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Expert: - 1/5/2009


Question
Hi, I recently found myself raising an abandoned kitty.  He is now about 5 weeks old.  I bottle fed him and now he's eating soft food.  He is also using the litter box.  My question, there is 2... is first, when is it ok to let the kitty out of the box to roam around? (i also have a 4 year old male cat who is being patient with the kitty when they are together).  second question, when is it ok to adopt him out to a good home?
Thanks for your time!

Answer
Stephanie,

If your home isnt completely kitten proofed this kitten shouldnt be allowed to roam unsupervised. Anything that might be interesting to a kitten in terms of being chewed on or played with should be kept out of reach, since it sounds as though you intend to re-home this baby it might be best to do the kitten proofing in one room and only allow this baby access to the safe room. I am somewhat concerned about the interactions between your older kitty and this kitten for a few reasons. Firstly male cats that havent been sterilized are more likely to harm or kill the kitten, this is usually done to encourage mom to come into season sooner so that she can mate with the male cat. Second of all, a young kitten that has been bottle fed hasnt got a very strong immune system so viral or bacterial infections that your older kitty would fight off with little effort could prove fatal if passed on to such a young kitten.

Its a good idea to have this kittens deworming and first set of vaccines done prior to placing him into a good home so that he has some level of immunity against viruses and infections that young kittens are vulnerable to and any intestinal parasites are taken care of. If this kitten has already been health checked, dewormed and vaccinated I see no reason why he cant be placed into a good home with a person that is aware that this kitty could potentially become sick quite easily and should be handled with care until he has received his entire series of vaccines. This kitten may be small for his age and I would recommend feeding him a commercially available weaning formula in addition to his regular diet to ensure that he gets the calories and nutrition that he needs to catch up to other kittens his age. If this little fellow was with his mother and siblings I would be recommending that he stay with his family until he was between 10-12 weeks of age. The first 12 weeks of a kittens life are crucial in terms of socialization and there are some life lessons best taught by a mother cat and siblings such as bite inhibition and how to respect a households hierarchy to name a couple of examples.

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Ali

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I am the proud guardian of 5 mixed breed cats ranging from 12 weeks to 13 years old and one purebred ragdoll. I have 20+ years experience working with mixed breed cats from a variety of different situations. I have fostered cats/kittens with special needs/behavioral issues. I have rescued/rehabilitated/re-homed a variety of stray/abused cats. I can offer advice on managing feral cat colonies, rehabilitating strays and finding them forever homes. I can help you to determine whether a cat is stray or feral, there IS a significant difference. Improperly introducing a new cat/kitten can result in aggression between newly introduced cats because cats are territorial by nature and they don't like sudden changes in their environment. To learn more about a peaceful way to introduce a new cat into a home with other cats please check out my previous answers on this subject. Proper nutrition for cats can be confusing, I recommend checking out catinfo.org which was created by a veterinarian (Dr. Lisa Pierson) who takes a common sense approach to explaining feline nutrition. Cat behavior and instincts are different from those of humans, I can help you understand your cat's needs so that you can meet them adequately and have a balanced, psychologically and physically sound kitty. Cats vary in personality, energy level and intelligence, different approaches may be required to achieve results in terms of training and interaction with your feline companion. An intelligent, high energy cat must be kept busy or they will make their own fun. I am NOT a licensed veterinarian and I can't offer medical advice. If your cat is ill/injured my advice is always the same: get prompt medical treatment provided by a veterinarian. If finances are an issue I will try to find resources in your area that can help with medical costs or make other choices to ensure the welfare of your cat.

Experience

I have fostered feral and stray cats, rehabilitated and homed cats that many people recommended euthanasia for. I am willing to make an effort to do the research and ask questions because I care enough to find solutions to behavioral problems rather than giving up. I have an interest in the use of alternative therapies to help provide the best possible care for all cats and I can say in all honesty that I've seen some incredible things happen for some incredible cats and their human caregivers when the right alternative therapeutic modality is used by a qualified veterinarian with expertise and experience in the field.

Education/Credentials
I've earned my diploma as a veterinary assistant with honors.

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