It's goodbye to our Kitten Academy graduates Apple and Apricot following a successful kitten socialisation behavioural programme!

Catch up on our Kitten Academy series to see how much Apple and Apricot have grown.

Kittens Apple and Apricot are now seven weeks old and ready to graduate from the kitten socialisation programme.

It’s amazing to see how far they have come, from sleepy little bundles of fur to fuzzy cats full of character and energy. Apple is still the bigger, more confident kitten, but Apricot is gradually catching up with her sister as she’s now much more playful and able to get her fair share of time with the toys.

Apple at three weeks (left) and seven weeks (right)

The plastic straw is still their favourite plaything. Apple loves to hide underneath the ramp in the pen and then suddenly jump out to pounce on the straw (as you can see in the first video below) – giving you a bit of a shock if you don’t know she’s under there! Apricot likes to chase the straw around, getting lots of exercise as she follows it up and down the ramp again and again (watch her demonstrate in the second video below).

Apricot at three weeks (left) and seven weeks (right)

All of the new experiences the kittens have encountered over the past five weeks have really helped them to grow in confidence, as they are no longer fazed when a human approaches their pen. They still need a bit of encouragement to come forward for a fuss, but rattling a ball or dragging a straw along the floor usually does the trick.

After listening to the radio and a CD of household sounds, they’re also not bothered by a bit of background noise, and don’t even seem to notice when some of their kitten neighbours make a noise in the pens next door. They also happily bound around on a variety of different floor surfaces and are used to a range of different food flavours and litter types, hopefully meaning they won’t be too fussy in their forever home.

Once they turn eight weeks old, Apple and Apricot will go to the vets for a check-up and the handling they’ve had should mean that they won’t be too stressed when being examined, vaccinated and microchipped. They will then have a very important operation – neutering! This will protect them from a number of diseases and means they won’t have to go through the ordeal of having kittens themselves. Mum Annie will also be neutered, so she doesn’t have to worry about having another litter, and then all three will be ready for adoption.

Saying goodbye is always emotional for our kitten socialisers, but seeing all that hard work pay off and knowing they have set the kittens up for a happy future in their forever homes is a wonderful feeling. Plus, it won’t be long before another litter arrives and enrols in Kitten Academy – the work never stops!

That’s all for our Kitten Academy series, but we will update you when Apple, Apricot and Annie finally find their forever homes!

If you would like to volunteer for Cats Protection, you can find the opportunities available in your area here.

For more information about caring for kittens, visit the Cats Protection website.