Expert: Ali - 8/28/2008

Question
My brother's adopted cat was pregnant and had 3 kittens.  They are over 8 weeks old now and I am ready to take mine home.  Should they give them all away at the same time or should I take mine and then wait a couple days before the next person takes theirs?

Answer
Holly,

I routinely recommend that kittens be allowed to stay with their mother and siblings for a minimum of 10-12 weeks. Most kittens are weaned by the age of 8 weeks, but they are very fragile at this early stage and most haven't yet been socialized. The 2-4 weeks extra that the kittens should spend with their mom and siblings allows them to learn important skills such as bite inhibition. Essentially bite inhibition is teaching the little ones what they can and can't bite and how much it actually hurts being bitten. This skill is incredibly important as kittens between 10-12 weeks have been known to practice hunting/stalking and killing behaviors that would normally be used on prey on a person's hands or ankles which I can assure you isn't comfortable. The first 12 weeks of a kitten's life is incredibly important, they go from completely helpless and dependant newborns to toddlers in those short weeks. Socialization and handling are important parts of this time.

Once the kittens have been weaned and mom's milk supply has dried up (approximately 2 weeks after weaning) mom should be spayed. Female cats can get pregnant even while they are nursing or shortly after they have stopped if they have had access to an intact male cat. In view of the very serious pet overpopulation problem worldwide spaying and neutering is an important part of responsible, ethical cat care. Spay/neuter surgeries offer medical and behavioral benefits in addition to the obvious benefit of population control... Cats that have been spayed/neutered are far less likely to fight, wander, urinate/defecate outside of the litter box or behave aggressively. Medical benefits of spaying/neutering include a significantly reduced rate of mammary and prostate cancers. Uterine, ovarian, testicular cancers are eliminated by spaying or neutering your cat. Spaying and neutering saves countless lives each year by preventing unwanted litters of kittens from coming into the world.

In answer to your question, once the kittens are 10-12 weeks of age your brother can place them in their new homes one at a time or all at once. Your brother may want to place these guys one at a time to ease mom's transition into life without her offspring. Your brother can help this by adding a homeopathic remedy called Bach's Rescue Remedy to her drinking water. Rescue Remedy is a safe homeopathic remedy that is used by vets and owners worldwide to help reduce anxiety and fear. I would recommend a dose of about 8 drops per day for a week after the last kitten leaves. Be sure to change the water daily to provide the freshest water possible and add the remedy after the bowl has been dumped, washed, carefully rinsed and refilled with water. You can find Rescue Remedy in health food/natural health stores.