It is astonishing how much can occur during a kitten's first year. It's incredible to imagine that a small, mewing newborn that can fit in the palm of your hand will develop into a fully-grown adult cat in just twelve months.
The standard kitten growth chart below illustrates that the most significant and impressive changes take place within the first eight weeks. Have a look at this kitten timeline to understand when to anticipate specific milestones during your kitten's transition to adulthood.
0 – 2 weeks - The Neonatal Phase: Kittens Open Their Eyes and Ears
A newborn kitten have closed eyes and ears and spend their first week blind and deaf. Their eyes open in the second week, but their vision is unclear, and they should be kept away from bright light. The blue eyes kittens are born with may start changing color during their third week, when their ears start to open and perk up, introducing them to a new world full of sound.
Purring usually starts during the third week, and kittens become more vocal as they walk, play, and explore their surroundings. Around this time, they also acquire the ability to locate the sound.
The struggle for dominance and territory starts at this time. Being separated from their mother and siblings at this stage can result in inadequate learning abilities and hostility towards humans and other animals, including cats.
3 – 7 weeks of age - Walking and Using the Litter Box
In the third week, kittens' sense of smell becomes well-developed, and they have good enough vision to locate their mother. Around this time, kittens usually start to take their first unsteady steps.
By the fourth week, a kitten's sense of smell is fully mature, their hearing is well-developed, and they begin to engage with their littermates. They become proficient at walking, and their teeth start to emerge. While initially unsteady and hesitant, they become more self-assured and curious as their balance improves in the fourth week. This is a good time to ensure that your home is kitten-proofed if you haven't already done so.
During the fourth and fifth weeks, kittens develop enough balance to use the litter box without their mother's assistance. This is the best time to introduce them to the litter box. Kittens usually learn proper bathroom habits by observing their mother, so you only need to show them the box. It's important to remember that they are still learning, and accidents may occur occasionally.
By the fifth week, their vision is fully mature. They gain the ability to stand up, run, move their feet precisely, navigate around obstacles, stalk and pounce, and visually track and catch "prey." They also begin to groom themselves and other members of their group.
7- 14 weeks of age - Most Active Play and First Vaccines
Around this time, kittens gain enough confidence in their newfound ability to move around, prompting them to become curious and playful. This is an ideal time to begin socializing with them. Interaction through play and affection, introduction to others and other animals, and exploration of their environment (while closely supervising) expose them to new sights, sounds, and smells that will help them develop into emotionally healthy, well-adjusted adult cats.
Your kitten's initial visit to the veterinarian should also be scheduled during this period. The first set of vaccinations should be administered when the kitten is between six and eight weeks old. They require essential immunizations for distemper, feline viral rhinotracheitis, and feline calicivirus. Your vet will establish a timetable for subsequent shots and boosters and also address any additional vaccinations for specific risks such as chlamydia and feline leukemia. At twelve weeks old, kittens can receive their first rabies vaccination.
Similar to us humans, kittens have two sets of teeth as they grow older. Baby teeth in felines start appearing around the second week, and by eight weeks of age, kittens should have all of their baby teeth. Their adult teeth will begin to emerge by four months of age. By the sixth and seventh weeks, kittens start developing adult sleeping patterns, motor skills, and social interaction.
Here are the different types of play and how they can help your cat:
- Play that involves social interaction and objects help improve physical coordination and social development, and they primarily learn through observing their mother.
- Social play involves behaviors like belly-ups, hugging, ambushing, and licking.
- Object play consists of actions such as tossing, pawing and biting.
- Social/object play encompasses tail chasing, pouncing, and leaping with their littermates.
9 – 12 weeks of age: Weaning and Learning Cat Skills
During the fifth week, kittens can start eating solid food, but they will continue nursing for a few more weeks. It's suggested that mother cats be given kitten food while nursing, as the high protein and fat content can help her recover and stay healthy. By the ninth week, the kittens should have transitioned to solid food and given high-quality kitten food. The amount and frequency of their meals will depend on whether you are feeding them canned or dry food.
Until they are three months old, kittens should be given small amounts of canned food four times a day, which can be reduced to three times a day after three months. At You can switch them to eating twice a day when they are six months old. If you feed your kittens dry food, you can leave a dish out and allow them to eat when they're hungry, but you will need to monitor their weight to ensure they're not eating too much or too little.
Between consuming food and seeking warmth, young kittens are acquiring a crucial skill: behaving like a feline. At this point, they are becoming more aware of and using the hierarchy (dominant and submissive) within the household, which also involves humans. Kittens need to be cared for by their mother or a surrogate cat to learn fundamental skills such as hunting, feline communication, interacting with other cats, and using a litter box.
6 – 18 months - Adolescence: Ready for Adoption and Neutering
Kittens should not be separated from their mother and littermates until they have completed the weaning and socialization process. Kittens continue to learn normal cat behavior from their mother until around their tenth week. Therefore, to give each kitten the best chance of becoming a well-adjusted cat, it is best to wait until at least ten weeks before transferring them to a new home. You can also consider waiting until twelve weeks to provide time for the next important round of vaccinations in the kitten timeline.
Kittens can be spayed or neutered by the age of six months. If the kitten is of sufficient weight to safely undergo general anesthesia, many veterinarians may perform the procedure as early as eight weeks.
One Year: No Longer a Kitten
While a cat is deemed an adult by the age of one, in terms of development, its adolescence usually persists until it reaches around eighteen months. During this phase, a cat may still demonstrate the lively playfulness of a kitten, along with typical "teenage" behavior, which could involve testing limits and rebellious acts such as scratching furniture or marking territory.
Your cat might become less affectionate during this period. Nevertheless, rest assured. Typically, cats begin to mature and calm down after the eighteen-month milestone, and by their second birthday, they will have fully embraced their adult personalities.
Some helpful tips for cat parents
- Cats that are socialized properly are more inclined to have well-socialized offspring. Their mothers' composed or frightened demeanor influences the kittens' reactions to humans. While feeding is crucial, it's equally important to incorporate cuddling, speaking, and playing to develop positive interaction abilities in your kitten.
- Kittens typically stop nursing by the age of six or seven weeks, but they may continue to suckle for comfort as their mother spends less time with them. If kittens are orphaned or weaned too early, they are more prone to displaying inappropriate suckling behaviors later in life. Kittens should remain with their littermates (or other adult cats they can learn from) for at least 12 weeks.
- Kittens separated from their mother and/or littermates at a young age often fail to develop the necessary social skills. This includes learning how to communicate, understanding an appropriate bite, and knowing the limits of play wrestling. Play is crucial for kittens as it helps with their physical coordination, social skills, and understanding of boundaries. Through interactions with their mother and littermates, kittens learn how to behave like cats and also explore the hierarchy within their group.
- Kittens that receive 15 to 40 minutes of human interaction daily during the first seven weeks of their lives develop larger brains. They tend to be more curious and playful and have better learning abilities. Any skills not obtained within the first eight weeks may be difficult to develop later. Even though these early stages are crucial and consistent, a cat's brain remains open to new experiences and learning beyond the kitten stage. Most cats continue to exhibit mentally and physically kitten-like behavior for the first two years.
Managing a kitten's rough play
Aggressive behaviors driven by play are frequently observed in young, energetic cats under the age of two and in cats residing in single-pet households. Cats engage in various behaviors during play, including exploration, investigation, and predatory actions. Playtime allows young cats to hone the skills necessary for survival. Kittens enjoy exploring new areas and investigating any moving objects, and they might swipe at, leap onto, and nip at items resembling prey.
Kittens acquire the ability to control their bite from their mother and littermates. If a kitten is separated from its family too soon, it may engage in rougher play compared to a kitten that has spent more time with its family. Also, if humans use their hands and/or feet to play with a young kitten instead of using toys, the kitten may learn that aggressive play with people is acceptable. In most situations, educating your kitten or young adult cat that aggressive play is inappropriate behavior is possible.
Encourage acceptable behavior
Redirect your kitty's aggressive actions toward appropriate objects, such as toys. Entice your kitty to pounce on a toy by dragging it along the floor, or throw a toy away from your kitty to give her plenty of exercise while chasing it. Some kitties may even retrieve the toy and bring it back to be thrown again!
Another good toy is a soft stuffed toy, about the same size as your kitten, that your kitten can wrestle with. This allows her to grab it with both front feet, bite it, and kick it with her back feet, mimicking how kittens play with each other. Providing this alternative play target is important as kittens often try to play with human feet and hands. Redirect play with a proper toy by rubbing it against your kitten's belly when they play roughly. Just move your hand away as soon as the cat accepts the toy.
Because kittens require ample playtime, aim to schedule three or four consistent times throughout the day to start play sessions with your kitten. This will assist her in realizing that she doesn't always have to be the instigator of play by jumping on you.
Discourage unacceptable behavior
Establish guidelines for how your kitten should behave and ensure that anyone who interacts with your cat follows them consistently.
Use deterrents to prevent your kitten from biting. When the kitten gets too rough, you can fill a spray bottle with water and a small amount of vinegar and use it as a deterrent. You should always have the spray bottle readily available to effectively employ this method. You can keep one in each room or carry one around the house. Keep in mind that deterrents will only be effective if you offer your kitten acceptable alternatives.
Guide the behavior following the use of the aversive. Once you startle your kitten with the aversive, provide it with a toy for wrestling or chasing. This will prompt her to redirect rough play towards a toy rather than a person. It is advised to store a collection of toys in each room for this specific purpose.
When your kitten begins to play too roughly, stop giving it attention. If distraction and redirection strategies are ineffective, the most extreme measure to discourage your cat from rough play is to withhold all attention when they become too rough. Your cat wants to play with you, so it will eventually learn the boundaries if you consistently enforce them.
The most effective method of redirecting their attention is to exit to a different room and shut the door until the cat has quieted down. If you lift the cat and bring it to another room, you're essentially rewarding it by making physical contact. You need to be the one to leave the room.
Remember to give your kitten suitable ways to expend energy by engaging in regular play sessions with appropriate toys. Remember that these approaches won't be particularly efficient unless you provide your kitten with acceptable outlets for her energy through regular play using suitable toys.
What not to do
It's not a good idea to tap, flick, or hit your kitten during rough play because it's likely to have negative consequences. Your kitten may start to fear your hands or might see the flicks as playful gestures and respond by playing even more roughly.
Lifting your kitten to place her in a "timeout" might encourage her behavior since she likely appreciates the physical contact of being lifted. By the time you reach the timeout area and shut the door, she has likely already forgotten why she was put in that situation.
Last Words
Observing a kitten's growth from a tiny newborn to a fully grown cat is truly marvelous. Knowing what to anticipate as your cat grows will empower you to assist it in becoming a healthy and content companion.
