What age to get a kitten?

[Prudie]

What's the acceptable age of a kitten to go to a new home these days? It always used to be 8 weeks and some years ago when I bred and showed pedigrees 12 weeks was the acceptable age to sell them on.

[daffy654]

Kittens are ok away from their mum at 6-8 weeks. HOWEVER- I would never buy/adopt a kitten who was less than 10 weeks old.

[nungate]

Our Max was probably between five and six weeks old when we got him - but he had been found abandoned and the local cat rescue people knew we were on the look out for another kitten and that we had a lot of experience handling kittens that they offered him to us - he's four now and a very handsome cat indeed, and a bit of a clever clogs to boot! Our cats however are not pedigrees just (un)common moggies but I would certainly not give a kitten under at least six weeks a home unless under similar circumstances to Max

[ummmm]

Ours was 6 weeks. We thought he was older but apparently nor, according to the vet.

[Prudie]

Thanks all, so it's pretty much the same. I'm asking as I'm after one and someone told me to look on gumtree. I'm a bit suspicious, if that's the word, that those in my area are all at least 16 or 17 weeks old which makes me wonder.

[ladybirder]

Why don't you go to a rescue Prudie?

[kat1]

Go to a rescue centre & get one that is neutered,flead/wormed,vet checked & most microchiped.

[Prudie]

I have been looking at rescue for weeks lb (online) but they only show adult cats. I was going to get an adult but partner wants a kitten we can 'bring up'. Also I have a cat already and most of them say 'I want to be the only pet' etc.

[kat1]

What area you in Prudie?

[LoftyLottie]

I have raised a kitten from a week old. It was damn hard work!!! Eight weeks is about right, but sometimes it is necessary to take them younger.

[Prudie]

Dorset kat

[kat1]

Try catchat.org.

[ladybirder]

Prudie,
Celia Hammond's charity are still trying to home soft left behind Spring born kittens before the Autumn babies come along.
http://www.celiahammond.org/

[Kerosene]

All the kittens we've had over the years have been around 8 weeks old, although the little girl we presently have - now 8 years old - whom we got via Cat's Protection, was quite poorly early on, had severe 'runs', and even our dear old female doggie was helping to lick her little bum - yeugh! - to try and help her.

We also took her to the vet but the condition gradually righted itself, and now she's a proverbial barrel on legs, whereas the little ginger tom we got at the same time has maintained his 'figure'.

The dirt trays are never that pleasant - understatement - but a little moggie will adapt to it very quickly - it's most unusual to have a 'dirty' cat, but it will have helped if it had its mum in its formative weeks to teach it how to groom itself etc.

After all, they're only babies, aren't they?

Good luck, anyway, Prudie. Hope you have many years of pleasure and love - on its terms - from whatever moggie you get?

[kat1]

OMG Prudie. Just keyed in dorset cat rescue & this came up on catseeker.com clicked on 0-1yr & a picture of 8 week yr old Timmie came up hes beautiful!

[ladybirder]

They're all beautiful.
http://www.catseeker.com/

[Kerosene]

Indeed ladybirder, who could resist those bleeding....oops, sorry...those 'pleading' little faces? I had to stop looking at them - or else I'd be straight on the phone!

[ladybirder]

Well K, when my old lady of 19 pops her clogs I shall get another but it'll be an old/er one that's been overlooked. I don't think she'd like me to bring another into her space now, at her age.

[Prudie]

Wow thanks for that link LB and kat. They are beautiful. I lost a cat earlier this year and my prudie really misses him. You're right kero, hopefully there will be many years of love to come. It's quite a big decision to get the right one.

[ladybirder]

Don't make the mistake of thinking it is you who will be doing the choosing:-)

[Kerosene]

It's certainly a joyous time getting one of those little minxes, and ladybirder's absolutely spot on, you could go along with certain wishes and wants, but you might end up coming away with something totally different altogether?

The worst thing you can do is catch their gaze - that's you on the slippery slope....hook, line and sinker!