At what age to take a kitten?

Dreaming of a kitten, we imagine a small fluffy ball that has barely opened its eyes and has just learned to walk. However, in no case should you rush into purchasing a pet. Moreover, a competent breeder will never offer you a baby under the age of 12 weeks, and there are good reasons for this.

Of course, when it comes to saving a life, many rules have to be sacrificed, and if you take a kitten from the street, then the situation is fundamentally different. But in other cases, it is not recommended to purchase a kitten that is not yet 2 months old. The optimal age for moving a kitten to a new home: 2,5 – 3,5 months. But why? It would seem that already a month after birth, the kitten is completely independent and can eat on its own. It is true that kittens grow very fast, but this does not mean that it is useful for them to be separated from their mother as soon as they get a little stronger. And that’s why.

In the first weeks of life, the kitten has not yet formed its own immunity. The baby receives immunity along with mother’s milk (colostral immunity), and his body cannot resist pathogens alone. Thus, premature separation from the mother poses a serious health risk to the kitten. Diarrhea, respiratory diseases and various infections are some of the consequences of early weaning of a kitten from its mother.

The first vaccinations are given to a kitten at about 2 months of age. At this time, the immunity absorbed with mother’s milk is gradually replaced by one’s own. After 2-3 weeks, the vaccine is administered again, since residual colostral immunity prevents the body from resisting the disease on its own. A couple of weeks after re-vaccination, the health of a stronger kitten will no longer depend on its mother. This is the right time to move your baby to a new home.

Small kittens play mainly with each other, and the cat practically does not interfere in their games. However, from the first month of life, kittens often begin to bite their mother, trying to use her in their games, and then the real educational process begins. It is important to understand that in the first months of life, no one can raise a kitten better than his cat mother. A strict hierarchy has been built in cat society, and an adult cat introduces her cubs to it, marking their place for kittens. Quite often, kittens bite and scratch their owners just because they were separated from their mother early, not having time to learn the first norms of behavior.

The lessons learned from the mother cat are also of great importance in the communication of kittens with people and the world around them in general. Toddlers carefully observe the behavior of the mother and diligently copy it. If the mother cat is not afraid of people, then the kittens need not be afraid of them either. If the mother cat goes to the tray and uses the scratching post, the kittens will also follow her example.

By purchasing a kitten at the age of 3 months, you will find that he already has basic useful skills. So, you do not have to deal with raising a pet from scratch.

There is an opinion that kittens that got to the owner almost in infancy become attached to him much more strongly than already grown babies. However, there is no reason to think so. A kitten aged 2 months or more is better prepared to meet the outside world. He studies it with pleasure, absorbs information, learns to contact people and understands who his real family is. The owner will certainly be in the center of the universe of this baby – and very soon you will see it!

Enjoy your acquaintance!