How old were your kittens when the breeder let them go?

[Andthereshewas77]

Is 14 weeks excessive?

I feel I'll be missing out on the socialising.
This is a kitten that lives with two litters - what do you think?

I thought about 8 weeks was the norm?

Someone I know kept them till 14 weeks as this is now recommended apparently! I got mine at 8 weeks and spoke to the vet when they were up getting first jags and he said anything before 7 is too soon! 8 weeks is fine

Ozzy was eight weeks. In hindsight I think a couple more weeks with his mum and brothers and sisters would have done him good though.

one was 14 weeks but that was because we were away when he was 12 weeks, his sister (same parents different litter) is 12 weeks. We picked her up as soon as she had her final jabs.

13 or 14 weeks for Oneago if I recall.

5 1/2 weeks, we got told they were 8 weeks. They were not from a good breeder.

Twoago was about 10/12 weeks if I recall but even if the kits weren't quite ready to go, Mum had clearly had quite enough so the timing was probably about right. I don't think 14 weeks is excessive.

Bogbastard was about 15 weeks, slightly delayed due to a holiday but the breeder wouldn't let them go until 13 weeks. Perfectly well socialised.

The kitten we had at four weeks on the other hand was much loved but definitely had several screws loose due to the early separation.

Ours are rescue kittens who arrived at the shelter at 8 weeks ish, without mum. But they did stay with their siblings (litter of 4). We got them at 12 weeks I think, mostly as that was when rescue put them up for adoption.

The recommended age is 14 weeks as they then have their vaccinations before they go. I would be pleased as that means you're most likely buying from a decent breeder rather than the usual backyard breeder who wants them gone asap.

All the cats that we have had over the years,(apart from a couple of strays more recently that were of indeterminate age but which the vet reckoned were both between 6 months and a year) have been 8 weeks old,give or take a day. But I have heard lately that 12 weeks is better.

Im interested in why the term 'backyard breeder' is used in terms of kittens/cats?

Are we talking about pedigrees with health certs and needing to stay with queen (who wont want them) till 14 weeks!?

Dont know that yerm is used for cats but heard it here first so wondered whats being meant by that. Do we have kitten farms too?

About 7 weeks, but she was taken off her mother & hand reared from a few weeks old because her mum was practically a kitten & on her second litter and collapsed under the strain - she came from a cat home. She is a perfectly normal, selfish, demanding, whingebag of a cat

I have just been allowed to take one from a litter by the cats protection league, he was nine weeks old yesterday and has had his first vaccination last week.

13 weeks here - I picked him up yesterday

Queen - so cute!

I'm afraid so, Shriek. Like puppies, kittens are a cash business - in some cases, large amounts of cash - and when you have that, anywhere, you can attract the unscrupulous.

Some breeds are "slow to mature" and their breeders will only let them go at 14 weeks or so. Siamese comes to mind.

When a pregnant cat adopted us, I intended to keep the kittens until 12 weeks but by 11 weeks I was at my wits' end and they went to their new homes. They were very cute, though :)

8 weeks here.

Thanks all, and especially for the picture.
That's definitely still a kitten.
He will be neutered too as per breeder's preference.
it's a long time to wait - I'm impatient!

14 weeks...fully vaccinated,wormed etc and neutered and recovered from op...she was still very much a kitten and is turning into a bombproof,well socialised and very affectionate confident cat...

I got mine when she was supposed to be 8 weeks old when I got her vet check myself later that week the vet said she was only 6 weeks and shouldn't have been away (I got the last kitten) so when I contacted the "breeder" they had disconnected their number ect so I just went with the advice of the vet and she is now over a year old and is very healthy but 6 weeks was far too young for her to be away from mum. I would say 8-10 weeks would be fine.

One critical thing for me, backaways, was that airlines - in those days - would only allow personal cats to fly if they were aged 12 weeks or over. (And they did check the documentation.) Perhaps they're more accommodating for zoos etc.