At what age can kittens leave Mummy?

[EverySingleStar]

We have a gorgeous 8-month-old tabby whom we're getting an equally gorgeous playmate.

We were due to get our new kitten on May 11 when she will be 8 weeks old. Just found out DP has 2 extra days off prior to Bank Hol weekend, so we thought it would be ideal to get her at this time so we all have 5 days as a family to spend settling her in, getting her used to resident kitty, and getting to know her.

She will be 6.5 weeks at this stage - MIL who has bred cats in the past says hers left at 6 weeks, is this still okay to do today with current guidelines? I would ring our vet but they're not open on Mondays.

Thanks for any info!

bump

I think they can leave at 6 weeks but it is not recommended, they have so much to learn from their mother (things like using the litter tray) that they do miss out if they leave too early.

Six weeks is too early. Reputable breeders will keep them until 10 or 12 weeks.

I would certainly not take one from its mother before eight weeks.

We did have a six-week-old kitten when I was a child. I have never forgotten how he cried night after night, presumably because he was missing his mother.

Don't do it at 6 weeks, its far too early.

8 weeks is the earliest i would i say.

Definitely not at 6 weeks, it is too early.
As a child we had a cat who was always crapping in the house, usually in totally inaccessible places so it took ages to track down where the smell was coming from! Our vet said it was almost certainly because he had been taken from his mother too soon.

they are much more fun for kids to play with when they are a bit older too.

A lot of people do let them go at six weeks but it really is too young. 8 weeks is too young too really. Breeders of pedigree cats usually keep them until they are 12 - 14 weeks, that way they have the advantage of self weaning, being fully potty trained (by their mother) and are also much better socialized as well.

Erm, that'll be litter trained then

ROFL at potty-trained!

Okay thanks everyone

I took my kitten at 5 weeks but I didn't know any different (ex'x mum's cat had the kitten) but looking back it was too young.

8 weeks is the yougest you want to take her from her mummy

my kittens are 5 and a half weeks old now and are starting to eat food but still can't use a litter tray

We got a kitten last year (via vet), I went to look at her expecting to pick her up in a couple of weeks and the owner just said "here you are then" - she was 6.5 weeks. I was a bit taken aback, but kitten (Mouse!), marched into the house, hissed at my lab and swatted her on the nose and settled in right away. We kept her in until she'd had her jabs and she's never looked back. I wouldn't choose to do it, and was rather bumped into it, but with care it's manageable.

I would wait for 10 weeks.

Well I've had an update on kitten - she is not eating solid food very well yet (she turned 5 weeks yesterday) and isn't managing the litter tray very well and is behind her brothers and sisters bar one sister.

We'll be hanging on til 8 weeks, the owners aren't particularly keen on keeping her past then - this was an unwanted litter.

I'd hang on as long as the owners will let you, in that case. The longer you leave it the better she will cope with solid food and the more likely she will be to be litter-trained.
But it sounds as though she has a good home waiting for her.

10 weeks is the recommended age. Having said that, my kittens are 15 weeks now and mummy has only just stopped letting them feed from her. They still crap in the recycling box [no, we don't put those papers in the blue bin - though they then 'scratch around' in the litter tray, and they crave physical contact. One still cries if mummy isn't around

Have to say, our kittens were 'unwanted' but I couldn't let them go. Just need to take out second mortgage for vaccinations, neutering, kennel fees etc.