Is it better to let kittens remain with their mother until they are weaned or should they be taken sooner and bottle-fed and socialized as soon as possible?
Optimally, you want to catch the mother cat and her kittens. Kittens benefit from their mother’s milk and attention. Keep them together in a confined area with a box or other shelter inside this area where the mom cat can hide (if she is feral). The kittens will come out to see you and the mom cat will hide in the box/carrier. Handle the kittens daily, work on socializing them, and then put them back with mom. If you have them confined and you can’t touch the kittens because the mother cat is protecting them, then remove the kittens from her at 5-6 weeks of age and begin socializing them.
Related Questions
- Is it better to let kittens remain with their mother until they are weaned or should they be taken sooner and bottle-fed and socialized as soon as possible?
- When should I switch kittens to food other than their mothers milk, and what type of food?
- What does Feline Friends do with newborn kittens that don have a mother?