Your Kitten: 1 to 7 Weeks Old
Mental and Physical Development: Before You Got Your Kitten
Kittens go through a number of critical physical changes during their first weeks of life, and for this reason, they should not leave their mother before they are eight weeks old. From a tiny little kitten that is unable to see, hear, or walk, to a bouncing ball of energy and mayhem, a kitten grows at a rapid physical rate between the ages of one to seven weeks old.
By the end of the first week, most kittens have begun to open their eyes, and they've usually doubled in weight. At the end of two weeks, a kitten's eyes are fully open, the ears begin to open, and the wobbly kitten starts to experiment with crawling. Week three is when the kitten starts to stand, walk, and eat solid food, and this is also when the kitten's teeth begin to erupt. Between weeks three and seven, kittens continue to grow, learn how to jump and play, and become fully weaned.
Health and Veterinary Care: Nursing and Weaning
It is important to give kittens the time they need in order to become properly weaned. For at least the first five weeks of life, kittens need the balanced nutrition in their mother's milk. Between the ages of one and seven weeks old, kittens will progress naturally through the nursing and weaning process. By the end of the seventh week of age, kittens are usually fully weaned.
When kittens are born, they usually nurse every few hours -- and when they are not nursing, they're sleeping. Some kittens may nurse more than others, and kittens within a litter may nurse at different times. Kittens will continually nurse until they are approximately three weeks of age; at this time, their teeth begin to erupt, and they are ready to begin eating small amounts of moist kitten food. At first, kittens should be offered soft kitten food, or dry kitten food that has been soaked in water. Food should be placed in a shallow pan for easier access. Once the kittens notice their mother eating the food, they will try to eat it, too.
While kittens will begin to eat food at three weeks of age, they are usually not completely weaned until they are at least seven weeks old. During these weeks, kittens will begin to eat more solid food and gradually reduce the amount of time they spend nursing. The mother assists with the weaning process as well, as she reduces the time the kittens nurse due to their growing teeth and increasingly rowdy behavior.
Training: Socialization Within a Litter
When kittens are first born, they cannot see or hear -- but they have an exceptionally strong sense of touch and smell. These first two senses help kittens to begin the socialization process, as they learn how to recognize the touch and smell of their mother, of their siblings and even of people at this very young age.
As the kittens continue to grow into playful balls of fluff, their understanding of socialization grows as well. The kittens' mother teaches them the boundaries of proper behavior by correcting them with growls, hisses or even a bop on the head.
Siblings that play with one another learn boundaries as well; overzealous play can often lead to hisses and light bites. Once a few lessons on proper behavior are learned, kittens continue their socialization through grooming, recognizing voices, and learning how to interact and play with people.
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Comments (16)
erin September 17, 2009 11:25 PM
i have a new kitten and i didnt kn0w wwhat t0 d0 untill i learned al0t m0re than i did back then
Sunny!!!!!!!!!!!!!! November 2, 2009 11:58 AM
I have 1 pet cat who is realy fat and trying to make it lose waight hahaha
shay November 10, 2009 3:45 PM
I love the cat pictures.
jessica November 25, 2009 7:55 PM
I love cats I'm getting mine tomorrow!!!!!!
marissa November 25, 2009 8:42 PM
i love my cat to he is so amazing
yazmin November 25, 2009 10:43 PM
my kitten is only 6 weeks and is sooooooo active wat will do with him!!!?????
dana November 26, 2009 1:42 PM
hi there i have a new 7 week old kitten and she crys so much ...i play cuddle and do all kinds of things with her but she hides alot...and i dont know what to do to get her used to me
hunter November 26, 2009 8:01 PM
ahhh way does she cry all the time ???????? well my cat is 3wks old and she crys too what should i do ?????????/
HELP
HU NTER November 26, 2009 8:03 PM
I DONT GET ANY SLEEP AT ALL WITH HER CRYING BECAUSE SHE SLEEPS IN MY ROOM I WOULD WAKE UP AT 2IN THE MORING AND I WOULD FEED HER AND THEN IF THAT DOES NOT WORK THEN I WOULD TAKE HER TO GO TO THE BATHROOM AND IF THAT DOES NOT WORK THEN I AM UP THE CREEK WITH NO PADDLE
0123bunneys November 26, 2009 10:34 PM
I LOVE CATS esaisally kittens
kaila November 26, 2009 11:59 PM
i have two new 5 week old kittens. They are too cute, but they keep going to the bathroom where they shouldnt. How long is it gonna take them to use the litter box!? .... also, i noticed that when one does go to the bathroom, he has blood in his poop.. what does that mean?
Tammy November 27, 2009 10:52 AM
I have 4 5 week old kittens there mother died and i have been trying to hand raise them...they are peaing but none of them have been pooping at all in the box please someone help me so i can help them
tammy November 27, 2009 1:41 PM
take a luke warm wash cloth and wipe them. it makes it feel like the mothers tongue.
katie November 29, 2009 5:08 PM
i love my cat she is a Tabby cat her name is Angel Elizabeth rose Lorrain she is now 9 weeks old she is doing good :)
loula genietons November 29, 2009 6:36 PM
i Love kittens they are so cute cuddly and make you feel warm and fuzzy lol sell me one please i mean one than more about 50 my friends call me crazy cat lady
Adreanna November 30, 2009 2:42 AM
I love cats and other animals,my mom wont get me another cat because she says they stink but they dont stink that bad. I also cant get a cat because my cat ran away 3 mounths ago and i still miss him.
Andrea December 31, 2009 5:56 PM
FlagPut the litter box near the cats bed and try putting them in it after they wake up, before they play and after eating and after playing. This should help. When they cry put a stuff beanie baby or stuff animal and blanket or a warm water bottle near them to snuggle at night.
ReplyLinda February 8, 2010 5:21 AM
FlagRecently, I had to put my oldest cat to sleep, Sasha was 18 years old, my husband & and I got her after we were married a year. She was a stray cat and she was so loving to everyone. I was so sad, then this pregnant stray entered our lives (thanks to hubby not being able to resist letting her into the house)and she had her litter in my closet (a placed a box with old towels in it). She had 3 kittens-1 boy and 2 girls, Ginger tabbies. They are so adorable. They are 2 weeks and 5 days old now and I am always taking photos and posting it on my facebook. We've named them: Emmett, Dutchess & Sasha II. She is the smallest and we have grown very attached to her and she seems to recognize my voice because she starts meowing. I love cats, always have.
ReplyLinda February 8, 2010 5:32 AM
FlagI forgot to mention that we have 3 male cats: Blackie(11yrs), Kiwi(13yrs)and Jasper(9 months). I don't know how old the mama cat is, she is small so I figured 4 or 5 years old, she is also Jasper's mama so he has been helping out like an older brother. The kittens snuggle with him in the box, I replaced the towels with a soft robe and they seem to enjoy that more. The first week, they kept waking me up at night with their crying but now, if they are not feeding, they are sleeping, so it isn't so bad.
ReplyDonna February 18, 2010 2:33 PM
FlagI rescued a feral kitten aged 3 weeks (at most). WOW! So different from domestic kittens. Spitfire was NEVER really helpless (apart from needing to be taught how to eat and having her bottom wiped to help her poop), she has always had excellent coordination and although she looks like a Siamese, or even birman, she is STILL a nasty little girl. Bite a nd claw first, ask questions later. Yet I just love her to bits! She's five months old now and hates toys, sleeps on a soft toy dog (it was all I had that was super soft when I first got her) and will play with balls of paper for hours; even carrying them through the house. Spitfires HATES to be caught snuggling her dog and I have only ever heard her purr once.
ReplySpitfire always uses her litter tray, loves having a routine, comes when called, but will only tolerate being held for a few seconds before the claws come out.
lisa peabody March 1, 2010 11:47 AM
Flagi want to contact as many sites as i ca i live in sarasota florda and took my gracy to mimisrescue.org to have them do the birthing of gracy as blood and maybe a dead kitten is not something i can stand. any way after two days i caled and found out that they had been born but she was not giving my family back to me. shelter or not i signed no papers and had no conversations for her to keep and sell my gracy and babies. i advise anyone do not trust any thing this woman emily has to say. i have turned her into the bbb and there was another complaint there in he last 12 months. i am sick inside that i felt i was trusting people who would know what to do if gracy hand any problems the last thing that i thought was that she woudl steal my clan. Lisa.peabody@verizon.net
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