How old to be adopted out?

icklemiss21

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We often get people in the shelter asking if they can take home the really young kittens we have in foster homes.

In recent times we have seen a move towards kittens being 3-4 months before being adopted out by breeders and 10-12 weeks at shelters, but now and then you see cases of really young ones being adopted out, both in shelters and from breeders.

How old do you think they should be, personally, before being placed in a loving home?
 

white cat lover

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Personally, 10-12 weeks. Realistically......at 8 weeks we have a hard time placing kittens, they're "too old".

People disappoint me, though. Little = cute & they don't see much beyond that.
 

bnwalker2

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When I worked at a shelter it was 8-9 weeks because, unfortunately, most people didn't want them after that age. Now with my foster kitties it's different. If they're with a momma, then I don't adopt them out until 11-12 weeks. If they're bottle babies, I usually let them go at at 9-10 weeks.
 

goldenkitty45

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Depending on the circumstances the ideal time is 12-14 weeks, but 10-12 is the minimum IMO. Now if the kittens are in shelters under 10 weeks old and you have someone that can foster them for another month or two in a home enviroment (not permanent adoption yet), that's great. But the person has to have raised kittens before and taken the time to socialize them properly.

For pedigree, breeders rarely let them go to new homes before 3 months old - most of the time they are 4 months old. The difference in a happy, socially adjust kitten at 4 months old compared to 2 months old is like day/night. The kitten is more adjusted, more social, out of some of the "terrible" training times when most people get reallly frustrated.

Also mom and siblings need to teach kittens social and behaviorial skills that only another cat can teach
 

sharky

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I got Kandie at 11 weeks which was a bit late as she was already hunting on her own ...

Simon was FAR too young when I found him at 5 weeks ...

I would say 9-12 weeks
 

callista

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If a foster mom can't be found, orphaned kittens can go home at any time after birth--to a qualified person who knows how to raise a bottle baby.

Otherwise, 12 weeks.
 

missymotus

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Shelters here let them go at 8 weeks, not before. Sadly there just isn't enough room/resources to keep them 10-12.
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by missymotus

Shelters here let them go at 8 weeks, not before. Sadly there just isn't enough room/resources to keep them 10-12.
sometimes here they let them go at 6 weeks when some dont eat dry yet it is a shame
 
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icklemiss21

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What caught my attention was someone who took a kitten home from a breeder under 10 weeks for Christmas, I thought most shelters and breeders alike did not allow Christmas cats and not that young
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by icklemiss21

What caught my attention was someone who took a kitten home from a breeder under 10 weeks for Christmas, I thought most shelters and breeders alike did not allow Christmas cats and not that young
many "breeders " here let them go at 6-8 weeks.. but i live in the sticks
 
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icklemiss21

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Here most are 12 - 14 which is why I found it so strange.

Obviously some cats for various reasons, separated from mother etc have no choice but get on with life earlier, but with pure breds I assumed most were the same

Are there any standards set by the CFA / TICA etc ?
 

rebochan

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I got my kitten at exactly 12 weeks old, but he'd been up for adoption since he was 10 weeks. And people had actually turned him down because he was "too old".


Which actually worked out anyway, because now he's *my* kitten and he was the perfect age for me.
 

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Our shelter lets them go at six weeks! Most people bring them there and dump them in the middle of the night and then they keep the mom! So most of the time there is no foster available and someone decides just to take on a younger kitty! I got Eek at maybe 4 weeks of age and it was tough! He couldn't drink out of a bowl or eat hard food! He couldn't keep his body heat up or anything... I think if they would have waited till 7 or 8 weeks he may have mastered some of those skills! As for the socializing I have another cat that helped turn him into a dog! LOL
 

booktigger

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I personally would prefer 10-12 weeks, but we adopt out from 8 weeks old, due to space and money, and also it can be harder to adopt them out at 12 weeks than 8, which I think is very sad.
 
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icklemiss21

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I am thinking more in an ideal world without the constraints of shelter life.

We would love to keep all of them until 12 weeks at the shelter but with foster homes at a premium and full cages they often go at 9-10 weeks. But they seem so young and those are often the ones that have problems when first at their new homes.

Breeders also have more say, you sign a contract with them in advance in most cases and they say their cats don't leave until they are x weeks old.
 

robertm

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Originally Posted by Rebochan

I got my kitten at exactly 12 weeks old, but he'd been up for adoption since he was 10 weeks. And people had actually turned him down because he was "too old".
I admit that I am partial to adult cats, but still...How absurd is that attitude?

I mean, for argument's sake, let's assume that a cat will live to be 15 years old. That's 180 months. 12 weeks = 3 months. So, to these people, a cat that has lived roughly 1/60th of its life --- not even 2% --- is already "too old"?

I know that you can't save 'em all, and everyone has some list of requirements when they adopt a cat (gender, color, etc.), and that's fine. But you're adopting a living creature here for presumably many years into the future, not some stationary, disposable/replaceable household object. What happens when that "perfect age" 6-week old or 8-week old kitten becomes a "too old," fully-grown cat?
 

glitch

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Maybe Im different, but when I go into a shelter, I always tend to pick the kitten or cat that is least likely to be adopted! I always get the sick ones, the old ones, the handicapped ones, I have a soft spot for one that doesn't look like its going to get a good home!! On the other side, I end up with the ones that are way to young and need to be bottle fed!! I think everyone should go for one that they wouldn't normally pick, then they could learn something new!!
 
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icklemiss21

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I have a soft spot for the problem ones at the shelter too, Autumn has behavioural problems and I took her home, the older ones who don't as much attention just love it when you choose them to snuggle with etc
 
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