About Pati Expertise I am not a vet and therefore cannot answer specific medical questions but I do have a background in medicine and cat rescue/rehabilitation. I would like to help others in rescue by sharing my knowledge and what has worked for me. I can offer many tips and suggestions on rehabilitating cats and new born kittens, much of which have been passed on to me by veterinarians. I can also help with the day-to-day running of a rescue.
Experience I have been rescuing kittens most of my adult life and have been part of a cat rescue for the last 6 years. I'm known for taking cats/kittens that no one thought would survive and giving them one-on-one attention until they are rehabilitated. "That cat lived?!?" is a question I often hear.
Organizations I am currently vice-president of "Tigerlily Cat Rescue" and operator of "Precious Artifact's Black Cat Sanctuary." .
Education/Credentials I am a licensed, registered x-ray tech with 27 years of experience in medical and surgical situations.
Question Hi there. We adopted a mom and 2 11-week-old kittens from the pound. The kittens are still nursing some, but also eating food and using litter box. They will all let us handle them and are responsive when petted, but aren't really interacting with us and run and hide from us a lot. The kittens will play when tempted. They have been in the house a week. We separated them the first few days but then put them back together. I am wondering if we should separate them again to complete the weaning process and get them to interact with us more. If so, for how long? Or should I just give them more time to get used to their new home together? They are still nursing and I have read that they shouldn't be at this age. Any advice appreciated.
Answer Hi Emily,
I always love to hear that the mom is adopted along with kittens; so often people just want the kittens and mom gets left behind.
I'm not sure how long its been since you adopted them but it sounds like they're still getting used to being around you and in a new house. Being at the pound must have been a pretty traumatic experience and they might not trust you yet. The nursing you're seeing is not true nursing, they're not actually getting any milk, its simply a way to comfort themselves and each other. This behavior will probably stop when they get comfortable in their new surroundings but I've heard of kittens as old as 8 months old still nursing on their moms! I saw a great picture once of a mom nursing a newborn and her 8 month old son at the same time! Its just for comfort and I would not separate them, that will just make them feel more insecure. Let them come to you and encourage play with balls that jingle and feather teasers that you can play with them while keeping a comfortable (for the kittens) distance. Don't force it, let them explore their new home, and you, until they're sure their safe.
