We define a neonatal kitten as one who is unweaned and requires extensive, around-the-clock care, including bottle feeding. Typically, they are under four weeks of age and cannot survive on their own without their mother or a surrogate caregiver. Underage usually means a kitten is less than eight weeks old. In most localities, eight weeks is the minimum age for adoption. While a healthy kitten will weigh approximately two pounds at eight weeks of age, we encourage you to check out our Determining Age information sheet to get a more accurate age estimation. Please note that many localities spay or neuter healthy kittens at eight weeks of age as long as a minimum weight threshold is met.