Buzz
If your cat has given birth and you plan to find a new home for the kittens or want to adopt one, it is crucial to ensure that both the kittens, the mother cat, the new owners, and yourself are all content. The key is to wait until the kittens are strong enough – ideally around 12-13 weeks old. Once the kittens are old enough, the mother cat will typically adjust quickly to the separation. However, the kittens will need more time to adapt. To ensure the smoothest transition for the kittens to their new home, you should prepare them in advance, make sure they are weaned, gradually introduce them to the new home, and pay extra attention if there is another cat in the new house.
Steps
Prepare to separate the kittens from their mother
Separate the kittens when they are around 12 weeks old. Most kittens will be weaned by 8-10 weeks old, but experts recommend allowing them to stay with the litter until they are 12-13 weeks old so they can become familiar with the world around them. The kittens will go through a process of exploring their environment to learn that everything happening is completely normal. If done right, the kittens will become bold, confident, and friendly. On the other hand, if separated from their mother too early, the kittens may not develop necessary skills and may exhibit aggressive behavior.
- Kittens begin the learning process around 3 weeks old and continue accumulating experiences until they are 12-14 weeks old, at which point their ability to adapt to new things begins to diminish.
- This means that the kittens will learn from their mother most effectively until they reach 12 weeks old. However, if adopted too long after this time, the kittens may tend to fear and hide from their new owner.
Ensure the kittens are familiar with the litter box before separating from their mother. Kittens will learn how to use the litter box at different ages, but most will get used to it by the time they are 12 weeks old. You must make sure the kittens have acquired essential skills from their mother before they are adopted.
Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinary Surgeon at the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
Veterinary Surgeon at the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
Veterinary Surgeon Pippa Elliott advises: "Allow the adjustment process to be gradual, including moving the kittens from their birthplace to a new home. You should send some familiar food and litter with them to their new owner. Avoid overwhelming the kittens with too many changes at once."
Introduce the kittens to the new owner's scent. Kittens learn a lot from their environment through scent. Based on scent, they can recognize their mother, siblings, and their nest. You can take advantage of this to make the transition easier. Try this:
- Ask the new owner for an old T-shirt with their scent. Since kittens tend to adjust to new scents, place the shirt in their nest or favorite spots to get them used to the new owner's scent (the 'scent familiarization' process). This way, when the kittens move to their new home, among the many new smells, they will already recognize the new owner's scent, making them feel more secure.
Help the resident cat get used to the scent of the kittens. Similarly, if the new home already has another cat, you can use a piece of bedding from the kittens’ nest to let the resident cat become familiar with the kittens’ scent. This will help the resident cat 'warm up' to the kittens' scent before meeting them and reduce the chances of tension between them.
Weaning kittens
Begin weaning the kittens when they are around 4 weeks old. Kittens need to be weaned and introduced to solid food before adoption to ensure their health and prevent developing bad habits, such as chewing or sucking on fabric (a behavior known as ‘wool sucking’). The mother cat typically weans the kittens when they are around 8-10 weeks old. If you plan to adopt them before this age, you will need to start the weaning process earlier.
Separate the kittens from their mother. When the kittens reach 4 weeks old, you can start leaving them alone for a few hours at a time, with their own litter box, food, and water nearby.
Teach the kittens to lap milk from a shallow dish. Lightly dip a finger into the kitten’s milk dish. The kittens will try to suckle from your finger, but (instinctively) they will soon realize that licking the milk is easier than suckling.
- Do not feed kittens cow's milk as it can cause stomach upset.
Introduce the kittens to solid food. Once the kittens are licking milk, it's time to start offering them soft, moistened solid food. Begin with porridge-like food, gradually increasing its consistency so that the kittens can eventually eat dry food by 8-10 weeks old.
- To create a porridge-like consistency, mix dry or canned kitten food with kitten milk until it reaches the texture of oatmeal.
- Each day, gradually reduce the amount of milk in their food until by week 6, their food is only slightly moist.
- Kittens should be able to eat dry food by week 8 to week 10.
Help the mother cat adjust to the separation from her kittens
Do not separate all the kittens from their mother at once. It is best to allow the amount of milk the mother cat produces to gradually decrease. If all the kittens are taken away at the same time, the mother's mammary glands will become engorged and very painful.
Remove all items with the kittens’ scent. The lingering scent of the kittens will remind the mother cat of them, causing her to search the house for them. Once the kittens have been moved to their new home, it is recommended to remove all items with their scent and replace the bedding for the mother cat. The scent of the kittens will eventually fade, and the mother cat’s instinct to search for them will diminish, allowing her to return to her normal routine.
Understand that the mother cat will recover quickly after the separation. Naturally, the mother cat’s instincts will teach her kittens to be independent, and she will start distancing herself from them so they can survive on their own. The process of the kittens moving to a new home actually speeds up this natural process.
- As long as the kittens are strong enough when separated (ideally around 12-13 weeks old) and their scent is no longer present, the mother cat will usually only be restless for a day or two before returning to her normal routine.
Help the kittens settle into their new home
Bring along some bedding from the kitten's old home. Prepare in advance by bringing a blanket or towel that the kitten used to sleep on at its previous home. The familiar scent on these items will help the kitten adjust more easily to the new environment. You can place this blanket or towel in the carrier on the way to the new home, and leave it there for the kitten to sleep on.
Use a carrier to transport the kitten to the new home. The carrier will keep the kitten safe and provide comfort. Don’t forget to add a towel inside the carrier to keep the kitten warm and absorb any urine if it happens to urinate.
- Do not use a carrier that has been used by other pets, as their scent might stress the kitten.
Provide a safe space for the kitten. Arrange for the kitten to have a small room or a quiet, private space where it won't be disturbed. The kitten's area should include a place to sleep, water, food, a litter box, a scratching post, and some safe toys.
- Whether using a cardboard box for a bed or purchasing a cat bed from a pet store, it’s helpful to add an old t-shirt so the kitten can get used to your scent.
- Ensure the kitten's room has places to hide. If there is no furniture to hide behind, you can cut holes in a few cardboard boxes and place them in the kitten's room for hiding.
Give the kitten time to explore its new space. Place the carrier in the room, open the door, and let the kitten leave the carrier on its own when it feels ready. You can leave the carrier in the room so the kitten can retreat to it if needed.
Limit interaction with the kitten during the first week. You will likely want to cuddle and pet the kitten, but resist the urge. The kitten needs time to adjust to its new environment and the presence of new people. Let the kitten gradually become familiar with each family member and allow it to approach you on its own.
- You need to teach young children in the household how to interact with the kitten safely, including how to handle the kitten gently.
- Avoid letting children under 5 years old handle the kitten to prevent accidental harm.
Allow the cat to adjust to the house after it’s familiar with its own space. When the cat is eating, drinking, and regularly using the litter box, it’s a sign that it’s comfortable in its room, and you can begin introducing it to other rooms in the house. Place the cat in the carrier, open the door, and leave it in a room for the cat to explore freely. Afterward, return the cat to its designated room for at least a few hours before letting it explore another room.
- If the kitten climbs somewhere you don’t want it to go, like a bookshelf or bed, gently pick it up and place it on the floor. By doing this from the beginning, you’ll have less trouble teaching the cat which areas are off-limits.
Continue feeding the same food as when weaning to avoid digestive issues when separating the kitten from its mother. Keeping the kitten on familiar food will help it feel more comfortable and prevent stomach upset, as the kitten's digestive system needs time to adjust to new types of food.
- Be sure to plan ahead and ask the kitten’s previous owner what food the kitten has been eating so you can prepare in advance.
Consider using a pheromone diffuser to reduce the kitten’s stress. Cats release pheromones from their face (a chemical signal) and rub them on things they recognize as safe, such as beds, chairs, and even your legs. There are now synthetic pheromone diffusers available that help cats feel that their surroundings are secure. Synthetic pheromones typically last about 30 days – enough time for the kitten to settle in and adjust to the new environment.
- Feliway is the most commonly used pheromone diffuser. You can use the spray version or an automatic diffuser that attaches to the wall.
Introduce the kitten to the other cats in the house.
Introduce the kitten to the resident cat gradually. If the kitten has been well-acquainted with its surroundings from a young age and is brought to the new home around 12-13 weeks old, it should adjust easily. However, if there is already another cat in the house, they should be introduced to each other gradually.
Arrange for the kitten to stay in an area that the resident cat does not frequently visit. This helps the older cat understand that the new arrival is entering its territory in a peaceful manner, without competing for food or favorite sleeping spots (its belongings will remain unaffected).
Allow the cats to familiarize themselves with each other's scent first. The two cats will sniff each other through the door of the kitten’s room. You can also swap their bedding so they can get used to each other's scent, or gently pet both cats to mix their smells.
- Remember to pay more attention to the resident cat to help reduce its stress. If you ignore it and only focus on the kitten, issues are likely to arise.
Feed the resident cat near the kitten’s room door. This will associate the kitten’s scent with something positive: food, helping the two cats begin to form a positive connection.
Let the two cats swap places once the kitten is comfortable in its new space. As the kitten starts exploring other areas of the house, let the resident cat spend some time in the kitten's room. This allows both cats the chance to explore each other’s scents in the new environment.
Introduce the two cats when the kitten has settled in. Place a barrier between them or keep the kitten in the carrier so it can't leap or jump on the resident cat, avoiding any provocation. Let them get to know each other by sniffing and touching noses through the bars of the carrier. Ideally, the resident cat will show indifference, walking around—indicating it has accepted the kitten’s presence.
- If either cat shows signs of hostility, such as growling, scratching, or biting, give them more time to adjust before bringing them into the same room.
Try feeding the cats together if they are not getting along. Start by placing their food bowls on opposite sides of the room, and then gradually move them closer together. The goal is for the cats to associate each other's presence with a positive experience—mealtime.
Separate the kitten from the resident cat if the kitten is too energetic. Once the resident cat has accepted the kitten, you can let the kitten roam freely around the house. However, you should still keep an eye on it, especially when the resident cat is nearby.
- If the kitten starts playing too loudly and bothering the resident cat, move it to another room to maintain the resident cat's territory.
Advice
- Keep in mind that instinctively, a mother cat will eventually let her kittens fend for themselves. So, when the kitten moves to its new home, from the mother cat's perspective, her job is already done.
