What age do breeders usually give their kittens to their new owner??

I just wanted to know because I had always read that 8 weeks was ideal..but I just read a post on another message board of a girl who is picking up her persian kitten at 6 weeks of age. Is that typical? Or is it a bit on the early side for a purebred?

Katie

Hi Katie,

Though I retired from breeding a few years ago, I would be glad to share my perspective While the breed I worked with (on a very select and limited basis) is a bit different, one reference I can give is that membership in a CFA club I used to belong to was that one would not place a kitten prior to 10 weeks...my own preference would be 12 weeks, based on my experience with how kittens grow and mature. Kittens are still interacting with their siblings and their mom, still learning some begining manners, and I prefered knowing that all shots had been given for their first year of life.

My breed, the American Curl, I did not place until after 16 weeks of age due to the fact the shape and tightness of ear curl could change up until that point...even in an obviously pet kitten, I would not sell prior to this age, and in my last years as a breed, sold my pets already altered - I preferred doing their recovery care and knowing there would be no "ooopses".

Fwiw, my understanding is that puppies are a totally different matter...they need to be placed by 6 to 8 weeks for bonding purposes....but someone more familiar with dogs may say that's bunk

Personally, It depends on the animal, but more so on the new owner.

If the owner is experienced, then within reason the younger the better. If the new owner is well..new...then I definately agree with waiting a little longer.

Spotz

The breeder I got my kittens from had a policy of no sooner than 12 weeks, though in practice it was between 13 to 16 weeks when they actually came home.

Hello.....Some of you might know that i am expecting some kittens here in june sometime.........But I just thought I would comment on the Dog thing.......My Parents used to breed Basset hounds when I was younger. yup you are supose to place them around 6-8 weeks but mostly 8 weeks........anytime before that could cause some MAJOR damages to the puppy's emotional well being. The stage the puppies are in between 6-7 weeks is one that can cause a puppy to fear nothing or fear everything!!! If you a a good breeder you expose them to alot of things before they hit that age because once they hit that age you don't want to do anything that will scare them otherwise they will be skidish puppies. I'd much rather have a dog that fears nothing then a dog that fears everything. Anyway I know that isn't what the topic was about but I just thought I would throw some of my knowledge in here

In many places, it's illegal to sell puppies OR kittens before they're 8 weeks.

They can survive being weaned (mostly) at 6 weeks, but it's hardly ideal.

I thought that breeds like Persians also matured late--not just for weaning, but for adulthood as well. 6 weeks seems rather crazy to me.

We don't let our go until they are at least 12 weeks old. I think 6 or even 8 weeks is too young.

Thank you soo much for these replies...I was rather surprized that someone would let a purebred kitten go home so early.

Katie

if you live in the uk no pedigree kitten should go to its new home before 13wks old!!
and be fully vacc.
i wouldnt buy a kitten from a breeder if they said i could have the kitten before that.
i breed siamese and i always make sure that the new owners are aware of this.

Wow i've bred a few litters of persians and no way is 6 weeks old enough!!!!
They definately need mum and littermates at that age.

I once had to rescue a 6 week old persian kitten and he was so small and fragile. He wouldnt eat so i ended up having to tube feed him.
I'm also in the UK, i feel kittens are usually ready at around 12 weeks of age, though it does depend on the individual kitten.

Well, since I'm a registred breeder in FIFÃ[emoji]169[/emoji] I'm not allowed to sell kittens before the age of 12 weeks. They are fully vaccinated when they move and they move between the afe of 12 weeks and 14 weeks, it depends on the kitten and when the new owner can bring the new family member home. And of course one have to think about mama cat, you can't let all the kittens move at the same time.

I know that some breeders in here in Sweden sell their kittens at 10 weeks, but that wouldn't be an option for me. I believe the kittens need this extra time with their mother. And I want them to be fuly vaccinated when they move and that can't be done before they're 12 weeks old.

When we were breeding, we never let ours go before they were 12 weeks old, and I really preferred that they be older than that (of course, I'd have preferred to just not let them go at all), when we bought our original breeders, both breeders I bought them from made us wait until they were 16 weeks old.

Not sure about CFA but with the GCCF it's required that no kitten leave for their new homes until they are 12 weeks ..if a Breeder is letting them go before this, then I would question as to whether or not this is a reputable breeder. They should be vaccinated firstly before they go anywhere to ensure they get the best possible start in life

I just bought my new female and she is going on 14 weeks and I have chosen to leave her for a few more weeks because of the strain it puts on them moving to a new environment. They do settle in rather quickly but it's so unsettling for them!

I never let mine go before 12 weeks, and have kept some as long as 16 weeks even with someone waiting to take their new baby home, because they'll always remain my 'babies' no matter where they go, and I want to be sure they have the best start in life. Socialization, learning to digest kitten food, learning to use the litter and learning to wash are all best learned directly from momma cat. Plus, if they've had all their vaccinations before they leave then their immune systems are more up for the challenge of meeting a whole new world of germs.