

Betsy, a 13-year-old gray tabby, bats a hollow, kibble-filled plastic ball around the room. She pounces on it, rolls around with it, then lies on one side to swat it with her paw. Cat food morsels spill out as the orb careens across the floor. She snatches up and nibbles a few pieces before darting off behind a chair leg, a safe place from which to study her "prey."

The toy rests where it stopped, beckoning to her. Mesmerized, Betsy springs from her hiding place to resume the chase, which continues until she's had enough to eat. Then, Betsy turns her back on the "kill" and pads off, gracefully lifting a paw to her mouth to begin grooming.

Playing with enticing cat food-filled toys helps satisfy a domesticated cat's natural hunting instincts, says her owner, Daniel Carey, DVM, director of technical communications in research and development at IAMS Co., Dayton, Ohio. "The cat has to hunt for its food. It fulfills a need and gets them up and around and moving," he says.

Feral cats, on the other hand, spend much of their day prowling for food - usually mice and birds. Once they catch the prey, the cats tend to enjoy playing with it, letting it go briefly, before pouncing again and finally killing the animal, all part of the thrill of the hunt.

"If [our pets] were wild, food and shelter would be the focus of cats' lives. When we feed them out of a bowl, they lose some of that," Dr. Carey says.

"Evolution never left a bowl of food around. The excitement and joy and thrill of the kill are removed when we feed cats from a bowl," agrees Rolan Tripp, DVM, an affiliate professor of Applied Animal Behavior at Colorado State University's Veterinary School. Although most indoor cats lead healthier, longer lives than cats forced to forage for their own meals, many cats also get less exercise than their outdoor brethren, which can lead to weight gain and other health problems as they age. For example, significant weight gain is related to diabetes, says Rebecca Remillard, DVM, Ph.D., a board-certified veterinary nutritionist who practices at Angell Memorial Animal Hospital, Boston.

Your indoor, bowl-fed cat doesn't have to be a sedentary, lazy mass of fur, say veterinary nutritionists. To avoid this, you need to understand your cat's nutritional needs, avoid harmful foods, find the appropriatecat food, and figure out the ideal manner to serve it.

How to Rescue Feral Kittens

When I first fed the kitten that showed up in my backyard, she retreated into the woods if I stood too close. Daily, I moved the food closer to my back door. Nervous, but drawn by the food, the little gray-and-white tabby approached as I spoke softly to her, calling her Baby. I moved the food progressively closer and finally deeper inside the house. Finally, Baby was far enough inside that I could close the door behind her. Terrified, this feral kitten crashed into the walls in her desperate attempt to escape.

What is Feral? The term feral describes a wild or savage creature. Feral cats live as wild animals, without owners or homes. Unfortunately, most feral cats have not been spayed or neutered, so they reproduce prolifically. To prevent the kittens from living the same tough lives as their parents, they must be tamed and adopted.Ideally, remove feral kittens from the nest at 4 or 5 weeks of age, when they can be safely weaned. If you remove them sooner, they are less likely to survive. At around 6 weeks of age, they start romping and playing out of the nest, making it more difficult to capture them - it may just take more patience, as it did with my experience with Baby.Carefully try to capture the mother as well, and have her spayed. This will help reduce the feral cat population.

Protect Yourself Make sure both you and the kittens are safe and protected before and after you capture them.You do not want to get bitten, says Sara Winikoff, DVM, a veterinarian in suburban New York who devotes half her practice to feral cats. A feral kitten could have rabies.

Until a veterinarian verifies the kittens health and you are confident that it will not bite you, always handle the kitten with a towel or heavy gloves.

Matters of the Mouth Your pet's teeth need daily attention, just as yours do. Learn the importance of dental care for cats.

Dental problems are some of the most common diseases seen in cats. Cats often hide their oral discomfort, but occasionally, a cat may reveal its pain by pawing at its mouth, drooling or turning its head to one side while eating, to avoid chewing on the painful side of its mouth. Some cats stop eating because of dental pain. Others may stop eating dry food and only eat wet food. Your Cat's Mouth Kittens are born without teeth. Baby teeth begin to appear in the first two weeks. At 6 weeks of age, all 26 of your kitten's baby teeth should be present. By 6 months of age, 30 adult teeth replace your kitten's baby teeth. The 30 teeth include 12 little incisors in front, four canine teeth (the two upper and two lower fangs), 10 pre-molars and four molars. Periodontal Disease Periodontal disease, or gum disease, commonly affects cats. This disease is caused by plaque the sticky, bacteria-laden coating on the tooth surface and the body's response to those bacteria and the toxins they release. Oral bacteria can enter the bloodstream through diseased oral tissues, affecting other organs, such as the heart valves and kidneys. As the immune system responds to the plaque, the gums become inflamed. This is the first phase of periodontal disease: gingivitis. Left untreated, the inflammation progresses and the second phase of periodontal disease (periodontitis) occurs, and may cause receding gums, bone loss and periodontal ligament damage. If not removed, the plaque mineralizes into tartar or calculus within days and requires mechanical removal. Fortunately, the first stage (gingivitis) is reversible if your cat receives a professional cleaning and if you institute a home care program. Periodontitis, however, is irreversible. The early stages are characterized by gingivitis and halitosis (bad breath). Up to 80 percent of cats 3 years of age and older suffer from gingivitis. You must alert your veterinarian to the red flags of gingivitis and begin professional cleaning, in some cases, between 6 months and 1 year of age. Home Care Daily home care is essential. Brushing your cat's teeth can help prevent dental disease. Within only a few days of a professional dental cleaning, plaque is already building up on your cat's teeth. The ultimate goal of home care is to remove plaque before it becomes calculus.