When is a Kittie Old Enough to be Adopted??

@buenavida (9984)
Sweden
March 14, 2007 7:56pm CST
Cat owners, what is your opinion, how long should a kittie be with its mother before it is adopted?
3 people like this
9 responses
@bkfuels (1603)
• Canada
15 Mar 07
One regular kitten and a dwarf - Two babies. One dwarf kitten
Five to eight weeks is when I let my kittens go. But it depends on them. They must be eating and using the litter box. my babies right now are about 5 and a half weeks and only one is ready to go . But this is because the other is a dwarf. This is the second time I have had a dwarf kitten. This is how they look in comparison, Theses are the same two I posted earlier.
1 person likes this
@buenavida (9984)
• Sweden
15 Mar 07
Wonderful picture, I can understand the small one should stay and grow as much as it is possible and get some real cat milk. Is this a genetic defect? Like human dwarfs?
@5000ml (1923)
• Belgium
25 Mar 07
5 weeks is far too young.
@bkfuels (1603)
• Canada
25 Mar 07
You know I really do not know but I would think so, I took the last one to the vet and they said they had never seen any thing like it before.
1 person likes this
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
15 Mar 07
It should not be adopted out till it's at least 8 weeks old. By then it can be taken away from it's mother without difficulty. They are old enough at that time to eat solids and should have been weened already. Hope that helps you.
1 person likes this
@scribe1 (1203)
• United States
15 Mar 07
I agree. A kitten should indeed be able to eat solid foods by the time it is adopted. Even my local shelter will not allow people to adopt kittens before they are able to eat! Better to allow kittens and their mother some quality time together.
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@amy0214 (1513)
• United States
15 Mar 07
I think that it should be atleast 6 weeks
1 person likes this
• United States
15 Mar 07
8 weeks is pretty close. As long as the kitten can be on its own and has eaten solid foods and is growing. They still need mama's milk for a while after they start to eat solid foods because of the nutrients.
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@raydene (9871)
• United States
15 Mar 07
Hello When you little kitty is old enough to eat by himself he can go to a new home. R
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@5000ml (1923)
• Belgium
25 Mar 07
They can eat by themselves as young as 5 or 6 weeks. A kitten needs to stay with their mother for at least 8 weeks, as she needs to teach them things, she's just not a feeding machine.
@Gemmygirl1 (2867)
• Australia
25 Mar 07
Not before 8 weeks - by then they have been weened off the mother, should be eating solids properly & will be capable of adjusting properly to their new homes.
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@Calais (10893)
• Australia
15 Mar 07
8-10 weeks, they are old enough to eat, drink, and go to toilet by themselves, and by that age they should be properly socialised.
1 person likes this
• United States
15 Mar 07
8 weeks is the BAREST of minimums, Kittens will nurse untill 12 weeks at which time the MOTHER weans them. During that time she will have taught them to eat solid food and to use the potty. Finding htem new homes can cause developemental issues, They may not be fully litter trained, and have to be manually taken to the potty every hour, till they learn fully what its for. Their stomachs may not be cmpleatly mature enough to eat solid foods full time. If you end up with a kittie that is too young you may need to suppliment with some kitten formula as well, for their health.
1 person likes this
• United States
15 Mar 07
A kitten is ready for a new home, and taken from it's mom between 8-10 weeks old, depending on how healthy it is. Kittens that are the "runts" should stay with their mom until around 10 weeks old, to get all the nutrients it needs to have a healthy life. And, about 8 weeks old, you should begin feeding it kitten food (mom should be eating kitten food during it's nursing babies), and make sure they are eating it before sending it to a new home. And make sure new mom is going to feed it kitten food.
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