Kittens

Guide Note

Playful, curious, and often delightfully silly, kittens are the baby offspring of cats. Kittens are usually near full grown at one year, but they aren't considered mature adult cats until the age of two.

Newborns

Kittens are gestated for approximately nine weeks and are birthed in litters of two to five, although litters of six or more have been known to occur. At birth their eyes are tightly closed and remain so for the first seven to ten days of life. After that, kittens still don't gain the full vision of an adult cat until they are about ten weeks old. Kittens need the comfort of their mother and the companionship of litter mates until they are at least six weeks old and ideally ten to twelve weeks old. Prior to six weeks of age kittens are receiving instructions from their mother on litter box use and playing well with others, and they still need the protection of the antibodies in their mother's milk. Cats taken from their mother too early often develop neurotic behaviors.

Weaning

Weaning usually begins at about three or four weeks of age and continues until six or seven weeks, although kittens will continue to suckle occasionally for another few weeks if their mother is available. Because their teeth aren't fully developed until eight weeks of age, it's best to feed a soft or canned food during the early stages of weaning. Kittens also need more protein than adult cats, so a specially formulated kitten food is important for the first year of life, preferably with a meat source listed first in the ingredients. Kittens are more likely to eat their food if it is slightly warmed.

Bringing Kitten Home

When it's time to introduce a kitten to its new home, be gentle -- leaving family behind for the first time is frightening for any creature. Give the kitten time to adjust to the new surroundings before introducing it to other animals, and keep things as quiet and stress free as possible. Kitten proof the house as you would for a toddler, removing or hiding electrical cords and anything else small enough to be chewed or swallowed. Make sure the kitten is aware of the location of its food and litter right away.

Fast Facts

1. Gestation: Approximately 65 days
2. Litter size: Usually 2-5 kittens
3. Birth Weight: 2-4 ounces
4. Size doubles in the first week
5. Eyes remain closed for 7-10 days
6. Kittens from the same litter may have different fathers
7. Cow's milk is unhealthy for kittens