Stages of Kitten Development

How to Be a Surrogate Cat Mother – Stages of Kitten Development

Kittens, just like any other babies, grow up so fast. They remain kittens until they are about two years old, but it is the first three months of their lives that are the most critical in their development. Before a kitten is moved into a new home, it is imperative for their health and well being that they first reach the proper stage of development. The problem is: how do you know when a kitten is ready to be given to a new home? The following stages outline the early development in the life of a kitten, from birth to adoption.

Newborn Kittens
Tiny and utterly helpless, newborn kittens are completely dependent on their mother for everything. All they know is comfort, discomfort, and hunger, and they will cry if their needs aren’t being attended to.

Weeks One and Two
Newborn kittens will open their eyes when they are between seven and fourteen days old. All kittens are born with blue eyes, and, even though they are open, they are still mostly blind. They develop the ability to discern identity by smell, and begin to learn self defense by hissing at anyone who is not familiar to them.

Weeks Three and Four
Your kittens’ ears will open and they will develop the ability to hear. They will also begin walking on unsteady legs and exploring their immediate environment. This is also the age when their teeth will start coming in and they can be trained to use a litter box, but always with supervision.

Weeks Five and Six
Now your kittens will become even more entertaining because this is the stage when they learn how to play. They will wrestle and pounce the other kittens, and will begin batting at everything in sight. Care must be taken to ensure that they do not cause damage to your home or to each other. They will also start learning to groom themselves, and can start being weaned off of their mother’s milk and taught to eat soft, wet food from a bowl.

Weeks Seven and Eight
Now is the time to take your kittens to the vet for their first vaccinations. They are becoming very proficient at play, and will be mostly weaned from their mother.

Weeks Nine and Ten
You will want to begin exposing them more frequently to a greater variety of humans to help develop their social skills. They will need lots of play time and attention. Their eyes will settle into their adult color at this time, and they will be ready for the next series of vaccinations.

Week Twelve
This will be the most difficult time of all. Your kittens are weaned, litter box trained, and ready to be moved to their permanent homes. They still have a long way to go, but are old enough to thrive away from their mother.

From information on Himalayan kittens to how to find kittens for free, the author writes articles all about different aspects of cat care.

Author: Tim R Goodman

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_R_Goodman

Information on How To Take Care Of A Kitten and Kittens Hissing.

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