To grow and develop properly, a newborn kitten requires essential nutrition, grooming, and socialization from their mother for several weeks. A kitten can leave their mom once they’re eight weeks old, and shelters and rescue organizations approve kittens for adoption at this age. That said, it’s best for kittens to stay with the mother cat until they’re about 12 weeks old.
“It’s very common for kittens to be separated from the queen (mother) too early,” says Emily Coleman, DVM, owner of The Celtic Cat Mobile Veterinary Services and board member of the National Kitten Coalition. “Often this occurs when kittens are born outside to a feral queen.”
Here’s how you can tell whether a kitten is ready to leave their mom, plus what to do if you find a stray kitten with no mother.
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When Can Kittens Leave Their Mom?
In an ideal world that has ample space and resources for every stray cat and kitten, kittens would stay with their moms until they’re at least 12 weeks old.
But at shelters or rescue organizations, adopting kittens out at an earlier age makes room for more kittens in need, according to Coleman. That’s why many shelters allow kittens to go to their forever homes once they’re eight weeks old.
How to Tell When A Kitten’s Ready to Leave Mom
Kittens develop very quickly! Their eyes open the first week or two after birth. By the time they reach four weeks of age, they’re usually walking, and once they hit six weeks, they have baby teeth and can eat solid food.
All throughout this process, Mom teaches them how to groom themselves and how to use the bathroom, as well as social cues and how to hunt,” says Lauren Witter, DVM, managing veterinarian at Small Door Veterinary. “By eight weeks of age, kittens are balls of energy.”
But their age alone doesn’t determine their readiness for adoption.
Coleman says some kittens are very independent and well-socialized by eight weeks, making them a wonderful new addition to a home. But others may not have completely adjusted to solid foods, are not as well socialized at that age, and would benefit from additional time with the queen.
According to Coleman, specific developmental milestones that indicate kittens can safely leave their mom include:
- Complete weaning: Kittens eat only solid foods, such as canned or dry food, or a combination of both. They’re gaining weight consistently.
- Litter box usage: Kittens who can use the litter box consistently may be ready for adoption.
- Grooming skills: Kittens separated from their mothers too early may not learn how to groom themselves properly.
- Playfulness and curiosity: If a kitten actively engages in play and shows curiosity toward their surroundings, they may be ready for adoption.
Can Kittens Stay With Mom For Too Long?
“Whether it’s their mama, a littermate, or another cat in the home, it’s always a great idea for kittens to grow up with another cat,” says Samantha Bell, cat expert at Best Friends Animal Society.
Engaging in activities like biting, “hunting,” and wrestling with other cats means they’re less likely to bite and scratch humans when they reach adulthood.
However, kittens shouldn’t stay with feral moms past crucial developmental stages. This is because they’ll most likely mimic her fear of humans, Witter says.
What Happens If You Remove Kittens From Mom Too Early?
A kitten’s mother will teach them important life skills and provide proper nutrition. But sometimes, kittens lose their mom—due to injury or illness or, in some cases, a person who removes the litter because they believe the kittens need help, according to Coleman.
When this happens, a person must take on the role of the mother cat in order for the kittens to survive. This means bottle feeding as frequently as every two hours, as well as grooming, stimulating bowel movements, and playing with the kitten, says Danielle Bays, Senior Analyst for Cat Protection and Policy at The Humane Society of the United States.
Kittens need positive reinforcement for good behaviors, too. “Avoid punishment for undesired behaviors which can build fear in the kitten,” she says.
A too-early separation from the mother cat could lead to both behavior and health issues.
Behavior
“Kittens who are separated too early or don’t grow up with mom at all have a higher risk of developing fear and aggression towards other cats and people, particularly strangers,” Bays says.
For instance, one study suggests orphaned kittens may have a greater stress response during temporary isolation than kittens raised by their mothers. Kittens reared without a mother cat may have a higher risk of separation anxiety and stress-related behaviors, including:
- Excessive meowing, howling, and yowling
- Eliminating outside the litter box
- Aggression
Bays emphasizes that it’s not just time spent with the mother cat that makes a difference. Time spent with littermates and other cats also helps kittens learn to become cats by developing their understanding of cat etiquette and behavior.
Health and development
“Kittens are 100% dependent on the queen’s milk as their source of energy until they start weaning at about five weeks of age,” Witter says.
During their first few weeks of life, kittens spend around eight hours a day nursing, in fact! Without milk from their mothers, their immune system will have a harder time fighting off infections, and kittens may have difficulty gaining weight. Kittens weaned early may also experience:
- Impaired memory and learning
- Increased anxiety
- Aggression
- Self-soothing with behaviors like wool sucking
How To Care For a Prematurely Separated Kitten
If a kitten is plump, dry, and in a safe location, do not immediately move them. “Often a queen is interrupted while moving kittens to a new safe place, and the kittens do not actually need assistance,” Coleman explains.
However, if the kittens look thin or dirty, or if you haven’t spotted their mom in the last 12 hours, their mother most likely has been gone too long and can no longer care for them. You’ll want to take them to a vet as soon as possible, Bell says.
The vet can give the kittens a necessary wellness exam and determine their age, which is an important first step to caring for them properly.
- Four weeks old and younger: Offer them kitten formula using a bottle specifically designed for kittens. Warm the formula to approximately 100°F. Avoid giving them cow’s milk, as this can cause severe gastrointestinal issues, Bell says. When bottle-feeding kittens, position them on their tummies just like they would nurse from the mother cat, rather than on their backs.
- Five weeks and older: You can check if a kitten five weeks or older is ready to wean by looking for pre-molars. “They look like a tiny mountain ridge and are behind the canines,” Bell explains. Kittens with pre-molars are ready to transition to wet or dry kitten food.
Raising orphaned kittens can pose some challenges, but there’s one thing that comes naturally to kittens: litter box training. “You do not have to teach kittens how to use the litter box,” Bells says. “They instinctively know what it is and how to use it. Even kittens without a mama know to use the litter box.”
For a happy life with humans, kittens also need human socialization during their sensitive developmental period, which is from two to seven weeks old, Bays says.
“You can and should start holding kittens as soon as possible,” Bell says. “Kittens have a short socialization window and if they’re not handled often and comfortable with humans by seven weeks old, they may never trust humans.”
