Usually, when you adopt a kitten, he'll be at least eight weeks old. That's because it's best for a litter to stay with their mother until they are at least this age.
Six to eight weeks is the optimal age to take the kittens from the mother for socialization and adoption placement, and any time after eight weeks for Trap-Neuter-Return (spay/neuter, vaccination, eartip, and return to their colony).
Ideally, kittens should stay with their mother and littermates until they are 12 weeks old. They can leave for adoption after eight weeks, but may develop behavioral problems from being incompletely socialized and weaned. Anything under 8 weeks is too young to be taken from the mother.
Eight weeks is a milestone age for kittens. They should weigh about two pounds, which means they're ready to be spayed and neutered! They're also fully weaned (you're done with bottle feeding) and look more like adult cats. It's a good time to start looking for their adoptive homes.
Many creatures need the care and support of their mothers in their earliest weeks, and cats are no exception. At most shelters and rescues, kittens can be adopted starting at 8 weeks. Breeders will often wait until the kitten has been with their mother for at least 12 weeks, with many breeders waiting until 14 weeks.
It's important to separate the kittens from the queen when they're ready. Don't separate them before they reach eight weeks of age, as they will still be learning from their mum.
It is a common misconception that kittens can be separated from their mothers as early as 8 weeks old. However, kittens separated at this time are still at risk for developmental, social, and health issues. Instead, kittens should remain with their mothers until they are 12-14 weeks old.
8-9 weeks old
Kittens are often rehomed when they are eight weeks old. At this age they are fully weaned. It's a good idea to introduce them to different food textures and flavours so that they are not too picky when they are older. Avoid a rapid change in diet though as this could cause an upset stomach.
Young kittens often miss their mom and siblings and show signs of separation anxiety after being taken into the new home. However, it doesn't take them too long to adapt to the new home and reattach to the new family.
At 10 weeks old, the kittens are grown up and fully mobile! They are ready to go to their new homesas long as they've been spayed or neutered and socialized. If you've raised the kittens from newborn to this point, congratulations! You've done the hard work that will allow them to thrive as healthy and happy cats.
While it may feel like a mother cat will be upset that her kittens will be taken away, cats don't think the same way people do. It's natural for a mother cat to begin weaning her kittens around four to five weeks of age, and they'll be fully weaned around 10 or 12 weeks.
Your cat's age can affect whether he or she can be left home alone. A kitten that's less than 4 months old shouldn't be left alone for more than four hours, but a 6-month-old cat can be by himself or herself for at least eight hours. If you have a fully grown cat, it can be left alone for 24 to 48 hours.
(Kittens younger than four months should not be left alone for more than four hours. Older than that, they can handle another hour or so. When they reach six months, they can tolerate an eight-hour day without company.)
Understanding the Kitty 'Terrible Two's'
Between the age of 6 months and 2 years, your kitten will be reaching physical and sexual maturity. They will grow out of being a pure bundle of energy but, like human teenagers, they will be learning and exploring more of the world around them.
Taking home just one kitten may seem like a good idea—but a lonely kitten can be a real “cat-tastrophe” for felines and humans alike. Single Kitten Syndrome is the reason that, like many other organizations, we ask for kittens under 6 months to go home in pairs.
Despite the common belief that cats are solitary animals, they're actually incredibly social beings who thrive when they have feline friends from an early age. That's why I always recommend adopting two kittens, or adopting a solo kitten only if you already have another young cat in the home for the kitten to befriend.
Cats can also discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar humans, recognise human faces and voices, and make the mental match between the two.
Do cats remember people? Cats possess excellent long-term memories. They can recall their animal companions and the people who feed them as well as those who irritate them. Memory is what allows a cat to leap into the arms of a family member returning after a semester away at college.
Kittens display an attachment style similar to human babies and they see their human owners as parents, a new study suggests.
Abandoned kittens will be dirty and the nest will be soiled, and they will cry continuously because they're hungry. Ideally, kittens should not be taken from the mother until they are five to six weeks of age. However, kittens born to feral mothers should be taken away, if possible, at about four weeks old.
A: You can leave a kitten home alone for short periods of time. Kittens younger than four months of age should not be left alone for more than a couple of hours. Over four months, they can handle up to five hours. When they turn six months, they should be able to handle your 8-hour workday.
In their first weeks of life, it's normal to hear baby kittens crying or meowing because they need food and warmth, says the ASPCA. Kittens usually stay with their mothers until the age of 8 weeks so that they can nurse and stay cozy.
So kittens taken away from their mothers too soon may become timid, shy, and fearful of other animals—including humans. Fearful kittens will often run away when approached by someone they don't know. Interaction with humans before they're 10 to 12 weeks old is ideal for kittens to learn not to be fearful.
In laboratory animals, early weaning increases the risk for aggression, anxiety, and stereotypic behaviour. However, very few studies have focused on early weaning in one of the world's most popular pets, the domestic cat, although weaning soon after the critical period of socialisation is common practice.