HomeWhat's NewBefore You BreedCat BreedsQueen's StuffKitten MattersCats In The WombStud HouseCattery DesignBreeding SystemCat FoodHealth IssuesCat ShowsContact MeFun Cat FactsAsk a VetTell your storyKitten Development from Birth to Eight WeeksAn awareness of thestagesof kitten development greatly helps the appreciation for the growth ofkittensand how much changes for them in the first two months of life. Kittenshave developmentstages that breeders need to keepin mind to make their kittens the best they can be. Thisisalsowhere we can greatly influence a kitten’s long term life by teachingthingsearly on! Breeding kittens is more than just having the queen givebirth – itis doing whatever is needed to bring the kittens to the best they canbe. Thequeen will naturally take charge of feeding and caringfor her brood but we humans can also play a part. Handling the kittensfromearly on can make a difference in their bonding with people.Somestudies showthat they are actually kittens until two years at which time they arefullymature.NewbornNewborn kittens arehelpless. They cannot see or hear, andrely solely on smell to find their mother and food. They can’t regulatetheirtemperature so need warmth from the mother as well as her help evenwithelimination. Kittens can hiss and even spit at just a week old andoften dountil they learn human hands are friendly! A good mother willprotectherkittens and take care of them with little interference from humans. Itisimportant that all of the kittens get a couple of good feedings in thefirst 24hours to insure they get colostrums. This helps their immunity fromeven thistiny age. They will nurse oftenaround the clock and the queen should be allowed to focus on her litter.Kitten Development at FirstWeek Kittens are born at 2-4ounces in size and in the first weekdouble in weight. At about a week old their eyes will open, with somebreedersreporting long haired kittens can take longer, as much as two weeksuntilopening. The eyes will be blue at first but can change as the eyesdevelop. Theears typically start close to the head and they have very limitedmovement. Theirvision is blurry at first and is helped by a lack of bright lights. Kitten Development at Second WeekAt 2 weeks the ears standup and they begin taking stepsthat at first are more crawling than walking. At the end of the secondweekmost kittens will be able to hear and see, although vision might be alittleblurry as their eyes adjust and take in the world around them. Someindicationsare it’s not until about two months before their sight is developed.Many knowhow to hiss even before they can see. Kitten Development at Third WeekAt three weeks they learnto stand and move better. Thekittens try to walk more and sometimes explore a little further fromthe queen.They can be clumsy at first as they try to figure out how to make allthe partsmove! Kittens at this age also learn to purr and the baby teeth comein. Theycan be introduced to the litter box if observed to make sure they don’tingest thelitter. They begin to see betterand sometimes are unsteady but curiousaboutthe world around them. Theylearn topurr and their teeth coming in can mean a less than enthusiastic queento nursethem. Getting them started on food and water in shallow dishes and letthemlearn to navigate eating solid food and lapping water. Their hearing isdeveloping although loud noises may startle them. Kitten Development at Fourth WeekAround four weeks thekitten often has a short tail, shortbody and bigger head as they grow into their body in spurts. They’llbeginplaying with each other as their teeth are more developed. They’ll benavigating small obstacles and gaining rapidly in size. Often they havedoubledin size in this first month of growth as well as developing eyes,muscle, andcoordination and learning the things they will be exposed to in ourworld. Thiscan take some time to learn to navigate with their quickly growingbodies! Theybegin to explore even though they aren’t yet very coordinated at amonth old. Manykittens begin grooming themselves at this time. Their tails get longerand moreflexible. Many kittens learn to usethe litterbox between 4-7 weeks ofage. Here is also where socialization takes big bounds. The kittenswillautomatically take cues from the queen as well as their own experiencesto thispoint. Breeds that will takegrooming as adults should be gentlyintroduced toit including baths if it’s a show kitten. Pet kittens also need timeandattention to learn the proper ways to act for pet homes. Without thistime theymay never be as affectionate as they would be otherwise. Kitten Development at Fifth WeekThe queen can often beginweaning at five weeks so this is agood time to begin offering softened food to the kittens, allowing themtonavigate foods out of a shallow dish. Their initial attempts will beawkwardand messy! They begin stalking and chasing “prey” which may be a toy orasibling. Kitten Development at Sixth WeekSix weeks is a time forincreasing coordination with toysincluding balls that they can bat and chase around. They learn throughthequeen to use scratching posts and begin to pattern themselves morefully afterher habits demonstrated on a daily basis. They play hard and sleephard! At Seventh to Eighth WeekAt seven and eight weeksdaily routines can be establishedas well as the fun part of raising kittens – playing with them,cuddling andsocializing with them. This is where they learn to chase toys and climbas wellas what they can and cannot do in the home. They grow incredibly fastand it’s always amazing toconsider how much growth there is in the first eight weeks as well asfromthere to adult hood. Return From KittenDevelopment To KittensMattersReturnTo Homepage © breeding-cats.com. All Rights Reserved. The materials in this website are for educational purpose only, not to replace any vet advice.View our Disclaimer and Privacy Policy here.
