When Can Kittens Leave The Mother Cat

Why the wait is necessary.

When can kittens leave the mother cat. First of all there is no set age on when the separation should be done. Most mothers don t leave the nest for the first few days unless they have to feed or go to the bathroom. Mother cats will typically start to wean their kittens off their milk at one month of age. How soon can kittens leave their mother.

However a kitten is typically ready to leave his mother at about 8 to 12 weeks of age. Despite this however you should ensure that the earliest your kitten leaves its mother is 4 weeks old. Mother cats begin to wean their litter around 4 5 weeks and it can last several weeks as they bounce between nursing and eating and killing things. Newborn kittens need their mother full time because they re born deaf blind and unable to move.

How long a mother cat can be away from her kittens depends on their age. Once the kittens are fully weaned around 10 to 12 weeks old they are old enough to move away from their mama. The earliest a kitten can leave its mother while you may want your kitten to stay as long as is needed with the mother the conditions on ground may leave you with no option. During their first few days of life not only are the kittens both blind and deaf but they are dependent on their mom to regulate their body temperatures for food and even for stimulation to be able to potty.

Eventually mom will leave just long enough to take care of their basic needs potty eating then they return right away to tend the little ones. During the first week of life mommy cat will leave her babies for only a few brief times each day. This is because they will need to stay with their mother to feed on her nutritious milk as well as stay with their siblings to learn valuable social skills. New mommas brand new usually don t leave their kittens sometimes a few days.

This does not mean that this is the time that the kittens can go home though. The time varies from one kitten to another since several factors come to play. The next month of life is still full of essentials for a growing kitten even if it isn t consuming its mother s milk all of the time. Expect to separate the kittens from their mother when they are around 12 weeks old.

The best time to separate a kitten from their mother and siblings is when they are 12 13 weeks old. While most kittens are weaned by 8 10 weeks most experts recommend leaving kittens with their littermates until 12 13 weeks so they can be properly socialized.