Is it okay to give away kittens, not 100% weened from mom??

Okay, my kittens are about 6 weeks old now.
They are using the litter box after being trained by mom.
They also are eating cat food and drinking water.
However, they are still sucking on mom's teet's.
My question is this.
Is it okay to them away now or do they need to be 100% weened before giving them away?
As always I will thank you in advance for any information you can give me.

You might be giving them away too early! Normally you should wait til they are 10 to 12 weeks old before finding homes for your kittens.

There will be other people more experience than I who will give you better reasons as to waiting til they are older.

Actually, it would be much better to keep them with mom until at least 8-10 weeks, ideally 12 weeks.

Also please don't give them away. Cats can very easily fall into the wrong hands if not given to the best homes. People may seem nice but you don't know what their intent is. Either give them to someone you know or else charge a small fee to ensure a good home. It isn't to make money on them, it will also help pay for their care and whatever shots you had given them. Please either spay or neuter them first or require that the new owners do it.

that's what I was thinking but I was not sure. That's why I wanted to check with others that know more than I.

Your welcome!

It is not just weaning that is important, but the momcat teaches them all kinds of other things, such as litterbox manners, social behaviour with other cats and even with humans, and matters of safety. In the wild she would teach them how to hunt, but in a house that can be explained as general self-confidnet behaviour. In all they should be left with her till 11/12 weeks if possible. And I agree about not 'giving' them away. Do make sure that whoever takes them will spay/neuter them, and that if anything goes wrong the new owners will contact you.

Originally Posted by madmanmib

that's what I was thinking but I was not sure. That's why I wanted to check with others that know more than I.

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Here is a good article on why you should charge a fee for your kittens:

http://www.cathobbyist.com/articles/...yist/Free.html

I agree that you should wait until they are 10-12 weeks of age. You should also make an appt. at that time to have mom spayed. If you live in the USA, below is a link to low cost spay clinics:

http://www.lovethatcat.com/spayneuter.html

And definately keep mom indoors and away from intact males until she is spayed.

Katie

If giving them away is not a good idea then what should I ask for them??
I was thinking like $5 each. Is that good or should it be more or less?

Originally Posted by madmanmib

If giving them away is not a good idea then what should I ask for them??
I was thinking like $5 each. Is that good or should it be more or less?

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I woud recommend at least $20 for each kitten. You can call it the "spay the momma" fund. If you know the person and you know they will be a good owner (spay/neuter etc.) then you can charge less...but I would charge at least $20 to someone you don't know. The other thing you need to do is have them sign a contract that they will get their cat spayed/neutered and keep it indoors until it is fixed.

Katie

OKAY

Yes definately $20 I would think.

Please do something about fixing them too.
There are low cost clinics all over the place, we can help you find one.
That way asking a price for them can also help with the cost of altering the kittens.

NO, while the kittens may be eating/drinking on their own and using the litter pan; 6 weeks is WAY too young to be separated from mom or their brothers/sisters.

They still need a few weeks together to socialize and to be completely weaned. They are immature emotionally and will develop problems with association with other cats if not socialized properly now. The minimum of letting a kitten go is 8-10 weeks - the best time is to keep the kittens at least 3 to 3 1/2 months old. That means they shouldn't leave till 12 weeks.

Why do you want to get rid of the kittens at 6 weeks old?

No, they need to be with her until at least 8 weeks, ideally 10-12. They need to learn a lot of things from her and their siblings. Plus 6 week olds are very small and fragile and only those who are quite experienced with cats are really qualified to care for kittens who are so young.

You should charge a modest fee, around $25 if they have had no medical care at all. $5 isn't much more than pocket change for most people but most people will not spend $25 without at least thinking about it first. Put the money toward spaying the mother. Also, it is very wise to charge a substantial spay/neuter deposit - $50-$100 that will be returned when they provide proof that the kitten is spayed/neutered by 6 months of age.

You don't have to charge a fee if you know the adopter very well, but no matter what it is very important to make sure Mom and the kittens are spayed/neutered before they have a chance to make any more babies!

If you're not looking to make money off the kittens then you can charge a decent fee, say around $40 but then reimburse (sp) the new owners once they prove that they have spayed/neutered the kitten.

that is a great idea if you don't want to do the spaying and neutering yourself. I would do it yourself though so you know it is getting done. OR you can make an appointment and then when the people come to get the kitten, say he/she has an appointment to get done on this day and if they complain, I wouldn't let them have the cat.

You've had some great advice from others. When you do decide to sell the kittens at 10-12 weeks, don't be surprised if they are still nursing occassionally. Even 4 and 5 month old kittens will sneak in a nurse from the mumcat if she lets them.

That is true on the extended nursing. My rex queen would let them nurse up till they left at 4 months old. But she wasn't producing milk - I think it was more of a comfort thing for the kits. It was funny to see her laying there with kits 1/2 her size...

As already mentioned, 8-10 weeks is better, 12 weeks is ideal for social skills etc....
Whenever I've fostered a pregnant cat I ask people to pay 40 dollars and then reimburse 20 of it when they show me proof the kitten has been spayed or neutered. The other 20 goes towards getting momma cat spayed.

Like the others said, minimum 8 weeks, 10 weeks acceptable, 12 weeks the normal and good. They need mom, they need their siblings. They do learn a lot of mom, and by playing with siblings - for example not to bite too hard when playing, or to take in claws when playing.

The only exception is feral cats. If you have a good home waiting, it is better to take them away early, as they are easy to socialize as young, week 2-7. After it still possible of course, but more difficult.

10 weeks old is perfect!

Good on you for doing the responsible thing and asking here at TCS!

Any pictures of these beauties?