When can the kittens be adopted out?

[sothisislove]

I've heard 2-6 weeks. I've heard 8 weeks. I've heard if they go before 12 weeks they'll be biters... please advise.

Well...this is all assuming that somebody will want any of the 6!! Ahhh!

[Llyra]

The good rescue organizations mostly won't let them go until 12- 14 weeks, I've heard. I adopted a kitten once who was only five weeks old. His mother had been killed, so he was an orphan. Anyway, he hadn't even been fully weaned yet, and needed bottle feedings. He was at least 6 1/2 weeks before he could manage to eat much kitten food with any success. So I think 2 to 6 is WAY too early. I never heard that about biting; Jacob never bit, although he did somehow scratch, when he got overexcited playing.

[slimkins]

I'm thinking the standard is usually at least 8 weeks.

[Limabean1975]

2-6 weeks is crazy.

8 weeks is reasonable and typical. It would be nice to wait a little longer, but the simple fact is your are more likely to find homes for them when they are at their youngest and cutest.

[christianmomof3]

I think about 8 weeks is fine. It has been years since I had cats with kittens, but I think we gave them away at about 8 weeks old - we waited until they were eating kitten food well for a few weeks.

[Minky]

I have worked as a fosterer, and if we have a good family for a particular kitten at 8 weeks, we let the kitten go. If you start looking at 8 weeks, perhaps your litter will be gone by the time they're 12 weeks.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

The idea of a 2 week old kitten being taken from its mother makes me faintly ill. They are barly even walking well by then

8-12 weeks is long enough to learn from mom and be well adapted.

[*Jade*]

Originally Posted by MCatLvrMom2A&X

The idea of a 2 week old kitten being taken from its mother makes me faintly ill. They are barly even walking well by then

Ditto, they are still complete babies at this point!

We let our kittens go around 8 or 9 weeks IIRC, and we never heard that any of them had issues with biting or attachment (we still see some of them now).

[sothisislove]

OP here...sorry ladies. The '2' was a typo. I've heard 4 to 6 weeks. But I agree.. 4-6 is too young. They're 7 now, so I'll start looking. One has a home lined up, but I'll hold on to her until at least 8 weeks. Hopefully the others will be out by 12. Thanks!

[MaWhit]

I agree with the 8 week minimum.

[Eman'smom]

When we were fostering we'd keep them until 8 weeks and then they'd go back to the shelter for adoption.

at 4-6 weeks they are weaning/expermenting with eating. By 8 weeks they are pretty stable, and eating on their own

[Crafty]

4-6 weeks is way, way too early. The shelter for which I volunteer wants them 12 weeks at the youngest (but they're able to be fixed slightly before that, depending on size). I took in foster kittens last year that were somewhere around 4 weeks. They were very, very small, but they were able to eat wet food (it seemed like they'd been on their own and had been hunting bugs and whatever they could eat- they were found under a trailer, mom had abandoned them).

I still have them, my older girl cat adopted them and became their mama :. One cat is pretty normal, the other is very sensitive and needy, and he still has the need to nurse on everything in sight, poor baby. That's a big problem when they're separated from the mom so young.

[phatchristy]

8 weeks MINIMUM! In my experience any cats less than that are more prone to personality/behavioral issues. They need socialization, preferably with siblings. IMHO 12 weeks is even better for socialization purposes.