Kitten Development in the First Six Weeks of Life

 run, pounce, and leap, and can entertain themselves and their human observers endlessly. Just as quickly they can fall asleep at the drop of a hat (growing up is hard work), so take care not to let them tire.

Kittens will follow their mother cat's lead in socializing with humans. If she has a comfortable relationship with the humans in her life, so will her kittens. However, if kittens are not accustomed to human handling by six weeks, it may be a long, slow, process to train them later, and such a cat may never be a "lap cat."

Almost Time to Go Home

Well-socialized and completely weaned kittens may be ready for their new forever homes in just a couple of weeks from now. If you've been waiting for kittens to be old enough to adopt, you'll probably be pretty

 excited by this time.

Patience, though. Remember, "all good things are worth waiting for," and in ideal circumstances, kittens are not ready for adoption until they are between 7 and 9 weeks old.