Kitten Care
Kittens are delightful little bundles of curiosity. They're also fragile creatures that rely on their mothers for intense care during their first few weeks.
Kittens should suckle from their mother (also known as the queen) until they are three to four weeks old.
It's very important that kittens feed from their mother soon after birth - ideally within the first two hours. This is because kittens need the queen's first milk, known as colostrum, which contains antibodies that will protect the kittens from disease. If any of your kittens do not receive colostrum, please contact us.
At 4 weeks of age they should start to be weaned. A good quality complete kitten nut should be provided as this will include all the nutrients required for growth and development. As most cats are actually lactose intolerant only water and not milk should be provided for drinking.
Flea and worming treatments may be recommended for kittens as young as two days old, depending on the risk to the kittens and any treatment the queen had during pregnancy. Please contact us for advice.
The protection provided by the queen's colostrum fades when the kittens are eight to nine weeks old, leaving them vulnerable to disease. For this reason, kittens need to be vaccinated from about 9 weeks of age. Usually they receive one injection with a booster 4 weeks later. Annual boosters are required thereafter.
Neutering - The queen can be neutered while she is still with or feeding the kittens as long as the surgical wound will not be affected by enlarged mammary glands. You do not need to wait until her milk has dried up, though it is usually best to wait until the kittens are no longer dependent on her and neuter her when the kittens are around eight weeks old. The queen can get pregnant again as early as one or two weeks after giving birth, so it is sensible to get her neutered promptly.
The kittens should be neutered when they're around four months old. If neutering is not carried out by then, you should separate males from females and the queen to prevent in-breeding. Ask us if you need help sexing the kittens.
Rehoming – The right time to rehome the kittens largely depends on their behavioural development as well as the risk of disease. If possible, do not separate the kittens from the queen until at least eight weeks of age.