Maine Coon Mom 'Scolds' Her Kitten With One Quick Move-And It's Hard to Miss
A Maine Coon mother taught her kitten all about boundaries with one quick and important lesson.
In a TikTok video, the ginger cat mom let her kitten play with her, and it also served as an important lesson in how to engage in playtime. In the clip, the kitten would try to pounce on her mom, but her mom would gently push him away. At one point, the mom even gave a little mini-lesson in wrestling, playfully nudging her baby away to directly communicate when playtime ended.
@wildmane_mainecoons You can see how she starts off gentle, then becomes more direct when he doesn't respond. These kittens are 8 weeks old and this is a prime example of why kittens need to stay with their mom until at least 12 weeks old. At this point, it's less about nursing and more about the behavioral lessons they're picking up from their mom. These boundaries help shape how they will interact with humans and other pets as they go to their new homes #mainecoon#kittens#momcat#catsoftikok#cutekitten
original sound - wildmane_mainecoons
People in the comments loved the playful lesson between mom and kitten, with users noting how "cute" it was to watch. One person noted that Maine Coon moms seem to "Always [use] the back leg, my Maine does the same lol."
"That kitten is going to be a handful for a while," one person wrote, while another said, "I remember when [my Maine Coon babies] were like that! They still are."
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How long do kittens stay with their moms?
So how long should kittens stay with their moms? Some experts at Cats Protection recommend that kittens should not be separated from their mothers until they're around 8 weeks old.
According to the organization, separating kittens from their mothers too early on can lead to behavior issues down the road. "For example, the retention of juvenile behaviors such as kneading or suckling may be seen in cats separated before eight weeks of age," they reported.
In the video, the caption actually suggested that kittens stay with their mothers longer than 8 weeks. For the Maine Coon mom in the video, this was more than just a playtime session for the kitten. The mom taught her a valuable lesson in boundary-setting. The video's caption outlined how the Maine Coon mom effectively taught her baby this lesson.
"You can see how she starts off gentle, then becomes more direct when he doesn't respond," the caption said. These kittens are 8 weeks old, and this is a prime example of why kittens need to stay with their mom until at least 12 weeks old."
"At this point, it's less about nursing and more about the behavioral lessons they're picking up from their mom," the caption continued. "These boundaries help shape how they will interact with humans and other pets as they go to their new homes."
Related: Maine Coon Kitten Trying to Join His Mama's Bath Proves Some Cats Love Water
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This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 12:54 PM.