What's The Best Way To Handle Kittens?

[fosterella]

Hi,
This is my first posting here. I read very attentively many threads for the past 10 weeks and I have to say a huge thank you as every advice was so useful.

We are currently fostering a young mother who was rescued 2 weeks before she gave birth to 3 beautiful healthy kittens. They are 8 weeks today. They are very lucky as one same family has decided to adopt all 3 of them. We are fostering for an association.

Now my question is the following. The adopters would love the kittens to go to their place next week, they'll be then 9 weeks old -we currently reside in France where legal adoption age is set to 8 weeks. As they eat really well and already weight 1 kilogram each, I am not opposed to it. I am confident they are ready for their new life especially as they will remain together.

But I am more concerned about the mother. She still nurses them, not sure how much though but I see her nursing them everyday. I wouln't want her to develop a mastite if all 3 kittens are taken away from her on the same day! Also how will she react if they all go at the same time? She is very friendly with us and takes really good care of her kittens. Will she escape from our place if she no longer has kittens to look after? The plan is to have her spayed as soon as the kittens are gone.
The association reckons I should handle one kitten at a time but I'd like to hear what you think. I will also ask the vet when I take them later this week for their microchip.

I have no experience in mother cats, this is the first time we are lucky enough to have had the mom, usually we foster abandoned or ferral kittens.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
If there's any way you could leave the kittens with mama a little longer, it would be better for both them and for her. It gives her more of a chance to teach them how to be cats, and allows them to become less fragile both physically and mentally, and will help mama too

 

[talkingpeanut]

Why would mom escape? Are you keeping her 100% inside? Be sure she stays in! Will she be adopted through the rescue as well?

I would also suggest keeping the kittens with mom until they are at least 10 weeks. Will they be fixed and vaccinated before going to their new home?

Thank you for fostering! We’d love to see photos.

 

[Sarthur2]

It is preferable for kittens to stay with mom for 12 weeks, and to be spayed and neutered before being adopted. The kittens will be better socialized for being with mom longer, but it is good that they will have each other.

If mom is still lactating after the kittens leave, put a warm, damp compress on her mammaries often to lessen swelling and inflammation, and get her spayed as soon as possible. Should she become infected she would need antibiotics.

 

[danteshuman]

You can spay her before she she goes into heat again after her kittens are 3 months old.

I'm watching my adorable orphaned 6 week old terrors play with each other. If I seperate them they meow for each other and look for each other. I watch them rough house with each other teaching each other limits. Kittens who get that longer time together do better on understanding not to hurt their fragile fur-less humans. If I could I would keep kitten families together until they are 4 months old. At the very least until they are 3 months old.

 

[fosterella]

Thank you very much for your replies. I realize it's preferable to keep the kittens with mom for a longer time.
What I really don't know is how to proceed. Is it better to handle the kittens all at once or one at a time?

Here is a picture of the family the day after they were born

And a few days later

When they were 3 weeks old

 

[talkingpeanut]

Mom can actually be spayed now and then returned to the kittens. It's safe two months after delivery.

How well are the kittens socialized? Do they seek you out? They need some group play time and then probably some individual snuggle time, but if you have been handling them this whole time and they are comfortable with people I wouldn't worry.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
Oh my goodness they are darling!!
Handle them regarding socializing, or handle them as in removing them from Mom all at once?
I don't know, when mama cats wean kittens and want them done/gone it's all at once if course, but removing them before she's done nursing? I'm not sure...
I guess I just don't understand why people are in such a hurry. One or two more weeks from the prospective adopters perspectives is nothing timewise, yet makes such an enormous difference for the kittens. Hopefully you can talk them into waiting until mama weans the babies herself.

 

[fosterella]

Hi!
Oh my goodness they are darling!!

Thank you. Aren't they gorgeous all one different color?

handle them as in removing them from Mom all at once?

Yes, that's my concern.
I don't know, when mama cats wean kittens and want them done/gone it's all at once if course, but removing them before she's done nursing? I'm not sure...
I guess I just don't understand why people are in such a hurry. One or two more weeks from the prospective adopters perspectives is nothing timewise, yet makes such an enormous difference for the kittens. Hopefully you can talk them into waiting until mama weans the babies herself.[/QUOTE]
Well, the thing is, the adopters will be home on staycation for a week next week and they think the kittens will adapt better to them if they are around.

How do I know when mom is done? She's always the one who calls them for nursing, never the kittens who ask for it from what I witness.
At the moment she plays a lot with them, running around and playing hide and seek in the room we keep them in.
She still licks them and checks after they have used the litter box.

 

[Furballsmom]

Ah, i see.
Some mom cats go so far as to start hissing at the babies, it's definitely a different behavior than what you're still seeing currently.

 

[fosterella]

Mom can actually be spayed now and then returned to the kittens. It's safe two months after delivery.

Won't she be able to rest better after her kittens are gone? The first 24hrs females are often tired + uncomfortable. The kittens are very active and I wouldn't like having 3 offsprings running all over the place when I need to lie down.

How well are the kittens socialized? Do they seek you out? They need some group play time and then probably some individual snuggle time, but if you have been handling them this whole time and they are comfortable with people I wouldn't worry.

Kittens are amazing. We are used to fostering wild often sick kittens and this situation made things so different!
Having had them from day one with mama confident we had good intentions towards her and them made socialization an easy task. Every time we enter the room they run to us and sit in a circle around us. It's so sweet.
The little girl is never really still and last night mom helped me to keep her calm while I was trying to weight her. Can things get any cuter?

 

[fosterella]

Ah, i see.
Some mom cats go so far as to start hissing at the babies, it's definitely a different behavior than what you're still seeing currently.

Thanks for your reply. It really helps. I guess I will be able to witness obvious signs then.

 

[Furballsmom]

You're getting close, weaning should happen between 8-10 weeks of age.

 

[danteshuman]

Ah the kitten gruel stage

I currently giving the 6 week old kittens formula a couple times a day. The rest of the time they get "kitten gruel" (half formula and half kitten wet food) Your kittens should be very interested in wet food right now. They tend to wean themselves .