How soon can I hold my cats new kittens?

Question

Or how long is it thought best to wait?

Answer 1

it depends what sort of bond you have with your cat. i could pick up my cats kittens straight away but my partner couldnt even go in the same room as the kittens as she would begin to hiss and stress out!

Answer 2

I think it's like 6 weeks. I know it has to be atleast when they open their eyes. To the comment above...I wouldn't do that, becuase if the mother cat smells a different scent on the kittens she might feel threatened and even deny the kitten. And the kitten also needs to learn from it's mother things like how to clean itself and such..so don't touch them until they atleast have opened their eyes.

Answer 3

   You mean you have not picked up her precious babies yet? Heck i even help my cat with the birthing. She seemed so proud as i told her how sweet they were and then put them back against her tummy to nurse. Kittens being touched by adults,  turn out to be loving caring , want to be with you companions, they smell the human smell and moms, smell and both makes them feel secure.

   If you don't touch them, some turn out to be quite stand offish and

prefer not to be held. All of my Siamese were loving kittens that grew to be affectionate cats with everybody.

Answer 4

  We usually waited until the kittens could open their eyes and stand on their own, within the first week.

Answer 5

It really depends on the mother.  I had to move our cat's kittens after they were about an hour old and she didn't have a problem with it as long as she could see the kittens.  Some cats are more protective than others,  so you're just going to have to feel it out.

Answer 6

Whenever she allows you to. Just be sure to wash your hands so you don't get the kittens sick with any human bacteria. I held my cat's kittens as soon as she licked them clean so I could check their gender and make sure they were breathing okay and looking healthy since, during the time, the cat had a tumor that could've affected the newborns. XD;; Congrats to the new kittens! ^ ^

Answer 7

Yes, you can hold them right away, but the younger they are the shorter the time period should be.  Newborns can get cold if they don't have litter mates or their mother to snuggle up to, and people just don't put off as much heat as cats.  Cats have a higher body temperature.  

They could also get stressed out if they're really young and are away from their little family for more than a couple of minutes.  (If you want more contact than that, it's a great time to start petting the little ones.)  Mommy kitty may get upset if you hold them for too long, especially if the kitten is crying or if it's her first litter.