Mom and babies are kept close together in a warm, cozy space. With clean hands, we gently pet them. We start getting them used to our sounds, so talk, hang out, hum and sing right next to them. At 2 weeks, we start picking them up and hold them gently for brief periods. They are weighed every day to ensure they hit growth goals, and supplemented around the clock if mom is not able to provide for all kittens.

Kittens eyes are usually open by now, and mom is starting to go a little bit further from them. We introduce wet, raw, and dry food in this period as they wean so they’re not picky as they get older. They start using a small litterbox we keep for kittens, until they’re comfortable with the bigger one. We ensure they get used to household noises, like vacuums. They are pet and held everyday!

Kittens graduate to their own room with mom, where they’re able to at a time to explore a bigger space and play. It’s so fun to see these little guys explore every corner! Their personalities develop more at this time. We start clipping their nails at 7 weeks to get them used to it, and they’ll get their first bath at 9 weeks. They get their first deworm and vaccination at 8 weeks.

Kittens are now allowed to explore the whole house for a couple hours at a time. They get exposed to more household sounds (like doorbells, alarm clocks, TV, etc) and are pet and held frequently. We may also take them in car rides for brief moments at a time so they can be exposed to car noises and movement. At 12 weeks old they get another vaccination and a second deworm.

Not long until they can go home! Kittens at this age are able to freely roam around most of the our house (when we are home and able to supervise). They meet our other resident cats not related to them, who will help them adapt to being around other animals. They get one last vaccination shot at 16 weeks, and their rabies shot. They will also be spayed and neutered at that time.