What Can Happen If a Kitten Gets Separated Too Early?

Socialization for a kitten begins with Mama Cat. A kitten learns much of her behavior toward people and other animals based on her mother's responses to them. By playing with her litter mates, a kitten begins her journey in understanding social cues. If this important window of time is missed and she is taken from her mother and litter mates too soon, a timid and fearful personality may result.

By playing with her litter mates, a kitten learns how to play and develop that playful kitten cuteness to its full capacity. She also learns how far to go in playing, such as how hard it's OK to bite. When separation occurs too soon, a kitten will not pick up on these cues. She may even have a bite that breaks the skin, simply because she never learned the difference between playfulness and roughness.

Kittens depend on their mother's milk to grow into strong, healthy cats. Without his mother's milk, a kitten may be at an increased risk of getting sick and being underweight. Lacking sufficient antibodies in his system, he may not develop or grow at a normal rate. Bottle-feeding is always an option for kittens separated from their mother too soon, but kitten formula cannot replace Mama Cat's milk or the antibodies within it that serve as a shield against disease.

A kitten's mother not only nourishes him and helps him properly develop, but she also teaches him how to be a cat. She teaches him the oh-so-important skill of using the litter box. A kitten learns this skill best from his very own mother and separating him too soon makes it more difficult for him to catch on.