British Shortaired Kittens

Question
QUESTION: My cat has just had her first litter of 4 kittens born Monday 26th May.  Mother and kittens seem to be fine. I have another cat, when can i let them interact again.  The new mother and kittens are in there own room, the mother comes out occassionally for a stoll but I lock up the other cat. I have introduced them again whilst the kittens are locked up but I just wondered how long i need to keep the other cat away from the kittens.

Thanks
Dawn


ANSWER: Dawn.

Is your cat a whole male?  Is it a whole female? If it is a whole male are the kittens his?

Sometimes adult whole cats do not work well with young kittens.

My advice is to not let them encounter the kittens until the kittens have had all their shots and are at least 13 weeks of age.  By then their immune systems are developed enough so that encountering your other cats will not be a problem.

Newborns get their immunity from mama's milk. By the time they are 8 weeks of age, their stomachs can no longer absorb the antibodies.  So, we usually wean the kittens by 5 weeks of age and mama is out of their room by 6 weeks of age.  In the ensuing many weeks until they are 13 weeks of age, they get their standard shots, and they get socialized to people.  At age 13 weeks they are ready to meet everyone else and all the racket that might entail.

In the long run our Upper Respiratory Infections incidence has dropped to zero and our kittens seem to show better and adjust to new homes better since we have been doing this.  We do not sell our kittens until they are over 4 months of age.  We have both Abyssinians and Maine Coons.

Best regards... Norm.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Norm

Sorry I was a little vague.  The other cat is the queens sister.  They are both house cats so i am not to worried about infections I was more worried about upsetting the queen or risking any harm to the kittens.  I have introduced the two cats again and the other cat is hissing at the queen but they were really friendly before?  I will keep the other cat away from the kittens for the time being but do they need to be apart for 13 weeks??

Thanks
Dawn

Answer
Dawn,

You did not tell me whether the sister is spayed or whole?  Whole females sometimes want to steal young kittens from the nursing mama.  Since they do not have any milk, that is not good for the kittens.

As to lack of infections, it is the pathogens natural to your cats that the kittens can catch. Treating 4 weanlings for upper respiratory infections is not fun!!!!!  So, yes, I would wait until the kittens are 13 weeks and have had their shots.  Since they do not go out, I would give them a modified live rhinotracheitis, panleukopenia, calici three in one shot, at 8 weeks of age, and its booster at 12 weeks of age.  Give things a week to percolate, and the kittens will be ready to meet other cats. Rabies, if required, would come later.  As I said in my previous post, this is a good time to socialize the kittens to human contact.

Best regards... Norm.