I can only speak of my experiences...when kits are about 4 weeks old they will follow mom to the dish and munch on kibble, as well as drink water from a dish, but that does not mean they are anywhere near being weaned. mom will wean them on her own schedule, and usually will nurse them off and on for at least 11 weeks, sometimes longer. The emotional stability that kits get from staying with their mother is underestimated, in my opinion...they need their moms, and even though a kit in a pet store is capable of eating dry or moistened kibble, they should not be there. There are tons of studies citing the benefits to their immune system and overall health, so I won't go into that, because I think we all agree, the longer with mom the better. I just had to say that eating kibble is in no way an indicator of the proper age to be in a pet store. Donna [Posted in FML 6026]