# When's the best age to take my kitten home?



## Frenchy (May 12, 2006)

I'm not a breeder or looking to get a cat from a "breeder" but I thought this would be the best place to post this question.

My friend's cat got out of the house and got pregnant. I'm going to be getting one of the kittens. 

My question is, she called me a couple days ago and said the kittens are ready to be taken home. They are eight weeks tomorrow (Thursday 7/13). Is that still too young to take the kitten home? My mom says I should wait at least 12 weeks. My friend says they are litter trained and eating solid food.

So my question is, should I take the kitten now at 8 weeks or wait another couple of weeks?


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## Stephie (Feb 4, 2005)

Personally I would wait another couple of weeks. I found that when Willow had kittens some had weaned by 8 weeks but some hadn't fully and I would have been very unahppy rehoming them before that. I know that you say this kitten is coming from your friend but reputable breeders will not rehome a kitty in the UK until they are 13 weeks old


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## kapatrik (May 4, 2005)

Your mom is right! What is some weeks more for you to wait compared to a kitten, who is a happy, well socialized kitten. Kittens really needs those weeks to become decent adult cat. Not every kitten, who has been too early separated from mom and siblings, have problems with behavior or/and hygiene. But why risk it when you don´t have to. 12-14 weeks old kitten is still very young and very much kitten. 

If you just could talk your friend to keep kittens untill they are 10-12 weeks old. Between ages 7-12 months they are learning how to be cats. How hard they can play, how to "speak cat". Those skills are very important to them. Kitten is not redy to leave when she/he can eat solid food and can use toilet.
Too many people thinks cats are just smal gogs  and can go to their new homes at very early age (7-8 weeks), because it is so with dogs.


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## Frenchy (May 12, 2006)

My friend is fine with keeping the cats longer, that's not a problem. I thought 8 weeks was too early, and I'll probably wait at least another 2 weeks to get the kitten if not another 4 weeks.

I have a cat at home already, so I'm hoping if I do get my kitten a little early, my cat at home can still show her what she needs to learn (if anything) but I'm not counting on it.


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## Sol (Feb 20, 2003)

SammyTheFatCat said:


> I'm not so sure, exactly so I won't tell you specific info but in my cat book, it said that usually adult cats will adapt to their new enviroment easier than the smaller kittens but I'm not so sure. I have to check on that later on.
> But if you get them as early as you can (maybe what the other members said, like a few more weeks or something), so then you can train them to go to the litterbox, or where their food and water is, etc.
> -
> You don't have to get them early, but if you can wait longer (like way longer maybe), until the kittens ar eused to using the litterbox and everything, then you should take them. When we adopted Sammy, he was 6 months old and had another owner, so when we got back home, he immediately knew how to use the litterbox, and where it was and the food and water. And he got used to our house like in a second. (But it took us about 6 months for him to trust us fully  )


I have to ask you how old that book is. No well informed author would write that in a book published today.

It's extremely important that the kitten is weaned properly before it moves to its new home. The whole process when the mother push the kittens away is important in order for the kittens to grow up into independent indivudals. The weaning process may seem very traumatic for the kittens but it is detrimental for sound development.

Another aspect is that a kitten shouldn't move until it's had all its vaccination and that's simply not done before the kitten is 11 weeks old. You can start to vaccinate at eight weeks of age (special situations may call for vaccination from 6 weeks of age though) and then the vaccinations are finished at 11 weeks of age, at the earliest. Then you should wait at least 7 days (in order for the vaccine to reach full effect) before the kitten should move so 12 weeks really is the earliest age for moving.

I keep the kittens until they're 16 weeks old.


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## Frenchy (May 12, 2006)

I've heard many times that 12 weeks should be the minimun...but I did end up taking her at 9 weeks. All seems to be fine with her. She uses the litter box and gets along great with my other cat. I think because we took her a little earlier, that it helped we had another cat for her to cling to. My other cat minded her for like a day, and then they started cuddling and playing, so they get along great.


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## Kiraz (Sep 11, 2006)

I think, 2 months is perfect age of cat to take it to new house.


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## Sable (Oct 16, 2006)

I've never brought home a kitten younger than 12 weeks.

Kittens are generally better able to adapt / be trained when they're between 12 weeks and 6 months... A cat older than 6 months would probably be stressed and confused by a move. :?


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## Sol (Feb 20, 2003)

Sable said:


> A cat older than 6 months would probably be stressed and confused by a move. :?


No, that's not the case. A well socialized and well adapted pet cat will have no problems adapting to a new home even as an adult. I've rehomed adult cats and they've had no problems adapting to their new homes. There's really very little (if any) difference in rehoming kittens from adults. I've rehomed kittens at 12 weeks of age, at 16 weeks of age, at 6 months of age and adults and they've all adapted very well to their new homes. It hasn't taken any longer for the older ones to adapt either.

When a cat comes to its right home, it will respond very well to it.


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