Kittens undergo remarkable transformations within a brief period of time, starting from the moment of birth. With time, their ears and eyes open, they start investigating their environment, and soon they are taking steps. Knowing these crucial phases enables us to recognize how rapidly kittens develop and grow.
Newborn kittens are blind and deaf during their first few days of life, and they are entirely dependent on their mother for food and warmth. As the weeks go by, their senses become more acute, and they begin to engage with their surroundings, taking little developmental steps each day.
It’s fascinating to follow a kitten’s development week by week. You’ll be able to tell when their eyes open fully, when they begin to react to noises, and when they take their shaky first steps. Every stage is a significant accomplishment, and being prepared will help you better care for them during these priceless formative years.
- Newborn kittens: photos, development in the first 10 days of life
- 2–3 weeks: they hear, see, and begin to walk
- Kitten at 1 month: approximate height, weight, skills
- 2-3 month old baby: development, first vaccinations
- 4–5 months: adolescence
- 6–7 months: puberty
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Newborn kittens: photos, development in the first 10 days of life
Every kitten is born weighing approximately 100 g on their first day of life. You can see their appearance in the picture. Newborns lack independent thermoregulation and have closed eyes. Kittens are nonverbal and unable to walk. Their actions stem from natural instincts. With the aid of a developed smell, the mother is able to sense her presence. Even at a 60-centimeter distance, they locate it.
A newborn’s state, or the neonatal period, lasts for ten days. At this point, kittens’ development is still ongoing. They sleep for the majority of the day and when they do wake up, they search for a mother’s nipple to feed on. Every two hours, kittens need other kittens.
Babies are unable to independently empty their bladders and intestines due to their incomplete development. When the mother licks the cubs, pee and feces are released.
The signs listed in the table can be used to calculate a newborn baby’s age in days:
| Days | Parameters | Description |
| 0–4 | Umbilical cord | The umbilical cord persists for up to 4 days, after. |
| 5–8 | Ears | The ears tightly pressed to the head gradually open, the ability to perceive sounds appears in kittens 5-8 days after birth. It is important that at this time in the room where they are contained, it is relatively quiet, since the kids only learn to respond to sound. |
| 10–14 | Eyes | The eyes of babies remain closed for several days after birth. They open only after 1.5–2 weeks. The color of the iris (blue) at the time of opening may differ from that of an adult animal. |
The antibodies that are introduced into the kittens’ bodies through the cat’s milk shield them from bacteria and viruses thanks to their mother’s immunity. Newborns without a mother have no chance of surviving on their own without outside assistance. They can only get nutrition, bowel and urine movements, and a normal temperature from a person or another cat. At the conclusion of this time, the kittens weigh between 120 and 200 grams.
2–3 weeks: they hear, see, and begin to walk
Cats are still developing and continuing to form their hearing in the second week, but they are not yet able to navigate by sound. The kittens’ eyes open by the end of the second week, but their vision is not immediately clear. The kitten tries to stand up on its paws for the first time at this point, but it is still unable to walk confidently.
The babies see their brothers, sisters and mother for the first time, they learn to communicate, and begin to fight for mother"s milk. When they go to bed, they get closer to each other and their mother. During this period, animals get used to humans. In order for a cat or a cat to grow up tame and affectionate, you need to pick them up every day. At first, communication with a person lasts only a couple of minutes, but gradually the duration of contact increases.
At this developmental stage, the mother cat manages her cubs’ behavior and uses play to teach them the fundamentals of hunting. Under the cat’s guidance, the kittens discover their surroundings and pick up behavioral skills from her.
By three weeks, kittens attempt to stand and walk with the assurance of an adult cat. They gauge the distance accurately. Though they are unable to run quickly due to their weak muscles, kittens frequently trip and fall. At the end of the period, kittens weigh between 300 and 400 g, become highly energetic, play with their siblings a lot, enjoy playing with toys, and have the ability to scratch behind the ear with their back paw. Their first teeth are being cut.
Toilet training is something you can do. You must place the tray somewhere the kids can reach but still be quiet in order to accomplish this. The kitten needs to be moved quickly to the tray if it settles down to make a puddle.
Kitten at 1 month: approximate height, weight, skills
A kitten that is one month old typically weighs 400–500 g. The babies are already moving well, taking care of themselves, and sleeping a lot at this age, but gradually. You have to watch out that nothing dangerous is mistaken for a toy because they are drawn to everything on the floor that they can play with. To help small pets become accustomed to interacting with people, they should be picked up, petted, and played with.
Kittens get milk teeth by the time they are one month old. Water can be offered to them, and the first foods that go well with it are presented. This is a good use for canned meat for baby food or cat food. The first round of preventive treatment against parasites is administered during this time. Anthelmintic medications are administered to kittens based on their age and weight.
2-3 month old baby: development, first vaccinations
The iris color of the eyes becomes permanent by the seventh or eighth week. When an animal is trained to use the litter box, they rarely create puddles in inappropriate locations because they start to search for it on their own. Now is an excellent time to find new owners.
A two-month-old kitten can weigh between 400 and 900 g, depending on the breed. At this point, breast milk stops being a necessary component of a grown baby’s daily diet. The animals already feed themselves, but they sometimes cling to their mother to feel her warmth and care and have a treat. Five meals a day is the ideal amount of food for a pet that is two months old. There should always be water available.
Pets who enjoy being petted start purring around two months of age. Kittens get very active; they can run out of the house and end up on the street, and they can get into the most difficult-to-reach places. Whenever the owner leaves the house, they should exercise extra caution.
Babies receive their first vaccinations at 2.5 months of age. Nonetheless, immunization is administered earlier than eight weeks if there is a chance of an early infection with a dangerous infection.
A kitten that is three months old has a fully formed musculoskeletal system, is aware of its location for its tray and bowl, and willfully runs when called. A cat that is three months old weighs roughly 1.3 kg.
4–5 months: adolescence
The kitten weighs between 1.5 and 2 kg at 4 months old. It is already regarded as a teenager at this age. The cat gets used to all hygiene procedures during this time, and its claws are trimmed for the first time.
Cat food is the best food to feed a growing pet because it has all the nutrients needed for healthy growth. It’s advised to feed animals roughly five times a day. By the conclusion of the fifth month, a three-meal schedule is formed.
The kitten’s appearance changes; its paws grow longer, its tail and muzzle get longer, and its body gets bigger. Given that it sleeps more, plays with toys less, and tries to interact with people, the pet could already be mistaken for an adult cat. The kitten’s milk teeth start to erupt at five months, and permanent teeth start to erupt.
6–7 months: puberty
Cats stop getting new teeth around six or seven months. Permanent incisors grow first, followed by canines. Puberty is a process that is currently underway. Pets can get fidgety and some may start marking their territory. Hormone levels fluctuate during this time, and animals may become aggressive. Pet owners should intervene if their pet tries to bite or scratch them.
At 6–7 months, a kitten weighs 2.4–6 kg. From the outside, animals resemble grown-up cats. They now possess hunting instincts, and they move with grace and fluidity. Young cats go through their first molt during the fall and winter season. Regular brushing is necessary to keep hairballs from forming in an animal’s stomach.
| Age | Development |
| Day 1 | Kittens are born blind and deaf, relying on their mother for warmth and food. |
| Day 7 | They still can"t see or hear, but their sense of smell begins to develop. |
| Day 10-14 | Their eyes begin to open, though vision is blurry. |
| Week 3 | Kittens start to hear and can make wobbly attempts to walk. |
| Week 4 | Walking becomes steadier, and they begin to explore their surroundings. |
| Month 1 | Kittens are fully mobile, starting to play and interact with their littermates. |
It’s fascinating to see a kitten develop. Every stage is a new discovery, starting from their early days when they are entirely dependent on their mother and ending when they open their eyes, begin to hear, and take their first unsteady steps. As they mature, they gain the life skills they’ll need and become more inquisitive and playful.
By the time they are several weeks old, kittens start to confidently explore their surroundings. They begin interacting with their littermates as their hearing and vision get better. Their development depends on these early social experiences, which teach them how to behave and communicate.
Kittens start to become much more independent at about one month old. They start to play with abandon, walk steadily, and eat solid food. Although every kitten grows at its own rate, this stage is crucial for developing their social and physical abilities.
Knowing these developmental phases makes it possible to guarantee that kittens receive the love and care they require throughout each stage of their development. The journey is fulfilling and initiates a lifelong bond between the owner and the kitten.
Kittens grow quickly, and it’s amazing to see how they change after birth. They develop quickly from the moment of birth, acquiring their senses and mobility in a matter of weeks. They are deaf and blind in the early days, but after about 10 days, their eyes open, and by the third week, they can hear and make an effort to walk. Over the course of the weeks, they learn to explore their surroundings and become more animated and playful. With pictures to help explain each step, this post will walk you through the major turning points in a kitten’s development by day, week, and month.
