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Is it normal for 6-week-old kittens to ignore their mom's calls?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Female | unspayed | 1 month and 6 days old

This is a really weird question, so I do apologize. Is it normal for 6 week old kittens not to listen to their mommy? The mommy cat walks around looking for them and meowing often. The kittens never bother to move and just watch her look for them. I always feel bad and show the mommy where they are. When I do she hops on the bed and meows at them but, again, they don't seem to care. Eventually she gives up and goes to sleep somewhere else. That's normal right?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

Veterinarian

Published on June 27th, 2019

Yes, that is normal. Some kittens are more independent than others and they are old enough to begin exploring the world on their terms. Generally the cats will work this out amongst themselves. I do recommend to have the mother spayed in six weeks. Spaying cats prevents many health and behavioral issues. It also helps to control the problem of pet overpopulation. One female cat can have almost 30 kittens in a year. That is a lot of cats! I hope this helps.

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    Answered By Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA

    Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

    Published on

    Yep! At six weeks, the kittens should be in the process of or already weaned. At this point the mom would start moving away from the kittens to encourage their independence. Soon, they will act like friends rather than mom and kittens.

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