A third article about kitten development
Camilla Baird
How old should a kitten be when it goes to a new home?
by Barbara C. French
First printed in CATS Magazine, February 2000. Reprinted with permission.
Dorie Wilkins* (*name changed to protect identity) had only been breeding
Ragdolls for almost two years, and had produced her second litter. She was
approached by a nice young couple who wanted a kitten, but they objected to
her policy of selling kittens at twelve weeks of age. They were concerned
the kitten would not bond with them. They pointed to newspaper ads
advertising kittens 'ready to go' at six or eight weeks. "I let them talk me
into it," sighs Wilkins. "I sold kittens at twelve weeks because that's what
everyone else seemed to be doing. I didn't really know why." She relented
and let one of the kittens go to its new home at seven weeks of age.
The kitten was returned at ten weeks, weighing less than it had when it had
gone to its new home three weeks before. The owners complained that the
kitten had the sniffles and chronic diarrhea and wasn't using the litterbox.
It hadn't settled in with their resident cat, and the kitten spent much of
its time hiding under the couch. "They said they'd never get a purebred cat
again, because obviously they're not healthy," Wilkins relates. With
veterinary care and a lot of TLC, the kitten was back on its paws in a few
weeks. Wilkins waited until this kitten was almost six months old before
placing it again.
The kitten's problems had nothing to do with its heritage.
"Kittens should leave their homes at a minimum age of twelve weeks," says
Dr. Betsy Arnold, DVM, a veteran Siamese breeder and veterinarian with an
all-feline practice in Rochester, New York called Caring for Cats. "In my
practice I have seen kittens coming in at six and seven weeks who weight
twelve, maybe fourteen ounces. These are infants. They needed to stay with
their mothers."
Twelve weeks may seem old to people accustomed to seeing newspaper ads
advertising kittens who are "ready to go" at six or eight weeks of age. Most
of us who have had cats have acquired kittens that young. They are cute at
that age, and most people enjoy having such young kittens to watch them
grow. However, we may permanently harm kittens by separating them from their
mothers so early. There are crucial mental, emotional, and developmental
milestones that a kitten experiences between six and twelve weeks of age.
Separating the kitten from mother, siblings, and familiar surroundings at
that age can cause undue anxiety and stress at the least, and serious
medical problems or even death in the very worst cases.
ISSUES: POTENTIAL PROBLEMS OF EARLY SEPARATION
Problems with immunity and health
"One of my main concerns with early separation is that kittens' immune
systems are really developing between eight and twelve weeks of age," says
Dr. Arnold. "The immunity from their mother is wearing off, and the immunity
from vaccination is just starting to take over. During this time, they are
more susceptible to illness, such as upper-respiratory problems and
diarrhea." Kittens generally receive vaccinations against panleukopenia,
rhinotracheitis, and calici viruses (commonly called the "distemper
combination" shot) at six, nine, and twelve weeks of age. However, immunity
from vaccination does not happen immediately; shots can take up to ten days
to be effective. Up until this time, kittens receive some measure of
immunity through antibodies from their mother's milk, but this is also the
age where they are beginning to wean. Their immune system "kicks over" from
immunity from mother's milk to immunity from vaccination. During this time,
their immune system is busy with this task, leaving the kitten less able to
fight off other illnesses. "The stress of going to a new home and being
exposed to different germs can make the kitten more susceptible to illness
during this time," adds Dr. Arnold.
At six or seven weeks, a kitten has only received his or her first shot
series; the new owner must remember to give the second boosters. Sometimes
they forget, and this can have disastrous results. Himalayan and Persian
breeder Barbara Redalia of Tuleburg Cattery recalls, " Once a pet purchaser
bought a kitten from us, neglected to give it the second vaccination, and
when their son became allergic, returned the cat to us. Unfortunately the
cat had contracted rhinotracheitis at their home and exposed a pregnant cat
to this virus at our house. This cat, whose own immunity to rhinotracheitis
was apparently waning, became extremely ill, miscarried her litter, and was
eventually euthanized."
"I have spoken to many new pet owners who have purchased their kittens at
eight weeks of age, which is the minimum legal age in Florida," says Susan
Geren, who breeds Persians and Himalayans under the cattery name Pyewacket.
"The overwhelming majority of them had health problems with their new
babies, probably caused by the stress of being separated from their siblings
and mother at such an early age. I have explained to them my reasons for not
placing my kittens early and suggested that in the future they use this as a
gauge to ascertain which breeders are more interested in the income provided
by kitten sales than they are in placing healthy, well adjusted kittens. It
is most definitely more expensive to keep kittens until they are four to
five months old."
Some studies have shown that vaccination at six weeks might be too early. "I
once lost a 10-month-old cat to panleukopenia (feline distemper)," recounts
Mary Tyson of Thaison Siamese. "After long discussions between the vaccine
manufacturer and my vet, Pittman Moore's research head concluded that it was
not a bad batch of vaccine. Cornell [Feline Health Center], which had done
the post mortem analysis (and also analyzed blood samples taken while the
cat was still alive), concluded in conjunction with Pittman Moore that some
cats do not develop lasting immunity from vaccines administered earlier than
16 weeks of age, and this cat had had his last shots at 12 weeks. Thereafter
I maintained a policy of not letting kittens leave home until they had had
their shots at 16 weeks old." "The most important reason I place kittens at
12 weeks of age (or older) is because kittens can be extremely fragile, and
putting them in a new home and environment puts additional stress on them,
upping the chances of getting sick," says Burmese breeder Jaina Wendtland.
"When this happens the kitten buyer blames the seller, and rightly so in
many cases."
When a kitten is ready to leave may also vary from cat to cat, or from breed
to breed. Some cats are simply not big enough to go on their own until they
are a bit older. Devon Rex breeder Carole Goodwin notes that cats of her
breed are small and need a full twelve weeks to mature and socialize. Amanda
Bright, who breeds Russian Blues under the cattery names of Kyina and
Talisker, notes that her breed tends to be slender and she feels the cats
need more body mass to handle vaccinations. She feels it is wiser to
vaccinate them a bit later so that the cats can better handle problems if
they occur.
From a health standpoint, it is best to allow the kitten to receive its
entire first shot series, including boosters, while at home in familiar
surroundings. First shots are not enough to confer immunity, and the kitten
needs time for its immune system to change over completely from one system
(mother's milk) to another (vaccination). They should also be of a
sufficient size and physical maturity before they are ready.
Problems with eating and eliminating
"Weaning isn't an event; it's a process," says Dr. Arnold. "They don't just
start eating food one day. They eat a little food, nurse, eat a little,
nurse, and so on. Eventually they eat more than they nurse, and then stop
nursing altogether. This doesn't happen by six or eight weeks of age."
Left to their own devices, mothers will eventually stop allowing kittens to
nurse. With most cats this occurs naturally anywhere from eight to twelve
weeks. However, this process is very important, as it teaches the kitten to
learn to deal positively with frustration and denial. As the mother starts
refusing to allow the kitten to nurse, which the kitten very much wants to
do, she teaches the kitten how to cope with that frustration. Kittens who do
not learn this lesson may develop behavioral problems.
Weaning is not simply a matter of getting a kitten to eat solid food. It's
an important time when the kitten begins to assert its independence from its
mother. This needs to be a gradual process. "For the most part, my babies
still nurse at 9 and 10 weeks, and sometime beyond," says Rosi Carroll of
Bengals by RoJon. "I have never had a customer call me up after picking up
one of my kittens, complaining about the kitten meowing for its mother. They
settle right in to their new environment."
It's also common for too-young kittens to eat poorly and have litterbox
problems. Many kittens at age six to eight weeks aren't consistently using
the litterbox. I have found that my own kittens can take up to ten weeks to
have litterbox habits down pat. And diarrhea can accompany the changes in
diet and stress that come with a new home. Diarrhea can be life-threatening
to a small kitten; severe dehydration and rapid weight loss is a serious
problem when one has so little body mass to start.
Problems with socialization and behavior
People often express a desire to have a younger kitten because they are
afraid the kitten will not bond with them once older. This is simply not
true. As Ann Segrest of Kiriki Korats says, "The older kittens bond with
their new humans just fine. Cats do not have, nor do they need to establish
their place in the "pack" like dogs must do. This is the myth that must be
dispelled so that kittens will have the opportunity to learn from their
mothers and be as healthy and stress-free as possible when they go to their
new homes."
It is true that kittens who are separated at a young age from their mothers
will often bond to a person as a surrogate mother. This may seem cute, but
it's unhealthy. Such kittens will often suck on blankets, clothing, buttons,
even earlobes or on themselves. They may become dependent upon humans to the
point that they become fearful or neurotic when left alone. Many hide or run
at the sight of unknown people. Most commonly, however, cats who are
deprived of proper socialization don't learn how to be with other cats. This
makes them especially inappropriate as house pets in a multicat household.
The kitten socialization phase starts at about four weeks of age and can
continue until up to fourteen weeks old. Kittens learn to explore their
world through this period, under the comforting guidance of their mother.
Between nine and fourteen weeks old, they learn from their mother and
siblings how to interact with other cats. They learn how to recognize and
interpret cat body language. Quite literally, a cat who misses out on this
important social step may not learn how to "talk" to other cats.
It's also during this time when the kitten needs to be exposed to variety of
people in a positive way so that it doesn't become afraid of different types
of people. Improper early socialization is why some cats seem to be afraid
of men, or of people with glasses, or other odd quirks.
Manx breeder Marj Baker was faced with having to raise three kittens whose
mother had become unable to care for them when they were three weeks old.
"[These kittens] were biters - well, actually just nibblers; they wanted to
chew on my fingers -- and wanted my full attention all the time. The also
loved my hair to chew on and any item of clothing that was mine got licked
and chewed. They seemed very mouth oriented and were very unhappy if left
alone by themselves. Most Manx are happy to entertain themselves most of the
time but not these three. They also were harder to [train to use a
litterbox], finding the floor a convenient place to squat. I guess I was not
a very good mom cat."
Deborah Feldham of Glendoveer's Abyssinians had a similar story. "In one
instance I took in two orphaned kittens that I had to syringe feed because
they were so young," she says. "They were not easy kittens to work with.
They were jealous and insecure, often showing their insecurities by going to
the bathroom in inappropriate places and scratching or hissing at strangers.
I believe that if these kittens had been born in a more secure environment
and raised with their mother [to an older age], they would have been better
prepared, emotionally, to fit into their new homes. Kittens learn from
mothers, littermates and their surroundings."
Kittens need the time with their mothers and siblings to learn important
life lessons - lessons that will make them happy, healthy, confident
kittens. "I have seen kittens taken from their mother too young become cloth
chewers and neurotic," says June Abbott Colwell of Velpaws Siamese.
"[Kittens] not only need to be with their mothers, but also with their
siblings. They learn proper acceptable play behavior from both mother and
siblings. Kittens taken away too young are not as tolerant or as sure of
themselves as older kittens."
THE KITTEN AT TWELVE WEEKS
At twelve weeks of age, most kittens are weaned or nearly fully so, have had
adequate socialization with mother and siblings, have received their full
series of kitten shots, and have gotten through the critical immune system
"kick-over" period. Properly handled and socialized by people, these kittens
have learned to explore their world and will meet it with a happy, outgoing
confidence that will carry them throughout their lifetime. This may vary
from cat to cat, or breed to breed.
The important thing to remember is this: it should be the kitten's current
and future well-being that drives the decision of age to place, not finances
or a simple desire to have a younger kitten for whatever reason. Kittenhood
is a fleeting time. You will have a kitten only for a short time, but the
cat may be with you for many years to come. You may find it personally
disappointing to allow a kitten an extra month or two with its mother when
you had hoped to have it earlier, but it will make a world of difference to
the mental, emotional, and physical health to the kitten throughout its
entire life. If you are searching for a pet through a shelter, you may not
have an option. If you are getting a kitten through an acquaintence or
through a breeder, insist on at least twelve weeks for the kitten's health.
You will have a healthier, happier, and better socialized feline friend
because of it.
Barbara C. French
--
Camilla Baird
Primpraus Korater http://www.korat.dk
ma...@korat.dk
L
"Camilla Baird" <ma...@korat.dk> wrote in message news:B93B59BA.31B9%ma...@korat.dk...
: How Young is Too Young:
: How old should a kitten be when it goes to a new home?
: by Barbara C. French
: First printed in CATS Magazine, February 2000. Reprinted with permission.
(snipped )
Thanks for posting these articles Camilla.
Glad to see you didn't abondan this NG after you
were accused of ill treating your cats.
Frankly, I think Bob owes you an apology, but
that wil not happen, I'm afraid.
Bob just takes it so serious, and it is I might add,
that often rather then sometimes he hurts people
who really do not deserve this.
I'm sure you do a lot of good for cats in your daily
life, allthough I do not know you personally.
The reading material you provided is highly
appreciated.
Thanks again and keep it coming.
Different opinions are needed as long as we put
cats welfare first, I believe.
BTW. one thing I realised is cats are so common
in our lives, that most of us don't give it a second thought,
in a way most people feel that they know all there is to
know about cats. That goes for me too, to a degree.
But am catching up fast!
Leo.
Camilla Baird
Leo,
Thanks for the kind words and pleased that my posts are read in the spirit
they are sent (by some).
We will always find people we agree with and people we do not agree with in
groups such as these. I can handle that - I have been through tougher storms
than being told I mistreat my cats by people who don't know me.
Camilla
On 23/06/2002 12:30, in article
irhR8.319215$i6.21...@amsnews02.chello.com, "L" <halki...@dolfijn.nl>
wrote:
--