Twelve weeks, in our home, week by week.
We are often asked what actually happens between birth and the day a kitten goes home. This is the answer — not a brochure, the actual protocol we run in our Cold Spring, New York cattery.
Whelping room, in our bedroom
Queens deliver in a heated nesting box at the foot of our bed. The first fourteen days are quiet — no visitors, no other pets in the room. We weigh every kitten on a digital gram scale twice a day and chart weights against the ICatCare growth curve.
Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS)
Beginning day three we run a daily ENS protocol — five gentle exercises adapted from the Bio Sensor program — that improves stress resilience and cardiovascular tone. Eyes open around day ten; ear position is first assessed at week three.
Weaning and litter training
Kittens are introduced to Royal Canin Mother & Babycat formula moistened with KMR. Shallow, low-entry litter boxes are placed at the edge of the nesting area. We rotate textures — fleece, sisal, linen — so paws and joints encounter variety early.
Household socialization
Kittens leave the nesting room and meet kitchen sounds, the vacuum, the dishwasher, our two children, and a calm older Whippet. Each kitten is handled for at least twenty minutes a day by someone outside our household — a deliberate exposure I learned from the Karen Pryor curriculum.
First veterinary exam and FVRCP #1
Full pediatric exam at Cold Spring Veterinary Hospital. FVRCP #1, deworming protocol confirmed, FeLV/FIV testing. Any kitten not at expected weight or development stays with us — we do not push placements to a calendar.
FVRCP #2, microchip, and placement
Second vaccination, microchip placement, and a second full exam. Each adopting family receives a printed binder: vet records, four-generation pedigree, TICA paperwork, signed health guarantee, two weeks of current food, a piece of bedding with the litter's scent, and a written feeding & care plan.