{"id":468,"date":"2020-10-22T07:56:35","date_gmt":"2020-10-22T07:56:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/?p=468"},"modified":"2020-10-22T07:56:35","modified_gmt":"2020-10-22T07:56:35","slug":"is-it-ok-to-give-kittens-away-at-6-weeks-old","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/is-it-ok-to-give-kittens-away-at-6-weeks-old\/","title":{"rendered":"Is it OK to give kittens away at 6 weeks old?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The simple answer is NO. Separating a kitten from their mama cat too early can be disastrous.\u00a0 This is why it is highly recommended that kittens stay with their moms as long as possible. If you want to learn why kittens can\u2019t be given away 6 weeks or earlier, read on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<p>Mother cats, or as they are called, queen cats play a vital role in their kittens\u2019 lives. For the first month of the kittens\u2019 lives, they depend a lot on mom for nutrition, in the form of milk, and warmth \u2013 as one-month-old kittens cannot actually regulate their body temperature yet.&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_17 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-grey\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"display: none;\"><i class=\"ez-toc-glyphicon ez-toc-icon-toggle\"><\/i><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1\"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/is-it-ok-to-give-kittens-away-at-6-weeks-old\/#Can_kittens_leave_at_6_weeks\" title=\"Can kittens&nbsp;leave&nbsp;at 6&nbsp;weeks?\">Can kittens&nbsp;leave&nbsp;at 6&nbsp;weeks?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/is-it-ok-to-give-kittens-away-at-6-weeks-old\/#A_6_week_old_kitten_still_need_to_learn_from_its_mom\" title=\"A 6 week old kitten still need to learn from its mom\">A 6 week old kitten still need to learn from its mom<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/is-it-ok-to-give-kittens-away-at-6-weeks-old\/#How_old_should_a_kitten_be_before_it_is_ok_to_give_it_away\" title=\"How old should a kitten be before it is ok to give it away?\">How old should a kitten be before it is ok to give it away?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/is-it-ok-to-give-kittens-away-at-6-weeks-old\/#How_to_care_for_abandoned_kittens\" title=\"How to care for abandoned kittens?\">How to care for abandoned kittens?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/is-it-ok-to-give-kittens-away-at-6-weeks-old\/#Why_is_my_new_kitten_not_eating\" title=\"Why is my new kitten not eating?\">Why is my new kitten not eating?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/is-it-ok-to-give-kittens-away-at-6-weeks-old\/#Can_kittens_drink_milk\" title=\"Can kittens drink milk?\">Can kittens drink milk?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/is-it-ok-to-give-kittens-away-at-6-weeks-old\/#Do_kittens_miss_their_mom\" title=\"Do kittens miss their mom?\">Do kittens miss their mom?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/is-it-ok-to-give-kittens-away-at-6-weeks-old\/#When_is_the_best_time_for_kittens_to_be_weaned\" title=\"When is the best time for kittens to be weaned\">When is the best time for kittens to be weaned<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/is-it-ok-to-give-kittens-away-at-6-weeks-old\/#Video_How_to_tell_how_old_a_kitten_is\" title=\"Video: How to tell how old a kitten is\">Video: How to tell how old a kitten is<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_kittens_leave_at_6_weeks\"><\/span>Can kittens&nbsp;leave&nbsp;at 6&nbsp;weeks?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Separating kittens from their moms already after 6 weeks is usually too early. Without mom around to provide her kittens with milk, it could be detrimental to the kittens\u2019 body development. The milk is full of essential nutrients important for bone development, eye health, and full organ development. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On a side note, kittens are not to be fed cow\u2019s milk or any sort of milk that are not specifically designed for kitten consumption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After a full month, mama cat will actually start weaning her kittens by limiting their nursing time.\u00a0 At this time, they are encouraged to start eating liquid kitten food as well as mom\u2019s milk. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By their 6<sup>th<\/sup> week, they may have graduated from their watery kitten food and mama\u2019s milk to them being able to eat moistened kibbles exclusively \u2013 but this does not mean that they\u2019re ready to be on their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Aside from being a food source for her kittens, mama cat will actually teach her kittens to be proper, well-mannered cats.&nbsp; Kittens separated from their moms too early are observed to develop behavioral issues as they grow up.&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_6_week_old_kitten_still_need_to_learn_from_its_mom\"><\/span>A 6 week old kitten still need to learn from its mom<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It is actually their moms who will teach them lifelong lessons like how to calm down, how to groom themselves properly, and most importantly for the humans of their lives, how to use the litter box properly \u2013 including how to bury their waste.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is by interacting with their mom and siblings that kittens learn how to not play too rough, how to effectively \u2018hunt\u2019, and many more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kittens who grow up alone and have limited contact with other animals during their developmental stages can actually develop the \u2018single-kitten syndrome,\u2019 where they fail to behave appropriately around other animals, including <a href=\"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/do-kittens-need-human-interaction\/\">humans. Nope, human interaction with your solitary kitten<\/a> is not enough because humans simply cannot emulate the play behavior of cats \u2013 we simply don\u2019t have the same body language.&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If they don\u2019t know their limits they may develop inappropriate play aggression \u2013 the one where they sneak attack your ankles.&nbsp; Painful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_old_should_a_kitten_be_before_it_is_ok_to_give_it_away\"><\/span>How old should a kitten be before it is ok to give it away?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The question is then when can kittens leave their mom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>It is ok to let your kitten leave at 8 weeks old or older.\u00a0The most ideal age is between 12-16 weeks old. By this time, the kittens will have learned all the lessons they need to learn from mom and their siblings on how to be a good cat.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_care_for_abandoned_kittens\"><\/span><strong>How to care for abandoned kittens?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes, unfortunate things happen and you end up with motherless or abandoned kittens.&nbsp; If you are completely unsure of what to do, the best advice would be to contact your local vet and see if there\u2019s anything wrong with the kittens.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you\u2019re sure that everything is fine health wise, here are the things you must do to your new kitten babies:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol type=\"1\"><li>Keep them warm.&nbsp; For the first month of their lives, kittens cannot regulate their own temperature.&nbsp; To make sure they survive, provide them with warm blankets that are to be replaced regularly.<\/li><li>Feed them KITTEN MILK.&nbsp; Cats are actually lactose intolerant and should NEVER drink cows\u2019 milk.&nbsp; When they\u2019re old enough, slowly start weaning them with watery wet food.<\/li><li>Help them relieve themselves.&nbsp; Very young kittens actually need to be stimulated in order to be able to pee and poop.&nbsp; Use a damp washcloth and gently stroke their areas until they release.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_is_my_new_kitten_not_eating\"><\/span><strong>Why is my new kitten not eating?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Most cats are not big fans of changes, and this extends to kittens too.&nbsp; If you find that your new kitten is not eating as much as they should or usually would, here are some things you can do:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol type=\"1\"><li>Find out what your kitten likes to eat \u2013 this could be done by trying out different brands, textures and flavors.&nbsp; Serve at body temperature.<\/li><li>Mind their dish bowls.&nbsp; Make sure it\u2019s clean with no soap residue left.&nbsp; Cats usually prefer ceramic or glass bowls as opposed to stainless steel.&nbsp; Make sure the shape of the bowl is comfortable for your cat.<\/li><li>Eating time is sacred.&nbsp; Make sure they have a safe, quiet space during meal times.<\/li><li>If you\u2019re suspecting that something\u2019s wrong with your cat, visit your vet.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_kittens_drink_milk\"><\/span><strong>Can kittens drink milk?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s a little-known fact that most cats are actually lactose intolerant.&nbsp; While drinking milk is so beneficial for the growth of kittens, they should ONLY be drinking milk from their moms or kitten milk replacer.&nbsp; You may also hear some people recommending goat\u2019s milk \u2013 but vets will say otherwise.&nbsp; To be safe, just stick to kitten milk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just like humans, kittens need their moms not just for sustenance and comfort but also as their first teacher.\u00a0 If it can be avoided, please don\u2019t separate mama cat from her kittens until at least they are 8 weeks old, but preferably older.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_kittens_miss_their_mom\"><\/span>Do kittens miss their mom?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Kittens do miss their mom. Especially if they are separated from their mom too early. When kittens leave their mother at 6 weeks, they will miss their mom a lot, because the cat mom&#8217;s milk is so essential for a kitten at the beginning of its life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_is_the_best_time_for_kittens_to_be_weaned\"><\/span>When is the best time for kittens to be weaned<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It is important not to start the weaning too early. Around 5 weeks a kitten will be ready to start trying other food than its mother&#8217;s milk. Kittens that are weaned earlier might get suckling behaviors, like sucking un blankets, pillows, or similar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Video_How_to_tell_how_old_a_kitten_is\"><\/span>Video: How to tell how old a kitten is<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Kitten Care : Determining the Age of Kittens\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5Um_QZZLcME?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Is-it-OK-to-give-kittens-away-at-6-weeks-old_-pinterest-cover-01-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Is it OK to give kittens away at 6 weeks old\" class=\"wp-image-470\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The simple answer is NO. Separating a kitten from their mama cat too early can be disastrous.\u00a0 This is why it is highly recommended that kittens stay with their moms<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":499,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8],"tags":[24],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v16.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Is it OK to give kittens away at 6 weeks old? [ Detailed Answer ]<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/is-it-ok-to-give-kittens-away-at-6-weeks-old\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Is it OK to give kittens away at 6 weeks old? [ Detailed Answer ]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The simple answer is NO. Separating a kitten from their mama cat too early can be disastrous.\u00a0 This is why it is highly recommended that kittens stay with their moms\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/is-it-ok-to-give-kittens-away-at-6-weeks-old\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"AnimalsA2Z.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-10-22T07:56:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Is-it-OK-to-give-kittens-away-at-6-weeks-old_-featured-image2-scaled-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"973\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\">\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/\",\"name\":\"AnimalsA2Z.com\",\"description\":\"Just another WordPress site\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":\"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/?s={search_term_string}\",\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/is-it-ok-to-give-kittens-away-at-6-weeks-old\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Is-it-OK-to-give-kittens-away-at-6-weeks-old_-featured-image2-scaled-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Is-it-OK-to-give-kittens-away-at-6-weeks-old_-featured-image2-scaled-1.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":973,\"caption\":\"Is it OK to give kittens away at 6 weeks old\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/is-it-ok-to-give-kittens-away-at-6-weeks-old\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/is-it-ok-to-give-kittens-away-at-6-weeks-old\/\",\"name\":\"Is it OK to give kittens away at 6 weeks old? [ Detailed Answer ]\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/is-it-ok-to-give-kittens-away-at-6-weeks-old\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2020-10-22T07:56:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-10-22T07:56:35+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/#\/schema\/person\/40209377c762bd7e66a7a961433e79cf\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/is-it-ok-to-give-kittens-away-at-6-weeks-old\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/is-it-ok-to-give-kittens-away-at-6-weeks-old\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/is-it-ok-to-give-kittens-away-at-6-weeks-old\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"item\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/\",\"name\":\"Home\"}},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"item\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/is-it-ok-to-give-kittens-away-at-6-weeks-old\/#webpage\"}}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/#\/schema\/person\/40209377c762bd7e66a7a961433e79cf\",\"name\":\"Rolf\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/#personlogo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f426b88898e45cab2746f58ec14d18e4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f426b88898e45cab2746f58ec14d18e4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Rolf\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/468"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=468"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/468\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/499"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=468"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=468"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalsa2z.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=468"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}