How Can I Inform How Previous My Kitten Is?

When you simply obtained a new kitten, you could be questioning how rapidly they age. Understanding the age of your kitten lets you be certain they’re growing appropriately and receiving the care they want at every essential life stage—however it may be simpler mentioned than completed.

This text provides you with a complete understanding of the bodily and behavioral milestones that include every week of a kitten’s life. We may even clarify precisely tips on how to take care of a kitten at every stage: how usually to feed them, weaning, socialization, veterinary care, and extra.

The Significance of Understanding Your Kitten’s Age

Kittens change quickly within the first weeks of their life, as do their wants. When you’ve taken in a brand new kitten, it’s essential to have the ability to age them precisely, so you recognize:

• In the event that they’re growing as they need to be
• What temperature to maintain their atmosphere
• How usually they want feeding and when to wean them on to strong meals
• How and when to begin socialization
• When it’s protected to manage flea and worm merchandise
• When to take them for his or her first vaccinations

Even in case you are elevating a litter your self, and know precisely how outdated your kittens are, understanding kitten milestones helps you give them every thing you want. It’s going to additionally assist you to spot any issues early.

Keep in mind, when you have discovered an deserted kitten, the very first thing it is best to do is take them to a veterinarian for a full well being verify.

Kitten Age Chart

Most new child kittens are born at round 3.5 ounces and may achieve weight at a comparatively predictable price till they’re round 10 weeks outdated. In case your kitten is in good physique situation, this helpful chart will give a tough estimate of their age primarily based on the kitten’s weight and size.

Whereas dimension is an efficient start line when estimating a kitten’s age, there are essential bodily and developmental milestones which are much more correct.

The New child Kitten

New child kittens are born with their eyes closed and their ears folded. Rudak Hanna / Shutterstock

When a kitten is first born their eyes might be closed and their ears folded over. They may nonetheless have an umbilical twine, which can steadily dry up and fall off about three to 5 days after start. They don’t have any enamel but.

Kittens are born unable to see, hear, or stroll. They make sense of their new world by way of heat, scent, and contact. Which means that they’re utterly reliant on their mom (or foster carer) for all their wants. New child kittens have to feed from their mother roughly each two hours. Their mother may even assist them go to the bathroom by licking their perineal space after feeding.

Caring for a New child Kitten

In case your new child kitten is with their mother, you gained’t have to do a lot if they’re heat, fed, and toileted. They’ll’t regulate their physique temperatures but, so it is best to intention to maintain them at round 90 levels F.

Normally, one of the best individual to take care of a new child kitten is their mother. However, if a kitten is separated from their mother, she turns into unwell, or she has rejected them, you would possibly have to step in. Changing into a foster mother is an enormous job! Within the first week, kittens will want bottle-feeding kitten components each two hours. Additionally, you will have to wipe below their tails (the perineum) with a moist material to assist them pee and poo, and ensure they’re clear afterward.

It’s essential to identify any kittens within the litter who aren’t growing usually. Kittens ought to double their start weight within the first week. Weighing every kitten every day is usually a great way to make sure they’re rising as they need to.

One-Week-Previous Kittens

By one week outdated, your kitten ought to have roughly doubled their start weight. Their umbilical twine could have fallen off, however their eyes will in all probability nonetheless be closed. The eyes and ears often start to open this week and needs to be absolutely open by about two weeks outdated. Don’t fear if one eye opens first—that’s utterly regular. They nonetheless gained’t have any enamel displaying but.

At one week outdated your kitten will nonetheless spend most of their day sleeping. You would possibly discover they’re beginning to wiggle round extra in preparation for strolling – and they’ll positively be noisier!

Caring for a One-Week-Previous Kitten

One-week-old kittens have comparable must new child kittens. They might want to feed from their mother (or bottle, in the event that they’re being hand-reared) each 2-3 hours, and need assistance toileting. They nonetheless have to be saved heat, at about 80-90 levels Fahrenheit.

Two-Week-Previous Kittens

All kittens are born with child blue eyes which can change to their grownup eye colour by 8-12 weeks. Natalia Kirsanova / Shutterstock

Quite a bit could have modified as your kitten reaches their third week of life. Whereas they may nonetheless have poor imaginative and prescient, your kitten’s eyes and ears at the moment are absolutely open. All kittens are born with stunning blue eyes, which steadily change to their grownup eye colour by about 8-12 weeks. Your kitten’s enamel gained’t have come by way of but, and their nails will nonetheless be intractable.

From two weeks, kittens turn into far more cellular, and most will even take their first wobbly steps. You would possibly begin to see the start of play, however they may nonetheless spend most of their time sleeping.

Caring for a Two-Week-Previous Kitten

Two-week-old kittens ought to nonetheless be with their mother. They are going to be feeding each 3-4 hours now, however nonetheless want their perineum stimulated to go to the bathroom. Their atmosphere needs to be saved heat.

Kittens’ socialization interval is from about two to seven weeks of age. Cats don’t naturally develop confidence being round folks except they’ve optimistic experiences with them throughout this era. So, from two weeks outdated it is very important steadily start socializing your kitten with folks, noises, and anything they may encounter of their lives as grownup cats.

Three-Week-Previous Kittens

By three weeks, your kitten’s ears might be wanting pointier. Their first enamel might be beginning to come by way of on the entrance of the mouth, referred to as incisors.

Their listening to and imaginative and prescient might be bettering, and they’ll begin to discover their environment extra confidently. Kittens of this age will nonetheless sleep a whole lot of the time, interspersed with intervals of enjoying and exploring. Though they’re changing into quickly extra coordinated, they nonetheless gained’t have the ability to run or chase fairly but.

Caring for a Three-Week-Previous Kitten

At three weeks, feeds may be lowered to each 4-5 hours, and so they might not need assistance toileting anymore. They may nonetheless want a warmth supply to make sure they’re heat when they’re sleeping—roughly 75 levels F.

It is best to give your kitten their first deworming therapy at three weeks outdated, after which each two weeks till they’re sixteen weeks of age. You should use a roundworm-only wormer, as kittens not often undergo from tapeworms except they’ve fleas. However in the event you suspect fleas, select a broad-spectrum dewormer and a kitten-safe flea therapy.

Now your kitten is changing into extra curious, and starting to bathroom by themselves, it’s time to introduce a litter field. Select one with a low opening and non-clumping litter—and be ready for a large number. You may also provide some toys and scratching posts for them to play with. Keep in mind to proceed with mild dealing with and socialization round a wide range of folks.

4-Week-Previous Kittens

At 4 weeks, kittens are beginning to run, play, and discover their environment. Paula Ki / Shutterstock

4-week-old kittens look very like three-week-old kittens, besides that they are going to be shifting round much more confidently, operating and enjoying with their siblings. Their enamel will proceed to develop, with the canines beginning to present. They need to now have the ability to retract their claws.

Caring for a 4-Week-Previous Kitten

At 4 weeks outdated, kittens ought to nonetheless be with their mother full-time, with feeds each 4-5 hours (even in a single day). Nevertheless, now you can start to provide strong meals along with their milk feeds. That is referred to as weaning. The meals needs to be a particular kitten eating regimen, which is both moist meals or kibble soaked to a gruel-like consistency. It’s greatest to make use of a flat dish that they’ll entry simply. Be ready for them to get very messy!

It’s essential to maintain weighing every kitten commonly if you begin weaning to make sure they’re nonetheless gaining weight. When you’ve began weaning, you too can make recent water obtainable. Simply you’ll want to use a flat, shallow dish to forestall drowning.

5-Week-Previous Kittens

There aren’t large bodily variations between 4 and 5 weeks outdated, though you might even see the beginnings of tiny enamel displaying in direction of the again of their mouths. However there are large modifications in your kitten’s habits! By 5 weeks, they are going to be enjoying confidently, operating, chasing, and even pouncing on siblings and toys. They’ll even be getting higher at grooming themselves and utilizing the litter field.

Caring for a 5-Week-Previous Kitten

Though kittens ought to nonetheless be with their mother till 8 weeks outdated, they’re beginning to be extra unbiased by 5 weeks. They now not want a warmth supply the place they sleep if the general atmosphere is above 70 levels F. 5-week-old kittens ought to now be consuming kitten meals however ought to nonetheless be getting supplemental milk from their mother or the bottle roughly each six hours.

In case your kitten had their first deworming therapy at three weeks of age, they are going to be due their subsequent dose this week. Keep in mind to proceed de-worming them each two weeks till they’re sixteen weeks of age.

Keep on gently exposing your kitten to new experiences. This kitten socialization chart from Cats Safety is a good start line for concepts. Simply bear in mind to maintain classes brief and cease in case your kitten appears anxious.

Six-Week-Previous Kittens

By six weeks, kittens are beginning to hone their looking expertise. Milla Rasila / Shutterstock

By six weeks, your kitten’s again enamel (molars) might be displaying, and their entrance enamel could have grown considerably. Their eyes will nonetheless be blue, though you would possibly discover the beginnings of a change to their grownup colour. Your kitten might be enjoying confidently, honing their looking and balancing expertise. They could even have the ability to soar from small heights with out toppling over. Most of them have mastered grooming by now.

In case your kitten is with their mother, you’ll in all probability discover her selecting to spend extra time away from them now, making ready them for independence.

Caring for a Six-Week-Previous Kitten

Kittens transfer to consuming simply strong meals round 6-7 weeks of age, though they might nonetheless need to suckle from their mother for consolation. When you’re hand-rearing, you can begin to scale back bottle-feeds steadily from each six hours to stopping utterly within the subsequent week or two. Preserve weighing them each few days to verify they’re nonetheless gaining weight effectively.

In case your kitten hasn’t but had a go to to the veterinarian, this can be a good time to get them checked over and to expertise the cat provider for the primary time. They need to obtain their first set of kitten vaccinations between 6-8 weeks of age. Your veterinarian will suggest acceptable vaccinations relying in your kitten’s location and threat.

Seven-Week-Previous Kittens

At seven weeks, your kitten might be wanting far more grown up. Their eyes will almost have modified utterly to their grownup colour and all their child enamel could have come by way of. In case your kitten is a boy, their testicles might have descended as effectively – though they are going to be very tiny.

They may confidently be scaling the furnishings and leaping from better heights. Hopefully, they are going to be utilizing the litter field effectively now.

Caring for a Seven-Week-Previous Kitten

Seven-week-old kittens are very unbiased. They now not want milk, getting all their vitamin from strong kitten meals. It’s nonetheless greatest that they stick with their mother, if doable, till eight weeks outdated. However it’s regular for her to come back and go as she pleases.

You may start enjoying video games together with your kitten reminiscent of wiggling toys on a string or instructing them to come back to their title for a deal with. Keep on introducing them to as many new experiences as doable, together with steadily introducing them to different pets, reminiscent of a quiet cat-friendly canine or an grownup cat in a provider.

Eight-Week-Previous Kittens

At eight weeks outdated, your kitten might be a miniature model of their grownup self. Their eyes could have modified utterly to their grownup colour. All their child enamel might be current. These sometimes fall out between 3-4 months and are changed by everlasting enamel by 6 months. In case your kitten is male, it is best to have the ability to really feel their testicles.

Your kitten will almost have the agility and coordination of an grownup cat—and they are going to be stuffed with power!

Caring for an Eight-Week-Previous Kitten

Eight-week-old kittens are prepared to go away their mother and may be handled very like an grownup cat. They are going to be absolutely transitioned to kitten meals, and you may add in dry kibble now in the event you’d prefer to. They need to be fed 3-4 instances a day.

In case your kitten has not but had a well being verify with a veterinarian, it is best to ebook them in now. They need to obtain their first vaccinations by eight weeks outdated and could also be prepared for his or her second if this was given at six weeks. Be certain that they’ve been dewormed utilizing an acceptable product and given flea therapy if there are any indicators of fleas.

As soon as your eight-week-old kitten has been weaned, socialized, vaccinated, and handled towards parasites, they’re able to go on to their new dwelling—or start their life with you as a totally unbiased cat!