Yes, kittens do miss their mom. At least in the first days or weeks after the adoption. While we can’t know exactly what a cat feels at all times, experience leads us to believe that they feel sad and lonely for some time after being taken away from their family.
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Do kittens miss their moms?
Having adopted a cat myself, I can say from experience that kittens do miss their moms. Luckily for me, this period only lasted for a few hours, and my cat was making himself at home pretty quickly. For others, however, this dreadful time can last for anywhere between days and weeks. A good friend of mine adopted her cat only 10 weeks after birth, and it definitely wasn’t a smooth ride for the first month.
Why do I mention how old the kitten she adopted was? Because this plays a major role in how the cat responds to a new home and being without their families. Too early, let’s say anything under 12 weeks after birth, and the cat isn’t ready to be taken from his or her safe environment. Too late (I would personally consider more than 16-18 weeks to be too old), and your kitten has grown too attached to their mothers and littermates.
Kittens adopted too early often miss their mothers more
Adopting a kitten too early could lead to a whole bunch of problems. During a cat’s first weeks, it is taught how to behave by its mothers, and this time is invaluable. This is the period a cat is socialized, learning how the world works, and how to behave in it. It is taught how to catch prey, how to act around other cats, and hopefully, how to act around humans. Cutting this important kitten-and-mother time short often leads to a cat that is harder to handle, something that you will probably regret later.
If you are contemplating bringing a kitten home early, I would consider the implications this could have in the future. Even though you will essentially take on the role of your kitten’s new mother, give it time to learn all of the important things only a mother cat can teach it. You won’t be able to raise a kitten all on your own, and still teach it all of the cat things it should learn from its mother. Give it a few extra weeks, your future self (with fewer sleepless nights) will thank you for it!
Tip: Enjoying this article? Also check out the post I wrote on how long cats live on average!
Don’t wait too long either!
Adopting a kitten too late, on the other hand, can be just as problematic. See, a cat grows more attached to its family the longer it spends with it, making the whole adopting process a bit more difficult. When you bring a kitten home at, say week 20, it will most likely take more time for it to get used to being without its mother. Eventually, though, all cats will learn to live in harmony without their family, and I doubt they remember them at all. It is just a question of how long this takes.
While a late adoption won’t bring with it as many problems as an early one, I would still not recommend it. An older kitten will be better socialized and ready to leave its family but will also be more attached to its family members. An old cat probably won’t see you as its mother to the extent that a small one will, and could have problems accepting its new life with you in general. The first months in a kitten’s life are extremely formative, and a cat getting used to a life with its family, just to have it taken away from him/her, might have problems accepting that.
Do old cats miss their mothers?
Of course, this question can be debated. I myself, see absolutely no evidence of older cats missing their mothers or littermates, and I highly doubt they remember them. Sure, cats are intelligent animals, but they do not seem to remember much of their early life. I remember one cat owner who told me an interesting story:
4 years after adopting her kitten, she visited her friend, from who she had originally adopted her cat. The cat-mommy was still alive and well, and she decided to bring her own cat with her. In the car on the way there, she was unsure if this was the right decision, what if her cat would remember her mother, perhaps having trouble leaving her again?
This was not the case, however, as her now 4-year-old cat didn’t seem to remember a thing. She treated her own mother like any other cat in the world. No special greetings, showing signs of a family reunion. The cat acted like nothing special had happened, and actually showed very little interest in her mother. When it was time to leave, there were no heartfelt goodbyes, luckily for my friend, how had feared a painful parting.
Conclusion
If you are worried about your kitten missing its mother: Don’t be. Most likely, your cat will only feel sad about this for a day or two, and they seem to forget their families fast. Instead, focus on giving your new kitten the best home you can provide, and most importantly, love it with all your heart! Also, follow the guidelines on when to adopt, preferably around the 12-week mark. This will make your life a lot simpler.
What are your experiences with pet adoption? Please let me know in the comments below!
Hey, I’m Peter. During the last 25 years, I have owned and raised over 20 pet animals. On this blog, I do my best to share my learnings during this time, to hopefully help others.