The owners want the kittens adopted at 8 weeks... What to do?

I've mentioned in other threads that our landlord's cat had kittens. We've been keeping an eye on them, and have decided to adopt two. When we first talked about this to the landlord's wife, we explained that we preferred the kittens to stay with the mother until they were 12 weeks old--until the end of March or so. She seemed fine with that, but today we saw them showing the kittens to other people; so I went down to ask about them. Turns out, they want the kittens gone by next week. They will only be about 8 weeks old, maybe even a little less.

(The reason is, the momma cat moved them into a coop that was meant for chicks, and now the landlord wants them out so he can move his chicks in. He's convinced that the only way to keep the cats out of the coop is to get rid of them, and he might be right about that.)

We are so sad about this; we were just plain happy to think that our kittens would have the time they needed with their mother and that we'd be adopting from a litter that we've seen grow, from a mother that has come to trust us and welcome our visits to her kittens. Now our choices are not to adopt from her and wait for kittens that are older (and therefore more socialized/better adjusted) but that we don't know as well, or to adopt these ones knowing they are too little.

We've really fallen in love with these little ones; we've even given them names. One of them actually purred for me today, for the first time. They've come a long way from the hissing bundles of fur that they were when we first met them! We will probably end up taking them rather than see them go home with someone else (either way, they will still be very young so they might as well come to our home, right?). Does anybody here have any words of wisdom for us?

Here's a photo of them that I took today; they are just so cute I can't help myself! View media item 147504

I don't have any words of advice for you, but they are adorable. I would have a hard time resisting them too!

They are adorable.

Could you also take in the mother cat even if only temporarily?  Could you set up a room in your house just for the kittens and mother cat?

It *is* good though that the two cats will stay together; they'll learn something about boundaries with one another.

Ritz said:

Could you also take in the mother cat even if only temporarily?  Could you set up a room in your house just for the kittens and mother cat?

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This isn't a bad idea; we might bring it up to the owners. We do have a room that we could set aside for them, but they are outdoor cats and I don't know how the mother would like being suddenly enclosed in a room. I suppose we could let her come and go, but if we did that she'd probably carry the kittens right back to the coop... Also, he owner once told us to not let his cats in our apartment, so not sure if he'd go for it, even temporarily.

Another idea I have is to offer them money for the remaining weeks they'll be with their mother. If he wants to raise chicks for profit, maybe making it "worth his while" to keep the cats would help. My husband isn't so sure he'll go for it, though.

If we do take them next week, what kind of results should we expect? Behaviors?

Money talks...

I don't have any experience with young kittens, so hopefully one of the experts will chime in.

A lot of people do get kittens at 8 weeks or even younger, and most end up reasonably stable. so it's not the end of the world. Especially since they'll have each other. But I think it's worth a try to offer money to him to let the kittens stay longer. Maybe offer to pay for the mother cat to be spayed? 2 birds with one stone.

If you're taking two of them, it should be fine.  At 8 weeks, I think they benefit mostly from having siblings, rather than from their mother.  They're weaned, I assume.  It would certainly be best if mama cat were spayed, though!  

Willowy said:

A lot of people do get kittens at 8 weeks or even younger, and most end up reasonably stable. so it's not the end of the world. Especially since they'll have each other. But I think it's worth a try to offer money to him to let the kittens stay longer. Maybe offer to pay for the mother cat to be spayed? 2 birds with one stone.

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LOL, this is true. We just really dislike separating them from their mother before any of them are ready for it. Hopefully we can negotiate something with the owners. The idea about paying for the mother's spay isn't bad; we might try that.

socksy said:

If you're taking two of them, it should be fine.  At 8 weeks, I think they benefit mostly from having siblings, rather than from their mother.  They're weaned, I assume.  It would certainly be best if mama cat were spayed, though!  

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No, they aren't weaned yet. The do eat some solid food, but they still nurse a lot. Every time I go out to see them, it ends when they all snuggle down for some more milk!

I wrote in another thread about the issue of the mother getting spayed; I've talked to them about it, told them all kinds of reasons why it should happen yesterday, but... no one can make anyone do anything. At least they intend to have her fixed; hopefully it'll be soon.

Also, I'm glad to know that, if we do take them next week, it'll be less traumatic since they'll be together. Just wish it wasn't an issue at all.    Grrr... why do some people have to be so pigheaded???

Especially since you will be getting two of them, they should be fine.  There were three right?  What's going to happen to the third?  I would certainly prefer that they stay with their mother for another few weeks, but if they're going to be shipped off one way or another I would take them.  I got my little Stella at ~6 weeks of age (she was captured from a feral mother), and she does not have any major issues.  She is a bit more bitey than I think she would have been if she had stayed with her family for longer, and she still nurses on blankets.  Never on anything else, but I have heard of cats attempting to nurse on people and their clothing as well.  Given that yours are a couple of weeks older and also have a sibling they should be ok. 

I would try to reason with them about letting them stay with mommy a little longer, but I understand that it may not be doable.  I think that offering to pay for the spay is an excellent idea.  This way it gets done sooner rather than later, and they feel as though they are getting something out of their "extra efforts".  If they're dead set on not letting the cats stay in the coop then I would talk to them about allowing the cat into your home for a few weeks under the conditions that you never (emphasize that) let her in without their permission once their time is up, and that you will spay her while she's in your care.  Again, the cat gets spayed and your kittens get their momma for a little longer. 

Also, those kittens are precious!  They have the most gorgeous and expressive faces.  If it really came down to it I would just bite the bullet and take them at an earlier age rather than look elsewhere. 
 

Yes, they are three. It's tempting to take them all, but there are a few reasons that we decided on just two. The third one is more aloof than the other two and I suspect that he'll be just fine in a single-cat home. I know the owners are looking for people who want to adopt, so he won't be left in the lurch. View media item 147542

Hi Stealthkitty. I thought I would share about my cats because they were both without their mother's very early, and they both turned out to be delightful kitties!

Grover was picked up by the shelter at 6 weeks without a mother. He was trapped at a construction site. I adopted him at 12 weeks. He is the sweetest, snuggliest, most loving cat I could ever imagine. This cat IS my heart . He has always had the sweetest disposition and I can honestly say no behavior issues at all.

Bailey (my avatar kitty, the day I got him) was born to a feral mother and picked up downtown. I got him at 8 weeks. He was a little bit of a crazy kitten at first. He got into EVERYTHING around the house and played really rough with me but I fell in love with him anyway. I adopted Bailey first and was given the advice that a buddy for him to play with would probably help a lot. That's when I got Grover. The change in Bailey was instant! He was thrilled to have a kitten to play with and they bonded immediately and were sleeping next to each other within hours.That was the last time Bailey played rough with me. He is now a very loving cat who greets me at the door and waits for me to kiss him hello. They are both almost 2 years old now. I definately think that because you are taking 2 kittens you are much less likely to have behavior issues. I think it's single kittens who left mom early that have the hardest time. They will learn cat manners from each other. If they bite too hard at play the other one will nip back and then they learn to be more gentle. If they still play too rough with your hands, immediately put them down and give them a toy instead. They will soon learn that hands are for petting and toys are for rough play.

The only thing  Bailey still does that may be related to leaving mom too soon is suckling his tail. He curls up in my lap, purrs like crazy and tries to nurse his tail. He is very content and then falls asleep. I think it's cute.

I think your new kittens will do just fine. They have you and each other .

Keep us posted on all the details and more pictures please!

Wow, Smitten, your story is moving! Thanks for sharing it. It definitely makes me feel better about this.

We're going to try talking to the owners today, to see what we can negotiate. Hopefully we can catch them in a good mood. That's half the battle, right? Hmmm.... maybe I should bake them some cookies first... or would it be too obvious that I'm bribing them?

UPDATE: It looks like we'll be bringing them into our home sometime between tomorrow and Sunday, unless something changes. We weren't expecting this so soon, since we thought we had another month and a half, so we've been caught a little off guard. Going out tomorrow to pick up some things we'll need.

A question: What would be the best way to take them from their mother? Anything I think of seems like it'll be traumatic for them... taking them while she's not looking; taking them while she's looking... LOL, those seem to be the only options. They are still close to each other (haven't yet reached that stage where they naturally separate). Which is the lesser of two evils?