Question: How long should a kitten stay with its mother cat?
My friend's cat just had kittens, and my friend told me that she would let me have one. I'm not sure how long the kittens should stay with their mother, so would you please let me know what is the appropriate length of time a kitten should stay with its mother?
Answer: Thank you for asking! A kitten should stay with its mother for an absolute minimum of eight weeks and preferably 12 weeks.
Although they may be "weaned" prior to eight weeks, they will still have the occasional need to nurse. Kittens taken from their momcats before this time often develop nursing behavior on themselves, other cats, humans, or fabric, and these habits will often continue throughout adulthood.
They also need this time to learn proper cat behavior from their mother cat, including use of the litter box, socializing with humans and other cats.
My friend's cat just had kittens, and my friend told me that she would let me have one. I'm not sure how long the kittens should stay with their mother, so would you please let me know what is the appropriate length of time a kitten should stay with its mother?
Answer: Thank you for asking! A kitten should stay with its mother for an absolute minimum of eight weeks and preferably 12 weeks.
Although they may be "weaned" prior to eight weeks, they will still have the occasional need to nurse. Kittens taken from their momcats before this time often develop nursing behavior on themselves, other cats, humans, or fabric, and these habits will often continue throughout adulthood.
They also need this time to learn proper cat behavior from their mother cat, including use of the litter box, socializing with humans and other cats.
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