Kitty Post: Benefits of Adopting an Older Kitten

I have had cats since I was a young child and have fostered hundreds of cats and kittens for rescue groups over the last 25 years. I have had kittens as young as 2 weeks old and had to teach them to eat and use the “bathroom”. While many kittens are placed in adoptive homes when they are 8 to 10 weeks old, I recommend waiting until they are 3 to 4 months old. I have outlined my reasons below.

VETTING:

·         Most clinics will spay/neuter kittens when they are 8 weeks (or two pounds). Personally, I prefer that my fosters are 3 months old and three pounds before they are spayed/neutered. I have found that older kittens recover a little easier and faster than the 8 week olds.

·         A kitten must be 3 months old, or weigh three pounds, before it can receive the Rabies vaccination (the one vaccination required by law).

·         Kittens need multiple FVRCP (“distemper”) vaccinations, starting around 8 weeks of age and administered every 3–4 weeks until they are 16 weeks old. Kittens adopted at 4 months should have had their full FVRCP series.

·         Most kittens will experience some kind of intestinal parasite. Kittens often receive deworming medications multiple times before being placed in adoptive homes.

PERSONALITY and SAFETY

·         Tiny kittens are so cute. I love those little pointed tails! However, we need to remember that they are BABIES! It is almost impossible to know how their personalities will develop as they get older. What you see at 4, 5, or 6 weeks is not necessarily what they will be like at 12 weeks. A playful kitten may become shy, while a shy kitten may become outgoing with age. Guessing the future personality of an infant is impossible as is guessing what a kitten’s personality will be when it gets older. The longer kittens are in loving foster homes, the more they will trust and bond with humans. Once trust and a bond are established, it transfers easily to the “forever family” that adopts them.

·         Like humans, young kittens have not learned what things they need to avoid so they do not hurt themselves. The theory that a falling cat will always land on its feet is simply not true, especially for young kittens. Jumping off counters or chair backs can be dangerous for them. By 4 months, a kitten can safely navigate on and off furniture, cabinets, and cat trees. Older kittens do not require as much supervision as 2-month old kittens. In addition, improper handling or the not so gentle touch of a child can cause harm to a small kitten. In addition to being less fragile, older kittens can escape from someone who is not being gentle.

·         Young kittens do not know how their claws work. Sometimes, they try to jump on your lap, miss, and then try to climb up your leg like. Kitten claws are like little needles -- they hurt. Older kittens know how to retract their claws when not needed.

CLEANLINESS

·         Cats are one of the cleanest animals you will ever know. Even the tiniest kittens know how to “go” in a litter box. It is a miracle when compared to puppies who can take months to train to go to the bathroom outside and to let you know when they need to go!

·         Older kittens are much cleaner than younger ones. They groom themselves as needed (especially after meals!) and rarely, if ever, need a bath. They almost never have accidents and even remember to cover “it” up after they use the litter box. While easy to train to a litter box, the coordination of young kittens is not developed enough to avoid tracking litter and poop outside the litter box. While they mean well, it is hard to avoid getting it on their paws.

I always recommend adopting kittens in pairs. Kittens need the company of another cat. They need that built in playmate to chase and wrestle with as they grow into cats. Kittens teach each other when the play is too rough. When you have two kittens, the humans in the home tend to be happier and have fewer scratches. Adult cats may be content being an only cat if that is how they were raised. Kittens, on the other hand, are social creatures. Two is much better than one.

Cats are still “kittens” with that kitten mindset until they are about one year old and young cats still play like kittens! There is nothing like a pair of kittens to brighten up any home. To see the beautiful cats and kittens available for adoption through Beltsville Community Cats, visit our Petfinder page at:  https://www.petfinder.com/member/us/md/beltsville/beltsville-community-cats-md506/.