How old should a kitten be when it goes to a new home?

[bobbie3917]

i just read this on a cat list and thought a few ppl would like to read it


How Young is Too Young?

How old should a kitten be when it goes to a new home?

by Barbara C. French
First printed in CATS Magazine, February 2000. Reprinted with permission.

Dorie Wilkins* (*name changed to protect identity) had only been
breeding Ragdolls for almost two years, and had produced her second
litter. She was approached by a nice young couple who wanted a
kitten, but they objected to her policy of selling kittens at twelve
weeks of age. They were concerned the kitten would not bond with
them. They pointed to newspaper ads advertising kittens 'ready to go'
at six or eight weeks. "I let them talk me into it," sighs Wilkins.
"I sold kittens at twelve weeks because that's what everyone else
seemed to be doing. I didn't really know why." She relented and let
one of the kittens go to its new home at seven weeks of age.
The kitten was returned at ten weeks, weighing less than it had when
it had gone to its new home three weeks before. The owners complained
that the kitten had the sniffles and chronic diarrhea and wasn't
using the litter box. It hadn't settled in with their resident cat,
and the kitten spent much of its time hiding under the couch. "They
said they'd never get a purebred cat again, because obviously they're
not healthy," Wilkins relates. With veterinary care and a lot of TLC,
the kitten was back on its paws in a few weeks. Wilkins waited until
this kitten was almost six months old before placing it again.
The kitten's problems had nothing to do with its heritage.
"Kittens should leave their homes at a minimum age of twelve weeks,"
says Dr. Betsy Arnold, DVM, a veteran Siamese breeder and
veterinarian with an all-feline practice in Rochester, New York
called Caring for Cats. "In my practice I have seen kittens coming in
at six and seven weeks who weight twelve, maybe fourteen ounces.
These are infants. They needed to stay with their mothers."
Twelve weeks may seem old to people accustomed to seeing newspaper
ads advertising kittens who are "ready to go" at six or eight weeks
of age. Most of us who have had cats have acquired kittens that
young. They are cute at that age, and most people enjoy having such
young kittens to watch them grow. However, we may permanently harm
kittens by separating them from their mothers so early. There are
crucial mental, emotional, and developmental milestones that a kitten
experiences between six and twelve weeks of age. Separating the
kitten from mother, siblings, and familiar surroundings at that age
can cause undue anxiety and stress at the least, and serious medical
problems or even death in the very worst cases.

[bobbie3917]

ISSUES: POTENTIAL PROBLEMS OF EARLY SEPARATION

Problems with immunity and health
"One of my main concerns with early separation is that kittens'
immune systems are really developing between eight and twelve weeks
of age," says Dr. Arnold. "The immunity from their mother is wearing
off, and the immunity from vaccination is just starting to take over.
During this time, they are more susceptible to illness, such as
upper-respiratory problems and diarrhea." Kittens generally receive
vaccinations against panleukopenia, rhinotracheitis, and calici
viruses (commonly called the "distemper combination" shot) at six,
nine, and twelve weeks of age. However, immunity from vaccination
does not happen immediately; shots can take up to ten days to be
effective. Up until this time, kittens receive some measure of
immunity through antibodies from their mother's milk, but this is
also the age where they are beginning to wean. Their immune system
"kicks over" from immunity from mother's milk to immunity from
vaccination. During this time, their immune system is busy with this
task, leaving the kitten less able to fight off other illnesses. "The
stress of going to a new home and being exposed to different germs
can make the kitten more susceptible to illness during this time,"
adds Dr. Arnold.
At six or seven weeks, a kitten has only received his or her first
shot series; the new owner must remember to give the second boosters.
Sometimes they forget, and this can have disastrous results.
Himalayan and Persian breeder Barbara Redalia of Tuleburg Cattery
recalls, " Once a pet purchaser bought a kitten from us, neglected to
give it the second vaccination, and when their son became allergic,
returned the cat to us. Unfortunately the cat had contracted
rhinotracheitis at their home and exposed a pregnant cat to this
virus at our house. This cat, whose own immunity to rhinotracheitis
was apparently waning, became extremely ill, miscarried her litter,
and was eventually euthanized."
"I have spoken to many new pet owners who have purchased their
kittens at eight weeks of age, which is the minimum legal age in
Florida," says Susan Geren, who breeds Persians and Himalayans under
the cattery name Pyewacket. "The overwhelming majority of them had
health problems with their new babies, probably caused by the stress
of being separated from their siblings and mother at such an early
age. I have explained to them my reasons for not placing my kittens
early and suggested that in the future they use this as a gauge to
ascertain which breeders are more interested in the income provided
by kitten sales than they are in placing healthy, well adjusted
kittens. It is most definitely more expensive to keep kittens until
they are four to five months old."
Some studies have shown that vaccination at six weeks might be too
early. "I once lost a 10-month-old cat to panleukopenia (feline
distemper)," recounts Mary Tyson of Thaison Siamese. "After long
discussions between the vaccine manufacturer and my vet, Pittman
Moore's research head concluded that it was not a bad batch of
vaccine. Cornell [Feline Health Center], which had done the post
mortem analysis (and also analyzed blood samples taken while the cat
was still alive), concluded in conjunction with Pittman Moore that
some cats do not develop lasting immunity from vaccines administered
earlier than 16 weeks of age, and this cat had had his last shots at
12 weeks. Thereafter I maintained a policy of not letting kittens
leave home until they had had their shots at 16 weeks old." "The most
important reason I place kittens at 12 weeks of age (or older) is
because kittens can be extremely fragile, and putting them in a new
home and environment puts additional stress on them, upping the
chances of getting sick," says Burmese breeder Jaina Wendtland. "When
this happens the kitten buyer blames the seller, and rightly so in
many cases."
When a kitten is ready to leave may also vary from cat to cat, or
from breed to breed. Some cats are simply not big enough to go on
their own until they are a bit older. Devon Rex breeder Carole
Goodwin notes that cats of her breed are small and need a full twelve
weeks to mature and socialize. Amanda Bright, who breeds Russian
Blues under the cattery names of Kyina and Talisker, notes that her
breed tends to be slender and she feels the cats need more body mass
to handle vaccinations. She feels it is wiser to vaccinate them a bit
later so that the cats can better handle problems if they occur.
From a health standpoint, it is best to allow the kitten to receive
its entire first shot series, including boosters, while at home in
familiar surroundings. First shots are not enough to confer immunity,
and the kitten needs time for its immune system to change over
completely from one system (mother's milk) to another (vaccination).
They should also be of a sufficient size and physical maturity before
they are ready.
Problems with eating and eliminating
"Weaning isn't an event; it's a process," says Dr. Arnold. "They
don't just start eating food one day. They eat a little food, nurse,
eat a little, nurse, and so on. Eventually they eat more than they
nurse, and then stop nursing altogether. This doesn't happen by six
or eight weeks of age."
Left to their own devices, mothers will eventually stop allowing
kittens to nurse. With most cats this occurs naturally anywhere from
eight to twelve weeks. However, this process is very important, as it
teaches the kitten to learn to deal positively with frustration and
denial. As the mother starts refusing to allow the kitten to nurse,
which the kitten very much wants to do, she teaches the kitten how to
cope with that frustration. Kittens who do not learn this lesson may
develop behavioral problems.
Weaning is not simply a matter of getting a kitten to eat solid food.
It's an important time when the kitten begins to assert its
independence from its mother. This needs to be a gradual process.
"For the most part, my babies still nurse at 9 and 10 weeks, and
sometime beyond," says Rosi Carroll of Bengals by RoJon. "I have
never had a customer call me up after picking up one of my kittens,
complaining about the kitten meowing for its mother. They settle
right in to their new environment."
It's also common for too-young kittens to eat poorly and have litter
box problems. Many kittens at age six to eight weeks aren't
consistently using the litter box. I have found that my own kittens
can take up to ten weeks to have litter box habits down pat. And
diarrhea can accompany the changes in diet and stress that come with
a new home. Diarrhea can be life-threatening to a small kitten;
severe dehydration and rapid weight loss is a serious problem when
one has so little body mass to start.
Problems with socialization and behavior
People often express a desire to have a younger kitten because they
are afraid the kitten will not bond with them once older. This is
simply not true. As Ann Segrest of Kiriki Korats says, "The older
kittens bond with their new humans just fine. Cats do not have, nor
do they need to establish their place in the "pack" like dogs must
do. This is the myth that must be dispelled so that kittens will have
the opportunity to learn from their mothers and be as healthy and
stress-free as possible when they go to their new homes."
It is true that kittens who are separated at a young age from their
mothers will often bond to a person as a surrogate mother. This may
seem cute, but it's unhealthy. Such kittens will often suck on
blankets, clothing, buttons, even earlobes or on themselves. They may
become dependent upon humans to the point that they become fearful or
neurotic when left alone. Many hide or run at the sight of unknown
people. Most commonly, however, cats who are deprived of proper
socialization don't learn how to be with other cats. This makes them
especially inappropriate as house pets in a multicat household.
The kitten socialization phase starts at about four weeks of age and
can continue until up to fourteen weeks old. Kittens learn to explore
their world through this period, under the comforting guidance of
their mother. Between nine and fourteen weeks old, they learn from
their mother and siblings how to interact with other cats. They learn
how to recognize and interpret cat body language. Quite literally, a
cat who misses out on this important social step may not learn how to
"talk" to other cats.

[bobbie3917]

It's also during this time when the kitten needs to be exposed to
variety of people in a positive way so that it doesn't become afraid
of different types of people. Improper early socialization is why
some cats seem to be afraid of men, or of people with glasses, or
other odd quirks.
Manx breeder Marj Baker was faced with having to raise three kittens
whose mother had become unable to care for them when they were three
weeks old. "[These kittens] were biters - well, actually just
nibblers; they wanted to chew on my fingers -- and wanted my full
attention all the time. The also loved my hair to chew on and any
item of clothing that was mine got licked and chewed. They seemed
very mouth oriented and were very unhappy if left alone by
themselves. Most Manx are happy to entertain themselves most of the
time but not these three. They also were harder to [train to use a
litterbox], finding the floor a convenient place to squat. I guess I
was not a very good mom cat."
Deborah Feldham of Glendoveer's Abyssinians had a similar story. "In
one instance I took in two orphaned kittens that I had to syringe
feed because they were so young," she says. "They were not easy
kittens to work with. They were jealous and insecure, often showing
their insecurities by going to the bathroom in inappropriate places
and scratching or hissing at strangers. I believe that if these
kittens had been born in a more secure environment and raised with
their mother [to an older age], they would have been better prepared,
emotionally, to fit into their new homes. Kittens learn from mothers,
litter mates and their surroundings."
Kittens need the time with their mothers and siblings to learn
important life lessons - lessons that will make them happy, healthy,
confident kittens. "I have seen kittens taken from their mother too
young become cloth chewers and neurotic," says June Abbott Colwell of
Velpaws Siamese. "[Kittens] not only need to be with their mothers,
but also with their siblings. They learn proper acceptable play
behavior from both mother and siblings. Kittens taken away too young
are not as tolerant or as sure of themselves as older kittens."

THE KITTEN AT TWELVE WEEKS

At twelve weeks of age, most kittens are weaned or nearly fully so,
have had adequate socialization with mother and siblings, have
received their full series of kitten shots, and have gotten through
the critical immune system "kick-over" period. Properly handled and
socialized by people, these kittens have learned to explore their
world and will meet it with a happy, outgoing confidence that will
carry them throughout their lifetime. This may vary from cat to cat,
or breed to breed.
The important thing to remember is this: it should be the kitten's
current and future well-being that drives the decision of age to
place, not finances or a simple desire to have a younger kitten for
whatever reason. Kitten hood is a fleeting time. You will have a
kitten only for a short time, but the cat may be with you for many
years to come. You may find it personally disappointing to allow a
kitten an extra month or two with its mother when you had hoped to
have it earlier, but it will make a world of difference to the
mental, emotional, and physical health to the kitten throughout its
entire life. If you are searching for a pet through a shelter, you
may not have an option. If you are getting a kitten through an
acquaintance or through a breeder, insist on at least twelve weeks
for the kitten's health. You will have a healthier, happier, and
better socialized feline friend because of it.

[bobbie3917]

oppps sorry i didnt notice it was the long

[dinahsmum]

That is interesting Nat.
There's no doubt 6-8 week kittens are very tiny creatures, and a kitten of that age is a baby.
Food for thought.
Unfortunatley I don't think many 'mggy people' who end up with kittens think of keeping them that long.

[Jeanette]

Here in Denmark, most kittens are given to their new home at 8 weeks..

All my female kittens, which are now at the bridge were that or younger:-( Too young IMO.

Oliver was 10 weeks old, and I think that is a good age.. But I've heard them talking about 12 weeks..

I definately think 8 weeks is too young.. Atleast in my experience.. Or maybe all 3 of my female cats were loonies:roll: Could very well be..

[Fran]

Very interesting articles Nat. I totally agree most pedigree breeds need to be kept until at least 12 weeks of age. Having had a lot to do with the Siamese breeder recently, it is apparant that meezer and ori babies are not half the size of your average moggie at 6-8 weeks of age. They also tend to be more prone to reactions to the vaccinations and weaning problems occur much more frequently in her breed...Also quite a lot of hand rearing and topping up goes on and I don't think hand reared babies develop as quickly as mother raised babies either. So yes for the most part I would agree with all that is said with regard to pedigree kittens. Moggies tend to be much more robust than their pedigree counterparts. However, IMO 6 weeks is far too early for any baby to leave it's mum. I think 8-9 weeks is more acceptable but I think you have to asses each litter and indeed each kitten individually and decide whether it is ready for the big wide world...

[Snoof]

I think it's a matter of, "This would be best, what are the circumstances?"

There's a three-kitten litter at a friend of a friend's right now. Apparently they're going to be taken to the rescue soon because they're nearly two months old and still haven't found homes. I don't want to take them - if the rescue checks them over and I find them there, fine, but I'm not going to take a kitten that young from some backalley breeder (or rather, an ignorant who hasn't had their cat spayed and ended up with the 'fallout').

From a rescue, I will take a kitten when they're willing to let it go - but then from a rescue, you know you're making more room for younger kittens who may need the roof over their head more, or older cats who have nowhere to go (certainly with this STUPID birdflu debacle). Breeders, I wouldn't trust to be reputable if they were letting kittens go at that age.

There again, generally speaking, if I didn't have Ninja I'd take in a cat or two of any age.

There's also the fact that moggies tend to have a more robust constitution, so to speak, and that a breeder is to some extent responsible for the health and temperament of the kittens they're selling. People pay massive amounts of money (to my mind) for pedigree kittens, and they should be getting a healthy, happy kitten for their money. When you take on a rescue, you're best off being aware that there may be issues.

[bobbie3917]

when will your kittens be leaving Fran?
i know over here in the UK kittens only get 2 shots at 9 and 12 weeks not 3 like it say's

my kittens are in no way weedy or small they do have the odd feed off mum but that is more her then them looking for her. they are 7 weeks old now and less then 2lb in weight and i just feel that is to small to let kittens go. the toy breed pups often dont leave there breeder till they are 12 weeks old and they are bigger then any 12 week old kitten.

keeping a kitten an extra 4 weeks to me is not a lot yes the jabs do cost money but if you Plan kittens then that is 1 cost that you should think about before hand they dont really eat that much and if your other cats have a litter tray then that will not cost any extra either

but then again i think that all cats should be in door cats and most of you dont agree with that so i have no chance with this either i guess

[Fran]

when will your kittens be leaving Fran?

When I feel they are ready I suppose Nat...Nothing set in stone and tbh I am in no rush. So will just see how it goes :)