When can kittens be rehomed - age?

[Whyismycatanasshat]

Hi; advice needed please - I’ve always rescued the old boys of the cat world so am out of my depth here!
A semi feral cat is living around the farm at the back of us; she has 7 kittens which are living under our shed. We have taken to feeding her wet pouches and she comes when called at dinner time.
She does not belong to the farm or any of our neighbours and is a young thing.
She brings/calls the kittens out to see us and we have been playing with them for some weeks.
Neither she nor the kittens are the definition of feral. She comes into our conservatory and suns herself if the doors are open.
We have homes for most of the kittens but I do not know are what age they can be separated from her - can anyone advise?

We plan on having her spayed - again, no clue about doing that - when and do I just ring our vets?

Asshat cat of my username is now 15 and unconcerned by this interloper.

Thanks.

When my cat had kittens I rehomed at 12 weeks.

Ideally 12 weeks - how lovely

That looks like exactly cuddle time weeks old. If it is one of "your" kittens then it is ridiculously cute and you are clearly mad for giving them away instead of keeping them all to become a crazy cat lady 😁

@Athenajm80 I would happily be a crazy cat lady with a clowder of old boys like my current old chap. The ones the rescues can’t rehome because no one wants the old half toothless boys… but not 7 kittens and a young mum! The mum I plan on spaying and keeping as long as she’ll stay about our house.

Visiting MIL is insistent they are 10
weeks; I am Not a kitten person but know they’ve not been here that long…

What a beautiful ginger!! About 7 weeks or thereabouts? Possibly closer to 6 (?)but he looks quite tall!

I'd also say 12 weeks for rehoming. Our family cats came to us at 6 weeks, it was the 90s and we knew no better then, they were tiny!

Will accept close ups of paws as part of the Cat Tax.

@Leafy3 That may or may not be the average sized one across the litter of 7.
Still toying with keeping the runt; who is tiny. But could have a home with a
few of its siblings and a pampered existence. I don’t know if I should. I am not a kitten or young cat person.

Revising my guess slightly because there's nothing to scale his size so he could be bigger than he looks. 7-9 weeks, no older and I doubt much younger.

I am not a kitten or young cat person.

Well, you are now 😆

I would be leaning towards the 10 week mark, not 12 because they are not living indoors being fully socialised. I suspect you his is why cat rescues also let kittens get regimes at 8+ weeks. The sooner these kittens get into homes rather then a shelter, the better. Same for your kitties.

Our 2 came at 12 weeks. They walked in, started playing and that was that. I'd told my kids they were staying in the kitchen a week, then slowly being allowed out.... that lasted a day. There was no hiding from us. (I shut them update night firbtheir safety) but they could feed, toilet, play etc and didn't seem to miss mum too much.

Your kitten is gorgeous. I would think about 8/9 weeks.

I want that kitten! How exactly did you coax a pregnant cat into your garden... asking for a friend.

After 8 weeks the important thing is a good home, so leave longer if possible but if you will lose the home then let them go.

As for the spay, we've had feral cats treated and just let them back outside, there is a risk but it is less than the risk from repeated pregnancy.

@Newfluff They chose us, honest!
Is a spay a one day job? Then home?
I’ve always had rescue boys who’ve been done!

The point about keeping them for litter training etc is mute because they are outdoors so as long as you know they are definitely 8 weeks and they all eat cat food ok I’d be getting them off to their forever homes . I think get her spayed as quickly as you can before she gets pregnant again .

One day job yes.
They are quite tired and sore afterwards though

Yes one day job, where a domesticated cat will be happy staying in we've found that feral/semi feral prefer to retreat immediately and actually is safer to allow them to go than keep them in. As your cat is happy in the conservatory I'd set that up with a box and blankets and leave the door open.
We've seen pregnant cats and neutered cats which have recently given birth but have never had the privilege of having a cat give birth.