How old must kittens be when they eat and drink?

Kittens that are six weeks old are probably only starting to take an interest, or picking at solid food. At this age they will still be suckling from their mother, but putting a tiny bit of wet food down every few hours will entice them to eat. You could see if they will lick food off your fingertip or off their own paws.

Mushed up wet food, or wet food that is throughly mixed with a little water or kitten milk is the best type of food for them right now. It is easy for them to eat and digest. It is advisable not to try dry food as, even softened with water, kittens may still not be able to eat it. As the kittens get older and bigger, you can slowly decrease the amount of water or kitten milk you use in the food, and leave slightly larger chunks for them to chew.

Be sure to feed them from a plate, as it is easier for the kittens to pick up the food.

As for liquids, they are still probably drinking a lot from mum. You can leave down a shallow saucer of water, but they may not touch this until they have stopped feeding from their mother completely.