When Can A Kitten Leave His Mother

By the way don t worry about mommy being upset when her babies leave.

When can a kitten leave his mother. Most people agree that at least 8 weeks is the minimum age that kittens can leave their mothers. That will help them live a long and happy life in the future. A kitten should stay with his mother until a minimum of 10 weeks but preferably 12 weeks. 8 weeks the organization cats international recommends keeping kittens with their fellow litter mates and mothers until about 8 weeks in age.

While some kittens can go home earlier the closer you wait until 12 or 13 weeks the better off the kitten will be. Benefits of staying with the mother and siblings. The time varies from one kitten to another since several factors come to play. By six weeks old kittens will almost always be eating only solid food and not relying upon their mother s milk for nutrition.

First of all there is no set age on when the separation should be done. Even though kittens are relatively independent by 8 10 weeks and can survive without their mother. The perfect age seems to be between eight and twelve weeks. However a kitten is typically ready to leave his mother at about 8 to 12 weeks of age.

The best time to separate a kitten from their mother and siblings is when they are 12 13 weeks old. When in doubt keep them with their mothers as long as possible. As the kittens reach four to six weeks old the queen will begin to wean them and her milk supply will become more scarce as this happens. Kittens rely on their mother s milk for proper growth and development.

That clever lady mother nature has designed cat mommies to encourage her kittens to leave the nest so that she can get busy with the next lot. Ideally kittens should go to their new home around 12 weeks of age.