Behavioral Problems with Underage kittens being adopted...
by Shanti Zinzi on Monday, February 7, 2011 at 11:12am
This may be hard to hear in the feline community-but underage kittens not properly weaned sometimes develop a propensity for behavioral issues later in their life. The owner often finds the issue too difficult to handle and can lead an owner to ultimately surrender them to a shelter. This animal often becomes a statistic for euthanasia.
An example of a behavioral issue found in these cats would be not using the litterbox. Proper weaning until at least 8 weeks with the queen also teaches psychological and behavioral skills.
This is not something a human can do. Yes, they learn from other kittens. But breaking the ATTACHMENT BOND before it is time has profound psychological impact -this has been studied extensively with humans and unfortunately not enough is known in the feline world. Abandonment anxiety is very often seen in these cats later-this often shows up with litterbox issues. For the ultimate well-being please keep kittens with the queen until 8 weeks, preferably 11 weeks. If the cat is ever to be a part of a multiple cat household, then remember socialization to other cats such as litter mates is vitally important during early weeks, & months throughout the first year. If you are adopting a kitten, consider adopting two!!
An example of a behavioral issue found in these cats would be not using the litterbox. Proper weaning until at least 8 weeks with the queen also teaches psychological and behavioral skills.
This is not something a human can do. Yes, they learn from other kittens. But breaking the ATTACHMENT BOND before it is time has profound psychological impact -this has been studied extensively with humans and unfortunately not enough is known in the feline world. Abandonment anxiety is very often seen in these cats later-this often shows up with litterbox issues. For the ultimate well-being please keep kittens with the queen until 8 weeks, preferably 11 weeks. If the cat is ever to be a part of a multiple cat household, then remember socialization to other cats such as litter mates is vitally important during early weeks, & months throughout the first year. If you are adopting a kitten, consider adopting two!!
