Stay on track
Be sure that you’re keeping on top of the kittens’ routine medical needs so that you can route them for adoption as soon as they’re old enough to be independent and successfully adopted. In general, kittens can be adopted between 8-10 weeks old if healthy and vetted. Don’t delay adoption—if you’re raising a young kitten, you don’t want to postpone medical care and suddenly end up with a 6 month old kitten that you’ve never vaccinated or spayed!
For better or worse, kittens are highly adoptable during the 2-4 month period, so you’ll have the easiest time finding a home if they’re medically ready during this time.
Vaccinations can begin at 6 weeks old (or as young as 4 weeks in some programs) and repeated every 2 weeks.
Dewormer can be administered at 2 weeks old.
Spay/neuter can occur once the kitten hits 2 pounds and 2 months.
This preventative and routine care should occur before adoption, and at the correct pace, so that the kitten is able to be placed in a loving home as soon as they are ready.
If you’re working with a shelter or rescue group, they should help you stay on top of the kittens’ medical care. Just be sure that you’re checking in with the foster coordinator or medical staff to keep on top of the kittens’ needs. If you’re fostering independently, remember that you can be reimbursed for many of these costs through an adoption fee.
Most importantly, be sure you’re keeping records of all the medical care that is given, so that the adopter will know what has been provided and can bring records to the kitten’s new permanent vet.
