Guessing kittens' age? When do they start venturing beyond their "nest"?

tulosai said:

 
It really varies kitten to kitten. They will not part from mom until after the time when you should already have separated them though, if you want to have the best results in terms of socialization. Generally,t he earlier you can capture and begin to socialize the feral kittens the better, with the caveat that they should stay with mom for AT LEAST 6-8 weeks. (6 weeks is usually way too early to take a kitten from mom, but in this specific case, it can be okay, especially if you are concerned it might take you some days/weeks to trap the kittens for whatever reason and you want to have some time cushion built in).  While some people have even been successful socializing adult ferals, the truth is that as kittens get older they get harder and harder to completely socialize, so grabbing them on the younger side is a good thing.

How old are they now? How do you plan to catch them? Have you done this before or do you need advice on these subjects?

Click to expand...

GemsGem said:

Oh cuteness overload

I'm guessing they are about 6 weeks old

Click to expand...

the3rdname said:

Whoa!  That young?!  I guess my 8 weeks estimate was a little off :doh3:   In a way, it's actually a relief.  I can gradually work on socialization (as much as hovering, hawk-eyed mama will let me, that is) for another 2-3 weeks before I have to start thinking about how best to trap them.

If anyone else would like to weigh in (pun intended!), feel free to contribute a guess 

By the by, anyone in the Pittsburgh, PA area to Morgantown WV, if you're interested in adopting one of these little beauties when they're ready, I'd be more than happy to bring you a kitty.  They'll be getting tested, vaccinated, flea-treated, dewormed, microchipped, and possibly fixed (depending on weight at time of capture), and the rescue org. I'm working with charges a $65 adoption fee (to help defray costs associated with getting the animals ready for adoption).  

I'm pretty sure the tabbies ("the dynamic duo") should be placed together, since they share a special bond and have similar temperaments (a little bolder and more adventurous than the calico and marmalade).

Click to expand...

GemsGem said:

They could be more like 8 weeks, I was just guessing

I'm more use to maine coon kittens which are huge compared to domestic kittens. So I could be way off with my guessing

Click to expand...