So, in your house now instead of one fluffy miracle - a lot. Two? Three? Six? Your cat walked around and, being a happy mother, spends his days in a box with his family. And the owner has added trouble and, of course, questions. Those of them who had never before dealt with newborn kittens, of course, least of all thought about how the newborn “babies” look and what they can: when they open their eyes, at what age they begin to hear, etc. Let's figure it out together in what changes occur with babies from birth to independence.
New Born : First Seven Days
A newly born kitten does not see, does not hear, cannot walk. It’s extremely difficult for him to crawl, and he does it very slowly. But what he can do very well is to eat. Yes, yes, this is very important, because in order to grow, develop and gain strength, this is necessary first of all. In the first days, a newborn kitten drinks about 5-10 ml of milk at one meal, while the number of feedings can reach 10-12 times a day.
By the way, feelings such as touch and smell in babies are developed from birth. The temperature of the kittens is lower than that of adult animals, and thermoregulation is imperfect, which is why they really need the warmth of the mother of a cat.
Second week of life
This time is a turning point in the life of the baby. This is the period when kittens open their eyes, but not only. In the same week, the kids begin to hear, and the ear canals also open. Most often this happens on the 9-10th day. When do kittens open their eyes specifically? This usually happens on the 7-12th day. It is noticed that in kitties the eyelids begin to diverge a little earlier than in cats. Experts also argue that shorthair animals begin to see earlier than their counterparts with long hair. There is an interesting point: when the kittens open their eyes depends on the breed of the babies, for example, in cats of the ragdoll breed this can happen only by the 14th day. And the representatives of the breed Devon Rex eyes can open on the 5th day.
Of course, in the first hours and even days when kittens open their eyes, they are still poorly seen. They only distinguish between light and shadow. The eyelids do not diverge immediately, but gradually. It often happens that one eye has already opened completely, and the other is still only half or completely covered. They remain muddy for several days, and blue can be up to one and a half to two months.
Small pets still cannot stand, but they crawl rather quickly along the box.
During this period, the first teeth are cut in kittens (from about the 12th day), they will have a whole set of milk teeth by one and a half to two months.
Third and fourth weeks
When kittens open their eyes, they are surprised to find that the world is much more interesting, bigger and more colorful than the one they knew before. Curiosity is an important quality that allows the baby to learn about the environment. Just at the end of the third - the beginning of the fourth week, the kitten has the opportunity to realize it. He already knows how to stand, swaying on unsteady legs, and soft claws can nevertheless help the baby to maintain balance. Cat kids begin to crawl hard and try to climb out of their box.
They have already established independent defecation and urination. Prior to this, each baby mom cat licked several times a day, massaging the tummy, the only way he could defecate.
From this age, kittens can be fed cottage cheese with an egg, milk, tiny balls of minced meat. However, if the cat has enough milk, the children may refuse to eat.
At the age of one month, a healthy kitten is a cheerful, active, terribly curious creature, poking its small nose everywhere. He has a soft, clean coat. And the bluish eyes of the kitten should be without any discharge. The kid shows a keen interest in food, defecates regularly. He is not shy, not afraid of people, strives to play with other kids, objects, “pestering” a cat, climbing on it.