A kitten’s first eight weeks of life are filled with rapid developmental changes. Kittens fit into the palm of your hand, are blind, and have little defense when they are infants. However, by the time they are 8 weeks old, they are playing, running, and resembling tiny cats.
The kitten’s requirements for warmth, food, assistance with using the restroom, and medical attention will vary every week. Understanding a kitten’s age is crucial since it affects both its needs for care and its ability to develop healthily.
What you should know about a kitten’s first eight weeks of life in terms of developmental milestones is provided below.
Newborn Kittens
Average weight: 1.8–5.3 ounces (50–150 grams)
Physical Growth
Cats that are newborns will have their ears folded and their eyes closed. They may have bright pink gums, a nose, and paws, and they won’t have any teeth. They are not yet able to thermoregulate or have a gag reflex.
At four or five days of age, the umbilical chord will be attached and fall off on its own. They won’t be able to retract their claws.
They are unable to hear or sight at this age, therefore their main means of navigating their surroundings is by scent and by looking for warmth and comfort.
The Development of Behavior
A newborn will spend most of the day asleep. Although they are unable to walk or defend themselves, newborn kittens may be able to move around by crawling. When held, a healthy newborn will move and meow.
Standard Temperature
At birth, a kitten’s temperature should be between 95 and 97 degrees Fahrenheit. To keep the kitten stable and comfortable, a mild heat source is essential. At this point, the ideal temperature range for the kitten’s surroundings is 85 to 90 degrees.
Take Care
Kittens should spend their entire life with their mother. Their mother will cook, clean, keep them warm, and assist with using the lavatory.
In the event that the mother is not there, they need to be stimulated to use the restroom, fed every two hours via a bottle and kitten formula, and kept at an appropriate temperature.
Kittens @ One Week
5.3–8.8 ounces (150–250 grams) is the average weight. The kitten should have about doubled its birth weight by the time they are one week old.
Physical Growth
Kittens that are one week old will still have their eyes closed, but they will not have a chord. They will still remain toothless and incapable of retracting their claws. The ears will gradually unfurl and the ear canals will start to open at around 7 days of age.
The eyes will gradually open between 8 and 12 days of age, sometimes in multiple days. Allowing the kitten’s eyes to open at their own pace is crucial since one of them can open faster than the other. Every kitten will have blue eyes at birth, but those eyes will change to an adult colour with age.
The Development of Behavior
Even though they are bigger than newborns, one-week-old kittens will still be largely clumsy and spend much of the day sleeping. They should be able to move by wriggling their limbs, hold their head up, and, if handled, be lively and talkative at this age.
Standard Temperature
Kittens should be 97–98 degrees Fahrenheit at this age. To keep the kitten stable and comfortable, a mild heat source is essential. At this point, the kitten’s surroundings should be maintained at 85 degrees.
Take Care
Kittens under one week old should live full-time with their mother. In the event that their mother is not around, kittens need to be encouraged to use the restroom, fed every two to three hours via a bottle and kitten formula, and kept an appropriate temperature.
Kittens @ Two Weeks
Average weight: 8.8–12.3 ounces (250–350 grams)
Physical Development:
At two weeks old, the kittens’ eyes will be fully opened and baby blue. They will not be able to see objects in the distance, and their ear canals will be open. The kittens’ ears will be small and rounded, resembling a bear cub. Their mouths will still be open, and their claws will not retract.
Behavioral Development:
Two-week-old kittens are starting to show signs of coordination and will be wobbly on their feet and uncoordinated. At this age, they may show some curiosity about the world around them, but they won’t be playing yet will spend the majority of their time sleeping.
Standard Temperature
The ideal temperature for kittens is between 98 and 99 degrees Fahrenheit. To keep the kitten stable and comfortable, a mild heat source is essential. At this point, the kitten’s surroundings should be maintained at about 80 degrees.
Take Care
Kittens under two weeks old should live full-time with their mother. If the mother is not there, they need to be kept at the proper temperature, encouraged to go potty, and fed every three to four hours via a bottle and kitten formula by an experienced carer. Kittens that are two weeks old may start a dewormer.
Kittens @ Three Weeks
12.3–15.9 ounces (350–450 grams) is the average weight.
Physical Growth
Kittens will have blue eyes and little ears that are starting to tip upward, resembling a miniature cat, at three weeks of age. The kitten will gradually get better vision and hearing.
A kitten’s baby teeth will start to erupt at this age. The incisors, which are the small teeth at the front of the mouth, will begin to pierce the gums. Cats will gradually start to pull back their claws.
The Development of Behavior
Kittens will be strolling at this age, investigating their environment, and even starting to investigate the litter box. Even though they can’t yet run or chase after moving items, they might start to show interest in cat toys.
In addition to sleeping a lot, they might start doing some minor self-grooming, during this week; their coordination will be improving rapidly.
Standard Temperature
Kittens that are three weeks old will be between 99 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Though they will be more active and may wander from it when they are not sleeping, they still need a heat source. This time of year, the kitten’s surroundings should be about 75 degrees.
Take Care
Kittens under three weeks old should live full-time with their mother. If their mother is not around, they need to be fed by a trained carer every four to five hours using a bottle and kitten formula. Provide a non-clumping, shallow cat litter box and keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t try to consume the litter.
Kittens @ Four Weeks
15.9 ounces to 1.2 pounds (450–550 grammes) is the average weight.
Physical Growth
Kittens’ eyesight and hearing will be far better by the time they are four weeks old. The kitten’s teeth will keep growing; the long teeth next to the incisors, called the canine teeth, will start to come through the gums. Their claws will be retractable.
The Development of Behavior
Kittens that are four weeks old will be walking, running, and even playing with greater confidence as they gain more coordination and confidence in their exploration. They will be noticeably more receptive due to their enhanced senses, frequently maintaining eye contact with carers and responding to sounds and sights in their surroundings.
Although still lacking, their grooming abilities are growing. They’re going to start using a litter box.
Standard Temperature
Kittens that are four weeks old will be between 99 and 101 degrees Fahrenheit. Provide a heat source even though they’ll probably only use it at night. The kitten should always be in an area that is comfortably warm—never falling below seventy-five degrees.
Take Care
Kittens under four weeks old should live full-time with their mother. This age group of orphans needs to be bottle fed every five hours, including during the night. Kittens four weeks old will generally be using the litter box and can begin to be introduced to toys.
Kittens @ Five Weeks
Average weight: 1.2–1.4 pounds (550–650 grams)
Physical Development
At 5 weeks old, a kitten’s baby teeth will continue to grow and the premolars will begin to emerge. Their eyes will be blue, their ears will be growing and pointed, and their claws will be retractable.
Behavioral Development
At this age, kittens will be running and playing with confidence, developing social skills with humans and other animals, improving their grooming skills, and perfecting the use of the litter box.
Average Temperature
At this age, kittens will be 100–101 degrees F. A heating source is no longer necessary as long as the environment is kept at a comfortable temperature of 70–75 degrees.
Take Care
If they are healthy, five-week-old kittens can start the weaning process. Kittens should have access to their mother’s milk or, in the event that they are orphaned, a bottle, as well as a sufficient supply of “slurry,” or kitten wet food.
Food and water should always be available to weaning animals. During weaning, make sure the kitten is always receiving supplemental feedings and that its body condition and weight are both maintained at a healthy level. Always have a shallow litter box available.
Kittens @ Six Weeks
Weight range: 1.4–1.7 pounds (650–750 grams) on average
Physical Growth
A kitten’s newborn teeth will reach their final stage of early growth at six weeks of age. This is when the molars will erupt. Both vision and hearing will be completely developed, although the eyes will still be blue.
Behavioral Development
Kittens that are six weeks old will be able to confidently interact with their peers, engage in playfighting, leap, and defend themselves. They will be eager to explore and inquisitive about their environment. They’ll be honing their grooming techniques. Kittens that are six weeks old are starting to gain enough coordination to leap off low furniture and land on their feet.
Standard Temperature
At 100–101 degrees Fahrenheit, kittens six weeks old will be. At this age, as long as the surrounding air temperature remains comfortably between 70 and 75 degrees, a heating source is no longer necessary.
Take Care
Though they might not be fully weaned yet, kittens of this age should be fed an abundance of wet food. Always have food, water, and a shallow litter box available. Kittens can receive their first dose of the FVRCP vaccine at six weeks to protect them against viruses (rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, and panleukopenia).
Kittens @ 7 weeks
Weight Average: 1.7-1.9 pounds (750-850 grams)
Physical Development
At 7 weeks, all baby teeth will be present; the colour of the kitten’s eyes will be changing and the adult colour will start to emerge; around 7 weeks, the testicles of male kittens may start to descend
Behavioral Development
At 7 weeks, there will be a spike in energy; sleep will decrease and playtime will increase; at this age, the kittens can run, climb cat trees, and confidently jump off of furniture
Average Temperature
At 100-101 degrees F. At this point, a heating source is no longer necessary as long as the environment is kept at a comfortable 75 degrees.
Take Care
Kittens should eat a lot of wet food, with the option to supplement with dry food. Always have food, water, and a shallow litter box available.
Kittens @ Eight Weeks
Weight range: 1.9–2.1 pounds (850–950 grammes) on average
Physical Growth
Eight weeks of age will see the emergence of all infant teeth. The eyes will fully change to either green, yellow, brown, or blue, depending on the adult colour. The ears will be in the right place.
The Development of Behavior
Kittens that are eight weeks old will be active and self-reliant. Their coordination and agility will be almost perfected.
Standard Temperature
Kittens will be between 100 and 101 degrees Fahrenheit at this age. As long as the surroundings are at a pleasant temperature of 70 to 75 degrees, no heating source is needed.
Take Care
Three or four times a day, kittens should have access to canned and dry food. If they so choose, they can get the majority of their calories from dry food. Always have a shallow litter box and water available.
Kittens may receive a booster shot at this time if it has been two weeks since their initial FVRCP vaccination. You can give the kitten an oral dewormer if it hasn’t already been dewormed. To screen for internal parasites, a faecal test run is a smart idea as well.
If they weigh two pounds and are in good health at this age, they can be microchipped, adopted, and spayed or neutered.
When Does a Cat Reach Adulthood?
After their adult canine teeth, or fang teeth, erupt and they achieve their mature size, which ranges from 8 to 10 pounds, cats are usually deemed completely grown at 9 months of age.
They will still be very energetic at this point and exhibit typical kitten traits like climbing furniture and chasing feet, but their physical development is well on its way to adulthood.
