How to determine the age of a kitten

Bringing a new kitten into your home is always exciting, but one question often comes up: how old is the kitten? Whether you found the little one or adopted them, knowing their age can help you provide the right care, food, and vaccinations. It also helps in understanding their development stages.

A kitten’s age may occasionally be difficult to determine simply by looking at them, particularly if they are very young. But, there are a few straightforward indicators and hints, such as their size, particular actions, and physical characteristics, that can assist you in determining their age.

We’ll take you through the primary methods of figuring out a kitten’s age in this guide, so you can be sure to give them the best start in life.

Why do you need to determine the age of a kitten

Finding out your pet’s age is advised, particularly if it was found on the streets. At the very least, so that it can be treated with medications that are appropriate for it or vaccinated in a timely manner.

It is illegal to transport animals across the nation’s border if they are less than four or five months old. This is despite the fact that a minimum 30-day quarantine period must elapse following required vaccinations against viral infections and rabies.

It is wise to question and investigate if a foreign breeder attempts to sell a baby and claims that it is five months old even though it appears to be three.

In Russia, con artists may also be found selling small-sized, adult animals while posing as purebred kittens. In this situation, tips on figuring out a kitten’s age will be very helpful.

External examination

With very small kittens, age can be easily ascertained using the following criteria:

• Umbilical cord. If it is still present in the form of a dry "tail", then the baby is not even a week old. And if there is a fresh pink mark on the belly, this means that it has recently fallen off. Age of the pet is from one to two weeks.
• Body type. Up to the first month of life, the kitten"s head is disproportionate to the body, it seems disproportionately large. And the ears, on the contrary, are small and pressed to the skull (up to two weeks). Paws are short and weak.
  By two months, the body lengthens, the ears rise and become the right size.
• Eyes. In all newborns, the color of the iris is cloudy and has a blue tint. But at one and a half months it begins to match the color.
• Behavior. Up to a month, the kitten practically does not know how to walk on its own, it only crawls. The muscles of the paws are not yet sufficiently developed.

Other indicators can be used to identify older kittens.

Vibrissae

One of the most crucial instruments for a cat’s spatial orientation. The whiskers of kittens up to two, three, and occasionally four months old are frequently bitten off, appearing to be broken. Usually, the mother does this to restrict the kitten’s range of motion and keep it safe.

Typically, a five-month-old kitten has thick, long whiskers that complement the color of the whisker pads.

The color of whiskers may fade after the age of seven. Most pets have gray whiskers by the time they are nine years old.

Teeth

A kitten’s teeth provide the most accurate estimate of its age.

Every newborn has bare gums; the first milk incisors erupt in the second week of life and become fully visible by the time the baby is four weeks old. Premolars form at six to eight weeks, and fangs at three to four weeks. 26 milk teeth develop prior to the alteration.

Between three and five months of age, kittens start to lose their baby teeth. The premolars are replaced after the first and second incisors have been restored. The teeth molars erupt a little later.

Fangs also erupt at five to six months; permanent teeth erupt, milk teeth disappear. The process of changing teeth usually takes seven to nine months to finish. But, this could be a different age—plus or minus two months—based on the unique traits of the infant.

Men often complete their tooth changes a little sooner than women do.

An adult animal has 30 permanent teeth, which are divided into 10 premolars, 4 molars, 2 upper and 2 lower canines, and 6 upper and lower incisors.

Teeth gradually deteriorate in adult animals, but while veterinarians have some comparative standards, each pet’s experience is unique and depends on their lifestyle.

For instance, incisors should fully ovalize by the time a cat is ten years old, but in certain cases, this can occur as early as age five, according to medical professionals.

It is thought that the animal’s first and second incisors fall out by the time it is 12 years old, and all of them by the time it is 16. However, there are also elderly animals that have managed to keep all of their teeth.

Eyes

All feline species experience changes in eye color throughout their life cycles, according to experts.

Regardless of breed or species, they open in all newborns by the end of two weeks. After two weeks of life, the iris’s bluish tint changes to any shade of green, yellow, copper, amber, or orange. Usually, the entire process takes three to six months to complete.

Animal eyes are typically brightly colored when they are young and eventually become dull.

It should be kept in mind that certain breeds only have blue iris that never changes in color:

• Siamese;
• Neva Masquerade;
• Balinese;
• Polynesian;
• All snow colors of any variety.

Weight and size

The size of the pet’s body will probably help determine its age if it is in good health. However, some people’s growth is sluggish because of their unique physical traits.

A newborn’s normal length, without a tail, is no more than 12 cm. 15 cm at the end of the first month of life, and roughly 20 cm by the third.

It should be mentioned that variations in length of two to three centimeters are acceptable. Males also grow larger and faster than females starting at three months of age.

A female cat measuring 21–23 cm in length is probably four months old, a boy measuring 29–35 cm at the same age, and a cat measuring 25–5 cm in length.

Another way to determine an animal’s age is by its weight. Medium-sized breed newborn kittens can weigh up to 100 g (give or take 30 grams). Babies gain 15–20 g in the first week of life, 80 g in the second, and 100 g in the third.

The kitten weighs 400 g at the end of its first month of life, and its weight increases by 50–100 g every week after that.

The pet’s weight and height start to increase more slowly after six months, and the size change is typically noted on a monthly basis.

An individual typically reaches full growth by the age of one to one and a half, but males can continue to "mature" for up to 2.5 years after that, growing in the shoulders, chest, and muzzle.

Certain breeds of cats, like the Bengal, don’t reach their full size until they are three or four years old.

Estimating a cat"s age by behavior

First and foremost, you should observe the way the mother feeds her kittens if they are discovered on the street with her.

Around six weeks, the mother starts to restrict the babies’ sucking, and by eight or ten weeks, they have completely weaned off the breast. However, the litter frequently stays nasty around her the entire time.

When a kitten is able to feed itself, it is at least seven or eight weeks old. The infant starts to get interested in investigating its surroundings at this age.

Observe the pet’s gait as well. It only sucks, sleeps, and crawls next to its mother and siblings until it tries to walk for the first time at the age of three weeks or so.

The kitten is no older than three weeks if its gait is erratic. Typically, by the time the baby is one month old, they can flip over in midair and land on all four paws.

Usually, by the time the pet is one and a half months old, it is already running pretty fast and playing with great enthusiasm.

The kitten has poor hearing and vision for the first two or three weeks of life. However, it is at least four weeks old if it reacts visibly to sounds and movement in its surroundings.

By the time the pet is two months old, it already has good reflexes, excellent hearing, leaps and runs with confidence, doesn’t fear strangers, and can recall where the furniture and rooms are. Simultaneously, the infant keeps exploring the world with joy, discovering new locations for tricks and games.

Determination of sexual maturity

Waiting for the initial indications of sexual maturity is sufficient when a pet enters a person’s home at an indeterminate age and its age cannot be determined based on factors like size, weight, or teeth.

Females in nearly all breeds reach fertile status by ten to twelve months, and the first estrus can happen between six and eight months of age.

Around the same age, a male cat can sense the onset of rutting, although some cats don’t show any interest in the other sex until they are a year or a year and a half old.

During puberty, cats of both sexes can start actively marking their territory.

Purebred kittens typically reach puberty later than their counterparts from the yard.

However, as the body begins to undergo hormonal changes, a pet’s first indications of approaching maturity can be seen between four and five months of age. This shows up as aggressive and irritable behaviors, such as actively sniffing at an animal of the other sex.

At six months old, males can begin fighting, dividing up territory, and defending their females. As a result, you must exercise extra caution when dealing with these teenagers.

Important indicators such as a kitten’s teeth, eye color, and physical growth can be used to estimate its age. When a kitten is less than two weeks old, their eyes are typically closed; by four weeks, however, they begin to open and become stronger. By six weeks, they start to show baby teeth and become more active. Even if you are unsure of a kitten’s precise birthdate, you can still estimate its age with the aid of these straightforward hints.

Age verification

If the pet was not discovered on the street, you must first ask the seller or the nursery about the animal’s age.

In addition to having a veterinary passport, metrics, or a birth certificate of the litter, the breeder will be able to provide you with the exact date of birth.

The vets and felinologists that work at the shelter typically can fairly accurately estimate the age of the kittens that come in.

You can get in touch with a respectable veterinarian clinic that employs qualified specialists if you want to find out a kitten’s precise age. You can estimate the pet’s age in weeks, months, or years by comparing all of the aforementioned indicators.

Kitten"s Age	Signs to Look For
1 week	Eyes closed, ears folded, can"t walk yet
2 weeks	Eyes start to open, but vision is still blurry
3 weeks	Ears stand up, starts wobbly walking
4 weeks	Exploring, playing, can walk more steadily
6 weeks	Active and playful, eating solid food
8 weeks	Looks more like a mini adult, full of energy
12 weeks	Social skills developing, more independent

Although determining a kitten’s age can be difficult, you can get a decent idea by paying close attention to them. Each clue—from their weight and behavior to their eyes and teeth—helps determine how old they might be.

It’s crucial to keep in mind that each kitten grows at its own rate. Thus, although these indicators provide you with an approximation, they may not be flawless. A veterinarian can always provide you with a more precise response if you’re ever unsure.

It helps to know your kitten’s age so that you can give it the proper care, including feeding and vaccinations. You can better assist them in developing into healthy, content cats the earlier you recognize their needs.

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