When can kittens leave their mom?
Original Question: I have been contemplating taking 2 kittens from a family friend (one male, one female). They are from a litter of 7 and are currently 5 weeks old, still with their mother. The owner seems to think that it would be alright for us to take the kittens home at 7 weeks, however everything I have read or heard has always indicated a minimum of 8 weeks. When I saw them this past weekend, they were using the litter box and eating solid food (as well as eating from mom) and seem to be socializing well with each other and the owner's 3 kids. I'm really not into the idea of having behavioral problems as a result of taking them too early. I was just wondering your opinion about. Any help or insights would be greatly appreciated! - Sarah

Hi Sarah,
Your situation is quite simple. If the kittens are on solid food, no doubt they will be just fine from here on out so 7 weeks is a safe age to adopt a kitten. If you want to provide extra nutrition, you could drop by a vet clinic and buy a few cans of food for kittens that are packed with nutrition to support them. I’m sure there are similar products in a pet store.
And simply put, I don’t see any reason for these kittens to develop behavioral issues from being removed from their mother early. Quite frankly, many breeders sell them at this age and most of the cats I see were reared alone, in isolation with only their human owners from this age, by taking more than 1, they’ll have each other and you’ll be way ahead of the game.
I hope this helps.
Dr. Clayton Greenway


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