new borns

catamania

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Apr 23, 2014
Messages
6
Purraise
1
My cat has had her first litter and there's 5. And I tried to pet one a day and a half after they were born and I read that if the mother pushes your hand away she doesn't want you touching them. I want to know how long should I wait. (please be answered by a vet)
 

tulosai

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
May 21, 2013
Messages
2,018
Purraise
330
Location
Amsterdam, Noord Holland
There are no vets here, just cat lovers. We do encourage you to reach out to your own vet with any questions though 


That said, you can pet them and should be handling them briefly daily if you can.  A good time to do this initially is while weighing them.  It is usually a good idea to weigh kittens every day to make sure they are growing okay.

Mother cats will not reject kittens becasue you touch or handle them.  That said, do everything where mom can see you and if she does seem distressed, cool it for a while then try again.

The bottom line is you should not be scared to handle the kittens. 
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #4

catamania

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Apr 23, 2014
Messages
6
Purraise
1
By handling u mean holding? If so I've heard you shouldn't hold them for a few weeks
 

tulosai

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
May 21, 2013
Messages
2,018
Purraise
330
Location
Amsterdam, Noord Holland
While the 'crucial socialization period' begins around 2 weeks, you do not need to wait until then to touch/hold the kittens.  Pretty much all breeders and many if not most rescuers will at a minimum pick them up every day quickly to weigh them during this time.  Make sure to wash your hands before doing so- kittens are very vulnerable.

With that said, most holding before 2 weeks should be brief and in front of mom so she can see what you are doing.  You should not be overdoing it during this time, no, and there is no point in doing so since the socialization period as such doesn't really begin until they are around 2 weeks. But you definitely can handle them, where handle means hold, for brief periods of time yes, and in my opinion should be doing so to weigh them. Petting is also okay.  You should mostly take your cues from mom as I said above, but there is no risk or danger of her rejecting the kittens and if you do everything calmly, quickly, and where she can see you, there should not be a problem.
 
Top