How old before you can leave a kitten

[nightswim]

Hi,

I'm thinking of getting a kitten for my dc. We've seen one and fallen in love with it. We're due to go away for 3 nights when it would be about 12 weeks. I have someone who it would know well and could op in for a couple of visits a day but worried it would be too soon to leave it? Also worried that if they end up not being around I would have to ask someone it didn't know so well for shorter visits. I can wait until we get back but dc loves the kitten we've seen and we're due to go away again in August so would be in a similar situation. Maybe I shouldn't get one but would love dc to have a pet. Anyways interested in hearing how others have approached similar.

DC is very kind and caring and would be very gentle. I had kittens as a young child so don't see the problem with this. I think foster cats are different to kittens as they may have been through trauma already. I love cats so it is very much an addition to the family as much for me as for DC. I can see that leaving it at 12 weeks is probably not the right thing so am rethinking what to do. I really would love one as much as DC so it is about finding the best time to get one. Staying put for a whole year is not a realistic option for me as I have elderly relatives to visit who can't travel to us at for e.g. Christmas. I can't be the only person thinking of getting a kitten who is not able to go away for a whole year.

We left ours during the day for work almost straight away but did get a friend to pop in once or twice a day to check on them for the first couple of weeks. They were thirteen weeks when we got them so they weren't teeny but I wish we had been post-Covid so I could have wfh.

We went away for a week when they were six months. They went to stay with my parents for the week and were absolutely fine. Since then we have used cat sitters to keep them in their own territory.

Would they not keep the kitten for you fir a bit longer? We had a holiday booked and asked if they could keep our kitten with the mum for an extra 10 days. They were fine with that and we gave them a deposit.

Yes exactly, 12 weeks is now understood to be the best minimum age to adopt - a kitten shouldn't be away from its mother and littermates before this time. It's really important for their socialisation and behaviour.

Also, if you're getting a kitten you really need two. They can entertain each other, otherwise you may well end up with a needy kitten that bites and uses their claws with you inappropriately as they don't have someone to practise on. It doesn't mean they'll grow up to be best friends, but it's really important they have another kitten with them at that age.

And young kittens need supervision. You'd need a full time pet sitter or family member willing to stay with them. As others have said, rescues will have loads of kittens in the summer as kitten season runs April-November. If you don't want to get two I would really suggest an adult cat instead.