When are kittens old enough to leave their mother?

Answer 1

There is no sertain time-if the kit is not yet weened then you can not seperate them(Dont worry-motther will ween in her own time{slow or fast})but heres a couple of websites to help you to determine......If they are eating solid food, or even a formula that the new owner would feel comfortable giving them, then I would say they are ready. but also, you might want to wait a little longer if they are still constantly hanging around their mother. You will need to start seperating them from their mom by locking them (together so it isn't as scary!) in a room and leaving their mom outside, but so she can paw at them under the door. If their mom is a stray, you need to seperate them soon, but it would be best if they left for their new home very soon so they can form an "emergency" bond with their new owners and not with you. that way they won't have to be seperated from another bond.
Cats are seasonally polyestrous, which means they may have many periods of heat over the course of a year. A heat period lasts about 4 to 7 days if the female is bred; if she is not, the heat period lasts longer.

The male cat's penis has spines which point backwards. Upon withdrawal of the penis, the spines rake the walls of the female's vagina. The female needs this stimulation for ovulation to begin. Because this does not always occur, females are rarely impregnated by the first male with which they mate. Furthermore, cats are superfecund; that is, a female may mate with more than one male when she is in heat, meaning different kittens in a litter may have different fathers.

The reproduction process can be very loud, as both cats vocalize loudly. If one is not used to the sounds of cats mating, it sounds very much like a cat fight.

The gestation period for cats is approximately 63-65 days. The size of a litter averages three to five kittens, with the first litter usually smaller than subsequent litters. Kittens are weaned at between six and seven weeks, and cats normally reach sexual maturity at 4-10 months (females) and to 5-7 months (males).

Cats are ready to go to new homes at about 7 weeks old, or when they are ready to leave their mother. Cats can be surgically sterilized (spayed or neutered) as early as 6-8 weeks to limit unwanted reproduction. This surgery also prevents undesirable sex-related behavior, such as territory marking (spraying urine) in males and yowling (calling) in females. If an animal is neutered after such behavior has been learned, however, it may persist.


Blue-eyed cats with white fur have a higher incidence of genetic deafness. Over 200 heritable genetic defects have been identified in the cat, many of which are homologous to human inborn errors. Specific metabolic defects have been identified underlying many of these feline diseases.There are several genes responsible for the hair color identified. The combination of them gives different phenotypes. See Cat coat genetics.

Features like hair length, lack of tail or presence of a very short tail (bobtail cat) are also determined by single alleles and modified by polygenes.

A Cat Genome Project is sponsored by the Laboratory of Genomic Diversity at the U.S. National Cancer Institute Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center in Frederick, Maryland. The research focuses on development of the cat as an animal model for human hereditary disease, infectious disease, genome evolution, comparative research initiatives within the family Felidae, and forensic potential.

[edit]
Domestication
Like some other domesticated animals, cats live in a mutualistic arrangement with humans. Cats, however, have done so for a shorter time than many other domesticated animals, and the degree of domestication of cats is disputed by some, especially compared to the dog. Since the benefit of removing rats and mice from humans' food stores outweighed the cost of allowing a formerly wild animal to enjoy the relative safety of a human settlement, the relationship between cat and human flourished. Unlike the dog, which also kills rodents, the cat did not eat grains, fruits, or vegetables. A cat that is good at hunting rodents is referred to as a mouser.

The venerable simile "like herding cats" refers to the seeming intractability of the ordinary house cat to be trained in the manner of the dog. Despite occasional cohabitation in colonies, cats are lone hunters. It is no coincidence that cats are also "clean" animals, the chemistry of their saliva, expended in frequent grooming, acting as a natural deodorant. The "purpose" of this cleanliness is to help hide the cat's presence while stalking prey. A dog's odor, on the other hand, is an advantage, for a dog is a pack hunter; part of the pack stations itself upwind, and its odor drives prey towards the rest of the pack stationed downwind. This requires a cooperative effort, which in turn requires communications skills. No such communications skills are required of the lone hunter. Thus, communicating with such an animal is problematic, and cats in particular are labelled as opaque or inscrutable, if not obtuse, as well as aloof and self-sufficient. However, cats can be very affectionate towards their humans, especially if they imprint on them at a very young age and are treated with consistent affection.


A cat carrying a caught pigeonAttitudes toward cats vary widely. Some people keep cats for companionship as pets. Others go to great lengths to pamper their cats, sometimes treating them almost as if they were children. When a cat bonds with its owner, at times, the cat may display behaviors similar to that of a human. Such behavior may include a trip to the litter box before bedtime or snuggling up close to its companion in bed or on the sofa. Other behaviors could include mimicking sounds of the owner or using certain sounds the cat picks up from the human; sounds representing specific needs of the cat, which the owner would recognize, such as a specific tone of meow along with eye contact that may represent "I'm hungry." The cat may also be capable of learning to communicate with the human using non-spoken language or body language such as rubbing for affection (confirmation), facial expressions and making eye contact with the owner if something needs to be addressed (e.g. finding a bug crawling on the floor for the owner to get rid of). Some owners like to train their cat to perform "tricks" commonly exhibited by dogs such as jumping.

Allergies to cat dander are one of the most common reasons people cite for disliking cats. However, in some instances, humans find the rewards of cat companionship outweigh the discomfort and problems associated with allergies. Many choose to cope with cat allergies by taking prescription allergy medicine and bathing their cats frequently, since weekly bathing will eliminate about 90% of the cat dander present in the environment. Recent studies have indicated that humans who are exposed to cats or dogs within the first year of their lives develop few animal allergies, while most adults who are allergic to animals did not have a cat or a dog as a pet in childhood.

In urban areas, some people find feral and free-roaming pet cats annoying and intrusive. Unaltered animals can engage in persistent nighttime calling (caterwauling) and defecation or "marking" on private property. Indoor confinement of pets and TNR (trap, neuter, return) programs for feral cats can help in this situation; some people also use cat deterrents to discourage cats from entering their property.

In rural areas, farms often have dozens of semi-feral cats. Hunting in the barns and the fields, they kill and eat rodents that would otherwise spoil large parts of the grain crop. Many pet cats successfully hunt and kill rabbits, rodents, birds, lizards, frogs, fish, and large insects by instinct, but might not eat their prey. They may even present such victims, dead or maimed, to a beloved owner, perhaps expecting their owner to praise or reward them, or possibly even complete the kill and eat the mouse.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat

Answer 2

I would keep the kitten. Don't let it outdoors. Contact your vet and you, your family and vet together contact animal control, humane society, aspca or all of them and file a report. How u found the kitten and the vets input of the deplorable condition the baby was in. those people and where they got that kitten needs to be turned upside down and investigated for abuse and neglect. I'm sure they all will be charged. They may even have to pay the vet bill on top of what hell wrath can come. Sickening.

Answer 3

From 2 to 3 months old.

Answer 4

8 weeks

Answer 5

8 weeks

Answer 6

8 weeks

Answer 7

I would say no sooner than 8 weeks, and for some it may take a bit longer. We had a kitten we had to take back to the farm because he was not ready to be away from his mother. They can be a pain in the butt if you take them away from mama too soon.

Answer 8

6 weeks

Answer 9

When they are fully weaned and eating solid food. And after they have learned to groom themselves and use the litter box the mother cat will teach these to her babies.
Usually 6-9 weeks old.

Answer 10

Absolutely not before 8 weeks, and ideally at 12 weeks.

Answer 11

8 weeks.