Minimum Puppy / Kitten Rehoming Age

[Sunnyflower]

I'm curious as to what the minimum age rescue with rehome a puppy or a kitten?

I saw an ad yesterday for a 5 week old kitten available for adoption, it is from a rescue group and available undesexed. After questioning the ad apparently the adoption fee does include desexing. This kittens litter mate was rehomed earlier in the week just shy of being 5 weeks old. The kitten in the ad was rehomed last night & she stated that the new owner was 'planning' on desexing. It sounds like they were given the option!

This concerns me & I offended a few people because I asked questions & said my piece on the lack of ethics. Kittens have been ripped off Mum, dumped in pound, collected & rehomed all in the space of a week. Isn't rescue about rehabilitation? At 5 weeks a kitten isn't normally even weaned off Mum, shouldn't a rescue be holding the kitten to minimum 10 weeks & only rehome once desexed to try & prevent the cycle of breeding & dumping?

Maybe I am out of line but I personally don't feel I am! Does rescue have a code of ethics they must abide by like the registered breeders?

Edited July 7, 2012 by Sunnyflower

[Cheyd]

Poor kitten, so many changes in such a short time

I wouldn't rehome a kitten or puppy at that age, I might advertise them but they wouldn't leave my care until about 10 weeks for either.

[k9angel]

I'm curious as to what the minimum age rescue with rehome a puppy or a kitten?

Isn't rescue about rehabilitation? At 5 weeks a kitten isn't normally even weaned off Mum, shouldn't a rescue be holding the kitten to minimum 10 weeks & only rehome once desexed to try & prevent the cycle of breeding & dumping?

Maybe I am out of line but I personally don't feel I am! Does rescue have a code of ethics they must abide by like the registered breeders?

No, you're not out of line Sunnyflower. Sadly there are a few cowboy wanna-be rescuers out there.

Rescue should be about rehabilitation too, but for some, it's in one door, out the other.

They barely have time to get to know the animal letalone rehabilitate it.

[Sunnyflower]

Poor kitten, so many changes in such a short time

I wouldn't rehome a kitten or puppy at that age, I might advertise them but they wouldn't leave my care until about 10 weeks for either.

HM I find this fair to advertise once they come into care & even potentially 'adopting' out but not releasing the kitten or puppy until the appropriate age!

I'm curious as to what the minimum age rescue with rehome a puppy or a kitten?

Isn't rescue about rehabilitation? At 5 weeks a kitten isn't normally even weaned off Mum, shouldn't a rescue be holding the kitten to minimum 10 weeks & only rehome once desexed to try & prevent the cycle of breeding & dumping?

Maybe I am out of line but I personally don't feel I am! Does rescue have a code of ethics they must abide by like the registered breeders?

No, you're not out of line Sunnyflower. Sadly there are a few cowboy wanna-be rescuers out there.

Rescue should be about rehabilitation too, but for some, it's in one door, out the other.

They barely have time to get to know the animal letalone rehabilitate it.

K9Angel, I didn't feel I was out of line & I fostered & helped in rescue for 4 years but apparently I was the 'bad guy' by piping up & saying it was wrong!

I would have thought at 4-5 weeks old a Kitten or Puppy would potentially still need milk replacement and I wonder if maybe Mum died from something that could possibly be passed on to the kittens! I just find it so irresponsible and as you say it does sound to be a Cowboy Rescue Group.

Is it something that should be taken up with the rescue or better left alone?

The young foster lady said the reasoning behind rehoming so soon was so it could settle in to it's new home sooner!

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

Parting with an animal undesexed is not ethical rescue at all. Appalling.

[Guest muttrus]

I took on 3 kittens of that age who had been dumped even with my best efforts they all died not at the same time but the vet said they just shouldn"t have left mum.I have heard of some rescues one not that long ago who took all the kittens and left mum --the kittens hadn"t been weaned they decided to bottle feed them thankfully another rescue took the mother after hearing what had happened and yet nothing was said no-one commented on the subject for me I nearly hit the floor I hold most rescues with the up most respect but its this ones who make me think twice I can only imagine that all rescues would be put into the same basket in the publics eye hearing these stories

and thats what makes it hard .

I know some breeders don"t even rehome till 16 weeks .I rarely get any fosters under 16 weeks but I for one would never rehome any animal that young wether its a dog cat rabbit or g/pig

these young babies need mum for so many health reasons but also to learn from.

I also thought legally it was min 8 weeks???

sorry edited to add they were dumped at a vet clinic in a box and they asked as a way of trying to give them a start they weren"t taken nor from a pound

Edited July 7, 2012 by muttrus

[tdierikx]

Isn't it actually illegal to sell or "rehome" a kitten or puppy before 8 weeks of age?

Any member of the public that will happily take home a kitten of 5 weeks of age probably isn't likely to follow through with desexing it - even if it's a free service offered for a deferred timeframe as part of the adoption fee. All money in the pocket for the "rescue" if that happens... *sigh*

Considering that it's currently school holidays in NSW, there are lots of people out there looking for a puppy or kitten to entertain the kids... allowing for this sort of thing to happen if a rescue isn't being picky.

T.

[MavericksMission]

That's horrible!

We do no re-home our kittens until about 10 weeks when they can be safely desexed before going into their homes.

Having fostered kittens of all ages, 5 weeks is not an age I would like to be giving a kitten to someone with no experience.

[Sunnyflower]

I too thought it was illegal to rehome prior to 8 weeks & I didn't think a vet would vac kittens that are 4-5 weeks old? There is no governing body for rescue is there? If there's not then there really needs to be one!

[JaneyA]

That is disgraceful and completely irresponsible! In addition to having to enforce a desexing contract (there are other threads about this), the first vaccination doesn't even get administered until age 6-8 weeks. They also need a couple of doses of wormer before leaving care.

Also, too many kittens from dirty/wormy/flea-ridden birth circumstances (especially those taken away from mum before 8 weeks) die because they have poor immunity from the rough start. Some develop Fading Kitten Syndrome where you get a day or two of gradual decline where you can try to save them, but others just drop dead without warning, like kitten SIDS or something Even well-run cat breeders lose kittens to FKS. I've had to tell a potential adopter who is waiting for a particular kitten to reach 1 kg in weight for desexing that the kitten Faded and the loss is sad enough for an experienced carer -- how much worse would it be for a family with children to have their new best friend die?

[Nic.B]

Isn't it actually illegal to sell or "rehome" a kitten or puppy before 8 weeks of age?

Any member of the public that will happily take home a kitten of 5 weeks of age probably isn't likely to follow through with desexing it - even if it's a free service offered for a deferred timeframe as part of the adoption fee. All money in the pocket for the "rescue" if that happens... *sigh*

Considering that it's currently school holidays in NSW, there are lots of people out there looking for a puppy or kitten to entertain the kids... allowing for this sort of thing to happen if a rescue isn't being picky.

T.

Yes, it's illegal.

Discusting.

[Plan B]

Isn't it actually illegal to sell or "rehome" a kitten or puppy before 8 weeks of age?

I'm not completely sure - I haven't been able to find anything concrete that actually says that. The minimum age of 8 weeks applies to Pet Shops. But what is illegal is selling an animal without microchipping it first, and at five weeks, which vet would chip them? From the Companion Animals Act:

8 Identification required from 12 weeks of age and before sale

(1) A companion animal must be identified as required by the regulations from the time the animal is 12 weeks old.

(2) A companion animal must not be sold unless it has been identified as required by the regulations (even if it is less than 12 weeks old when it is sold).

(3) The owner of an animal is guilty of an offence if it is not identified in accordance with subsection (1).

Maximum penalty:

(a) 8 penalty units except in the case of a dangerous or restricted dog, or

(b) 50 penalty units in the case of a dangerous or restricted dog.

(4) A person who sells an animal in contravention of subsection (2) is guilty of an offence.

Maximum penalty:

(a) 8 penalty units except in the case of a dangerous or restricted dog, or

(b) 50 penalty units in the case of a dangerous or restricted dog.

(5) The regulations may change the age from which a companion animal is required to be identified under subsection (1) from 12 weeks to any other age (either generally for all companion animals or for a particular kind or class of companion animal).

Note: The term “sell” extends to the transfer of ownership by any means, including by gift. This section requires an animal to be identified before it is sold no matter what the age of the animal when it is sold.