Ensuring kittens aren’t separated from their mother too early is vital to their development. As it is, separating kittens from their mother can be a difficult experience. The bond between kittens and their mother is a strong one – therefore it’s important the separation is handled properly.
The weaning period
It’s extremely important that kittens are fully weaned before they are separated from their mother. Kittens will generally eat more solid food as they approach being fully weaned. By about 8 weeks, the kittens will be weaned. Therefore, from a nutritional standpoint it’s then an appropriate time to consider separating them.
Social development
Up to the age of 7 weeks is the most important time in a kitten’s healthy social development. This is another reason to keep the kitten with its mother and its littermates.
It’s very important that, during this time period, a kitten is regularly handled by humans, and that it experiences as many different sights and sounds as possible. This includes people of all ages and genders, children, and other healthy, fully vaccinated pets.
Want to know more?
We hope this article answered your questions about when kittens can leave their mother. However, if you have another question about kittens, re-homing or any other questions about cats then we’d like to help. Submit your question below.
