Have 2 week old kittens... what now? :)

[Dianne-TX]

We have a sweet country momma cat and she had a litter of 6 kitties two weeks ago.  They are all doing fine and the momma cat is taking care of them and there's no concern of neglect or abandonment.  I've read that they get everything they need from momma for 4 weeks, right?  After that, then what?  I'm sure momma will wean them naturally.  Do we give the milk supplement with kitten food?  When can they be given away?  Do they need vet treatment?  This is our first time in this situation.  :)  Thanks for any help.

[Reflections]

She probably won't wean until after 8 weeks.  It's very much not like dogs and puppies where puppies are pretty much good to go at 6 weeks.  

 

Make sure to feed momma extra good. Plenty of water.  Provide a litter tray if she's indoors.  Kittens will learn to use that naturally.  At 6ish weeks I provide water downed wet food for the kittens to explore.  They'll pick it up pretty quick.  

 

If these are kittens that you want to give away (find homes for) they'll need to see a vet around 7ish weeks - or the people who want one will usually take them to the their own vet for everything.  http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+2143&aid=951 

 

I need to add here that if this cat is outdoors, or is semi feral, those kittens will be mostly feral (wild) if you don't take some steps to prevent that.  And in my experience, it's very hard to find someone who'll take a kitten that is not a potential lap cat. 

 

Most counties and cities have ordinances for when you can give away or sell kittens and puppies and usually that's about 8 weeks. And it's not an arbitrary age.  That's when they're ready.  I've had people bring me kittens in very poor health that they had adopted - and those kittens were in poor health because they were too young to have been separated from their mom. Luckily I usually had a wagon train (a nursing mom).

 

Don't think that I'm a crazy cat lady.  I used to rescue - with an organization.

[Tanaqui]

They CAN be given away at eight weeks. Personally, I feel that is much too early. You should wait another month so that you can get them their first round of shots and have them fixed. You simply cannot trust other people to do this for you, you have to bite the bullet and do it yourself. You can get the mama fixed at around the same time, it should wait until she's at the final stage of weaning, which usually is sometime between 8 and 12 weeks. However, if she goes into heat sooner (not likely if you're going into winter, but it does happen) you should get her done at that time. I strongly suggest that when you rehome the kittens, you charge a fee. It doesn't have to be a large fee, it can just be a token, but the sad truth is that people take better care of animals they paid for. I don't know why this should be, but unless you're giving the cats to your best buds, trust me, avoid sadness and charge $5. I also urge you, if possible, to try to place the kittens in pairs. Most kittens are happier with their siblings than in a home all alone, however, I realize that it can be hard to get somebody to take two cats if they only want one. Edit: Previous comment reminded me. Feral cats are a different kettle of fish. For adequate socialization it's recommended you separate them from their mother at eight weeks (six if they're sick), because their mother will teach them to be afraid of humans. In truth, cats are born scared of humans, they have to learn that we're friendly, and for feral cats that's not a lesson worth learning. People can be cruel to strays. I don't know enough about ferals to give any advice for that.

 

Queen cats really must be fixed to keep the population down. If you have any qualms, remember that having many pregnancies will weaken her, and every time she goes into heat she increases her risk of developing cancer. Toms should also be fixed, to help home them. An altered tom will get into fewer fights, and (if altered before puberty) will not spray. He will also roam less, keeping him safer. Having seven cats to fix is a lot, but you can probably find a low cost vet service that can help you out. In our area, the ASPCA van will do it for $5 so long as you have a benefits card, and the trick is that they don't care whose card you use, so even if you don't happen to use food stamps you can generally borrow a card off of somebody else waiting in line and use that one.

 

Sheesh, I'm done with the lecture now. You shouldn't need to give them supplemental formula if their mother is nursing them normally and they are thriving. When they're ready to start solids, they'll just start. I prefer to give wet food over dry (wet food with NO FOOD COLORING, which is useless and a cancer risk), but I recognize that's much pricier. If you decide to give dry food, you want to try to find one that has no food coloring and which doesn't list wheat as a first ingredient. When they first start eating solids in a few weeks, you'll need to moisten it with a little water so they don't choke. Only put a little food out a time. Small kittens can't self-regulate, and will gorge to the point of throwing up. Small, frequent meals are best.

 

Edit: I made this post before the person above me. I see they mentioned the eight weeks date, my first few lines should not be read as criticism of that :)

 

 

[Reflections]

They CAN be given away at eight weeks. Personally, I feel that is much too early. You should wait another month so that you can get them their first round of shots and have them fixed. You simply cannot trust other people to do this for you, you have to bite the bullet and do it yourself. You can get the mama fixed at around the same time, it should wait until she's at the final stage of weaning, which usually is sometime between 8 and 12 weeks. However, if she goes into heat sooner (not likely if you're going into winter) you should get her done at that time. I strongly suggest that when you rehome the kittens, you charge a fee. It doesn't have to be a large fee, it can just be a token, but the sad truth is that people take better care of animals they paid for. I don't know why this should be, but unless you're giving the cats to your best buds, trust me, avoid sadness and charge $5. I also urge you, if possible, to try to place the kittens in pairs. Most kittens are happier with their siblings than in a home all alone, however, I realize that it can be hard to get somebody to take two cats if they only want one.

 

Queen cats really must be fixed to keep the population down. If you have any qualms, remember that having many pregnancies will weaken her, and every time she goes into heat she increases her risk of developing cancer. Toms should also be fixed, to help home them. An altered tom will get into fewer fights, and (if altered before puberty) will not spray. He will also roam less, keeping him safer. Having seven cats to fix is a lot, but you can probably find a low cost vet service that can help you out. In our area, the ASPCA van will do it for $5 so long as you have a benefits card, and the trick is that they don't care whose card you use, so even if you don't happen to use food stamps you can generally borrow a card off of somebody else waiting in line and use that one.

 

Sheesh, I'm done with the lecture now. You shouldn't need to give them supplemental formula if their mother is nursing them normally and they are thriving. When they're ready to start solids, they'll just start. I prefer to give wet food over dry (wet food with NO FOOD COLORING, which is useless and a cancer risk), but I recognize that's much pricier. If you decide to give dry food, you want to try to find one that has no food coloring and which doesn't list wheat as a first ingredient. When they first start eating solids in a few weeks, you'll need to moisten it with a little water so they don't choke. Only put a little food out a time. Small kittens can't self-regulate, and will gorge to the point of throwing up. Small, frequent meals are best.

 

Edit: I made this post before the person above me. I see they mentioned the eight weeks date, my first few lines should not be read as criticism of that :)

 

You said everything that I should have said!!!  

[Tanaqui]

Why, thank you :) I adore cats, I practically have this as a recorded lecture. (It's like my secret aspie super power!)

[Dianne-TX]

She was given to us from another country family.  She is primarily an outdoor cat, but she is sweet and social.  We wanted her to have one litter so that we can have a couple more country cats for outdoor help.  :)  We plan on getting them all spayed/neutered.  No more kitties here.  :)  She and the kitties are indoors and will remain that way until we give the kitties away and/or get them spayed.  Thanks for your advice.  That is very helpful.  :)

[Reflections]

Why, thank you :) I adore cats, I practically have this as a recorded lecture. (It's like my secret aspie super power!)

 

:lol:  Shame there's no super power-cape wearing emoticon. 

[Sdel]

For adequate socialization it's recommended you separate them from their mother at eight weeks (six if they're sick), because their mother will teach them to be afraid of humans. In truth, cats are born scared of humans, they have to learn that we're friendly, and for feral cats that's not a lesson worth learning. People can be cruel to strays. I don't know enough about ferals to give any advice for that.

 

I don't agree with this.  One of my cats was born feral.  When I got him he was 4 - 6 months old, on his way to starving, and obviously never had been around people.  He came up to investigate me on his own and allowed me to interact with him almost immediately.  He still doesn't like people other than me, but he tolerates being picked up and pet by others.  I'm the only person he's truly comfortable around though.  One of my other cats is much more reactive, flighty and scared of people other than me and she's been socialized to humans since birth, and we got her at 7 weeks. 

 

It is mostly personality.

 

Stefanie

[stephanier.1765]

I don't know if this helps but our Humane Society neuters cats for free. You might be able to find a like program in your area.

[Ottakee]

Start calling around now to local spay/neuter places and tell them you have a barn cat and need her the kittens fixed.  Many places have great programs where you can get them all done at the same time.  It is much easier to find home for the kittens if they have already been fixed.  Honestly, I would have rather paid $20 per kitten so that *I* didn't have to mess with the spay/neuter than to get a free kitten that wasn't fixed yet.

 

We ended up adopted 2 barn cats from a rescue that had over 100 cats from a cat hoarder.  They had them all fixed and had their shots.  We picked out 2 friendly ones and they now have the run of the barn and farm and even bring me "presents" occasionally.  We though don't know how old they are but they are fixed and social and keeping down our mice population so we are happy.

[Reflections]

I don't agree with this.  One of my cats was born feral.  When I got him he was 4 - 6 months old, on his way to starving, and obviously never had been around people.  He came up to investigate me on his own and allowed me to interact with him almost immediately.  He still doesn't like people other than me, but he tolerates being picked up and pet by others.  I'm the only person he's truly comfortable around though.  One of my other cats is much more reactive, flighty and scared of people other than me and she's been socialized to humans since birth, and we got her at 7 weeks. 

 

It is mostly personality.

 

Stefanie

 

I've had some feral cats who could never be socialized. Like the one that tried to eat her way out of my bathroom window when she had a short stay there to recover from being spayed. She ate chunks out of the frame! Or would do somersaults and howl the whole time someone took a shower (my dh had to or he'd have used the other bathroom). Or the ones that would only come up to be fed if you were 10 feet from the food. Or the kittens at 8 weeks who would claw and spit and eat your arm off because they had never seen a human, much less been touched by one.  There was also the momma cat who'd been left for weeks in an abandoned rental with her newborn kittens who bit clean through my finger when I picked up one of her kittens to put it in the box to get her and them to safety. True feral is not pretty and there are very few options for cats (and communities) like that.

[Reflections]

Snip.... Edit: Previous comment reminded me. Feral cats are a different kettle of fish. For adequate socialization it's recommended you separate them from their mother at eight weeks (six if they're sick), because their mother will teach them to be afraid of humans. In truth, cats are born scared of humans, they have to learn that we're friendly, and for feral cats that's not a lesson worth learning. People can be cruel to strays. I don't know enough about ferals to give any advice for that.

 

 

Fortunately, the op's cat is indoors at this time and from her description she doesn't sound feral... and they are probably handling the kittens already.  :001_smile: Nothing harder to resist than weeks old kittens.  And watching momma cat cuddling them is one of the sweetest things in the world.

[shawthorne44]

I would give them lots and lots and more human handling.  The kittens you give away will have a much easier life if they like being around people.  Best cat I ever had was born in the bedroom of a pre-teen girl who pretty much spent all her time cuddling the kittens and he was her favorite.  Even people that hated cats loved that one.  

[Tanaqui]

I don't agree with this.  One of my cats was born feral.  When I got him he was 4 - 6 months old, on his way to starving, and obviously never had been around people.  He came up to investigate me on his own and allowed me to interact with him almost immediately.  He still doesn't like people other than me, but he tolerates being picked up and pet by others.  I'm the only person he's truly comfortable around though.  One of my other cats is much more reactive, flighty and scared of people other than me and she's been socialized to humans since birth, and we got her at 7 weeks.

 

You're right, cats do vary a lot, and I know some people have had amazing results with ferals, even fully grown ones. On the flip side, as you said, sometimes you get a kitten born to a socialized mother, raised with friendly and loving humans, and for whatever reason it avoids humans or only bonds to just one human. Cats are weird that way.

 

I'm glad your kitty was able to be friendly with you so fast. The advice I gave, which people always give for ferals, is probably best for the majority of cats. There will always be outliers.

[kitten18]

I would give them lots and lots and more human handling.  The kittens you give away will have a much easier life if they like being around people.  Best cat I ever had was born in the bedroom of a pre-teen girl who pretty much spent all her time cuddling the kittens and he was her favorite.  Even people that hated cats loved that one.  

:iagree:  I had the sweetest cat ever that came from my sister's ranch.  My nieces and nephew were young and they held and played with the litter almost constantly.

 

We love cats but my DH's allergies just can't handle them anymore.  :crying:

[Ellie]

We have a sweet country momma cat and she had a litter of 6 kitties two weeks ago.  They are all doing fine and the momma cat is taking care of them and there's no concern of neglect or abandonment.  I've read that they get everything they need from momma for 4 weeks, right?  After that, then what?  I'm sure momma will wean them naturally.  Do we give the milk supplement with kitten food?  When can they be given away?  Do they need vet treatment?  This is our first time in this situation.  :)  Thanks for any help.

 

Kittens do not need cow's milk as a supplement. :-) As long as MamaKitteh is well fed, she'll have plenty of milk for her babies.

 

When the babies are, oh, 4-6 weeks old, they will probably start sniffing at their mama's food and water, and then if you want to, you can begin putting out dry kitten food for them.

 

Handle the kitties as much as possible.

 

Put a kitty-size litter box down for them. They'll figure it out.

 

Schedule MamaKitteh to be spayed on the day that the babies are six weeks old. Really. She will go into heat before you can say "Jack Rabbit." Seriously.

 

Put an ad in the paper for the babies, $5 each, on the day they are six weeks old. People are much more likely to be interested in cats that they have to pay for. I don't know why, but it is so.

 

Any kitty that you keep should be spayed/neutered *no later than* six months old. Some people will do it sooner than that, but you know, they aren't finished growing when they are only a couple of months old. They should have a little more time to develop before being spayed/neutered.

[trulycrabby]

Two week old kittens-what to do now? Why, take pictures and post them here! :) :001_wub:

[Tanaqui]

Some people will do it sooner than that, but you know, they aren't finished growing when they are only a couple of months old. They should have a little more time to develop before being spayed/neutered.

 

Cats can go into heat as early as four months, and recovery time is faster when they are smaller. Earlier is better. They do not need "more time to develop".

 

http://www.cfa.org/CatCare/SpayNeuter/EarlySpayNeuter.aspx

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pediatric_spaying

 

 

[Seasider]

What now?

 

Post some adorable kitten pics for us!!!

[StaceyinLA]

So glad to read you will be keeping some and plan to spay/neuter the rest. We had a stray come up pregnant. We had her fixed and two people at our vets' office each took a pair of kittens. I paid for them to be altered. I just couldn't deal with not knowing they were fixed. The cat overpopulation problem is worse than the dog one, in part because people seem to have such disregard for cats. It just continually breaks my heart.

[Ellie]

Cats can go into heat as early as four months, and recovery time is faster when they are smaller. Earlier is better. They do not need "more time to develop".

 

http://www.cfa.org/CatCare/SpayNeuter/EarlySpayNeuter.aspx

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pediatric_spaying

 

I disagree. Spaying younger than four months is just not right. I've seen cats who were spayed when they were tiny, and it does take them longer to mature.

[Tanaqui]

I disagree. Spaying younger than four months is just not right. I've seen cats who were spayed when they were tiny, and it does take them longer to mature.

 

I've had several cats fixed at that age, and they matured just as fast as any other. In some cases, faster, because they were not harmed by early pregnancies.

 

Of course, the plural of anecdote is not data, as we say, which is why I took the time to dig up the numbers. I might have been wrong, after all. I can probably find more studies, if you like.

 

 

[hornblower]

pediatric spay & neuter is the norm here for all cat rescues. Nothing leaves with their bits intact is a good basic rule. It adds up but the costs of not doing are so much larger & sadder.

[StaceyinLA]

I have to agree with the above. I'd rather a cat take longer to mature than thousands of euthanized cats/kittens. I am so pleased that they are doing this now, so there is no chance of a cat leaving a rescue organization intact.

 

Now if they could just get everyone else to spay and neuter...

[Ellie]

I've had several cats fixed at that age, and they matured just as fast as any other. In some cases, faster, because they were not harmed by early pregnancies.

 

Of course, the plural of anecdote is not data, as we say, which is why I took the time to dig up the numbers. I might have been wrong, after all. I can probably find more studies, if you like.

 

No, that's ok. I am happy with my ignorance, lol. I would still not spay/neuter a cat so young. ;-)

[UmmYahya03]

Congrats! If the mother is a good mouser, we would be interested in one of the kittens....

[duckens]

The last family for which I nannied had barn kittens.  Both the parents were vets.

One of the chores for the youngest daughters (ages 4 and 7) was to visit the kittens in the barn twice a day and handle them.  (Mama cat  was a friendly cat; they just wanted to make sure that the kittens were well socialized).

 

[Tanaqui]

I have to agree with the above. I'd rather a cat take longer to mature than thousands of euthanized cats/kittens. I am so pleased that they are doing this now, so there is no chance of a cat leaving a rescue organization intact.

 

Now if they could just get everyone else to spay and neuter...

 

That last sentence is why I say, again and again and again, you really have to get them altered before you give them away. Other people won't do it for you, so don't expect them to. Its one of those sad facts of life.

 

Early altering, in addition to minimizing the risk of still more kittens or puppies, also heals faster and seems to give the animals less pain than waiting.

 

Whoops, sorry, stumbled back onto my soapbox there. I'll just hop off now, why don't I. (AND WHERE ARE THE PICTURES OF THE CUTE KITTIES???)

[texasmama]

Handle them early and often. I've fostered and helped socialize feral kittens, and if they are not handled much prior to four weeks of age an opportunity can be lost.

 

I offered canned pâté food at four weeks of age, earlier if mama is not with kittens. I'm helping to socialize a litter of orphaned three week old kittens at our local shelter now. They are already hissing and spitting at people because they were not handled prior to being found at three weeks of age.