New kitten advice

[Estraya]

Hi, I chose our new kitten today. She's a 6 week old ragdoll. I've only had an older rescue cat before and not a kitten or a ragdoll. The vet has checked her over and said she's ready to go to her new home as soon as we want so we've agreed this weekend. I've just read online though that kittens should stay with their mum until they're at least 8 weeks. Can anyone here advise what's best? I'm happy to wait if it's in her best interests.

Wait If you can

I am amazed a vet has said that. Are you in the UK? Is the kitten currently still with her mum?

Also, can anyone recommend the best insurance provider for her?

Yes we're in the UK and the kitten is with her mum, dad and siblings at the moment.

I too am surprised by the vet's advice. Let kitten nurse from mum until at least 8 weeks.10 weeks is even better but she'll be ok to come home with you by 8. Good luck!

I think we're with Pets at Home Petplan, re: insurance.

Could he have misunderstood she’s only 6 weeks? Perhaps a receptionist wrote ‘age 6 weeks’ but a 6 looked like an 8 or something and he got confused.

I’d rearrange the date as she’s such a tiny baby and her immune system will need all the help it can from her mum presumably.

You’ve got her for the rest of her life so two weeks minimum isn’t much to wait?

Thank you very much for the advice. She's not nursing from mum anymore. I think mum cat struggled a bit and the kittens are all on wet food and kitten milk now. The vet said all but the littlest were good to go but I'll rearrange and put it back until she's 8 weeks old. She's so cute I'm desperate to have her home with me (and would happily have the whole litter) but I want her to be ready.

Congratulations!

Wait. Please wait. They need their mum until at the very least eight weeks, I didn’t bring ours home until 12 weeks.

Ragdolls are not like regular cats. They are super needy, they need lots of love, attention, brushing, cuddles, they don’t like being alone they are absolutely more like a dog than a cat and will follow you around and chat. If you tried to adopt one from a rescue or shelter, they often won’t let you take them home if you’re not at home most of the time because they’re so needy.

Ours is a house cat. Ragdolls can be a bit...silly, mine would happily wander out into the road and expect a car to move for her. They’re super lovely cuddly cats but they’re lacking in the sense department. Most of the time they’re advised to be house cats.

Because they’re long haired they can be prone to fur balls so feed them well, ours has Blink Cat Food (wet) and Royal Canin dry. Some breeders recommend only dry food and the occasional plate of roast chicken. Find out what mum eats, that’s usually a good place to start.

Insurance, we use pet plan which is about £15 a month.

That's good you are prepared to wait, I find the younger they are taken from their mother the more needy they are and they haven't learned all the skills they need.

We got a breed similar to ragdolls and waited until they were 14 weeks, your timing seems way too young.

She's not completely litter trained yet so maybe I should wait a bit longer than 8 weeks to be sure she's really ready. I'll get everything ready at home so I have the same food and litter as she's used to and set up lots of areas for her to play and hide out and then we'll see how she's doing at 8 weeks. They've said she can stay with mum as long as we want so there's really no rush.

I work from home, all the time, not just for Covid reasons, so she'll be able to have company as much as she wants. I've been reading up on ragdoll behaviour and I pet sat for her parents in the past but I think I still have a lot to learn.

She definitely going to be a house cat, which feels a bit strange to me as our other cat was out and about all the time, but we don't live in the greatest area and I'd be worried about her being stolen as well as the traffic danger.

That’s a good plan op.

Perhaps she will be up for walks on a lead and harness.

I just read up on lead training cats and that sounds like a fun possibility. It would be fun to be able to take her for walks!

We currently have a litter of 6 week old kittens - they aren't going anywhere -ever- until they are at least 12 weeks.

They are still babies at 6 weeks - mine are still feeding from mum loads and just starting to get the hang of the litter tray.

Are you getting her from a breeder, OP? I'm very surprised (and slightly suspicious) they are letting her go so early. As others have said around 12 weeks is the norm.

I'm also very surprised at a breeder letting them go at six weeks. Have you seen the pedigree? There are unfortunately a lot of scammers claiming kittens are a certain breed just because they are longhaired or a certain colour.
Cats learn so much about behaviour (including not overusing teeth and claws in play!) from their mum and siblings in those early weeks, it really is important they don't leave too early, even if they are eating solids.

She isn't a ragdoll I'm afraid op but a glorified moggy. Only a registered kitten is a breed. So silly to breed from a ragdoll that isn't active, they are so prone to health conditions. Any decent breeder would follow guidelines and go through the routes to become a breeder officially. If you wanted a ragdoll you should have read up on back yard breeders and paid the extra for a genuine pedigree.

I've seen people on here claiming they have a Norwegian forest cat just because their cat has long fur. I paid £700 for my Norwegian forest and researched breeders. Same with my registered pedigree ragdolls. This makes me so angry and sad.

I can’t see anywhere where the OP says whether the kitten is registered or not? It sounds like she knows the owners anyway.

A registered kitten would not be able to go without both vaccinations and need to be around 13wks old.