Usually the owner, buying a kitten, knows exactly how many weeks the future pet. After all, the breeder will try to give complete information for his maintenance and care for him. In other cases, to find out how to determine the age of a kitten, you need to use proven tips.
Why is it important to know the age of a kitten?
The full development of a small kitten is possible if the pet is not just loved and protected. It is required to properly feed and treat, if there is such a need.
Sometimes new owners ask: why do I need to know the age of the pet? The fact is that at a certain stage of development, the baby should receive appropriate nutrition. A correctly set age is important for vaccination or treatment for a kitten.
The owner will be able to understand the feline nature, behavior, if he knows about the development of the psyche of the kitten at the next stage of growing up. And contact and friendship with a pet will depend on such an understanding. How to determine the age of a kitten at home?
Self-determination of your pet's age
Do not be afraid of the task facing the owner. In reality, determining the age of the animal is not at all difficult. Each owner of fluffy is quite capable of doing this himself.
There are several signs that will show how to determine the age of a kitten:
- whether eyes are open;
- have the ears straightened out;
- its size, weight;
- overall appearance;
- number of teeth, at what stage of growth they are, their condition;
- age-related behavior of the baby.
A simple close inspection will already provide enough information about the pet. From it you can easily understand how mature the kitten is.
Visual inspection
The most uncomplicated way to determine the age of a kitten is through a detailed visual inspection. Of course, the age will be approximate, because the development of a particular baby depends on several factors. But the older the animal, the more accurately you can determine at a glance its age. With an external examination, it’s worth starting:
- The very first thing you need to inspect the kitten’s tummy. Perhaps the umbilical cord appears on it, then this baby is a newborn. He is no more than three days old. Just during this period, the umbilical cord heals and gradually dries, after which it drops off completely painlessly.
- Eyes that have not erupted speak of a recent birth. The first ten days the kittens do not see. After seven days, the very edges open. Therefore, if the eyes are tightly closed, we can say for sure - the baby is no more than a week old. The kitten will begin to see completely at the end of the second week. Eye color speaks of young age. All kittens are blue-eyed at first. But after a month and a half, the color will begin to change.
- It is necessary to pay attention to the ears of the animal. The first six to eight days of life, the ear canals are not open. They open gradually. The ears are semicircular and fit snugly to the head. They straighten out about twenty days. The kitten's fully straightened, triangular ears are three weeks old.
- Size also helps determine the age of the kitten. From the photo you can try to independently guess when the baby was born. A recently born kitten has a height of about 12 cm (tail not to be considered). About a month, the body of the animal is about 15 cm. Two-month-old animals grow to 18 cm. After another month, the kitten grows to 20 cm. The five-month-old animal reaches 25 cm. Small cats after a couple of weeks have more cats about 3-5 cm larger.
- Veterinarians know how to determine the age of a kitten by the teeth. Toothless kittens up to fifteen days. After three to four weeks, the first fangs erupt. At four months, the kitten already has all the baby teeth. After six months, dairy change to indigenous, which are stronger and much larger. If the baby's teeth have changed, then he is at least seven months old.
Live weight
An additional sign that is taken into account during a visual inspection is the weight of the pet. How to determine the age of the kitten by weight:
- a healthy kitten, living no more than a week, weighs about 150 g;
- in three weeks, the weight reaches 250 g;
- further gains are accelerated, in two months the weight can reach 900 g;
- starting from three months, a monthly weight gain of at least 500 g is considered the norm.
Thus, an adult cat gains up to four and a half kilograms, and a cat - about four.
In about a year and a half, the big monthly gain ends. Determine the age of the kitten by weight will turn out only approximately. It must be remembered that weight gain occurs at a pace that depends on the breed, as well as the gender of the kitten.
Example Scottish kittens
The normal weight of a teenage kitten of six months is about three kilograms. The optimal weight allowed for an adult cat is six and a half kilograms. Usually an adult cat weighs four and a half kilograms. If the weight is more - this means that the pet is overfeeding. Scottish cats must not be allowed to overeat. This is very harmful to the health of the pet.
From four months a Scottish kitten overtakes peers from other breeds by weight. Already at seven months, cats turn into five-kilogram animals. And at nine months, even cats gain more than four kilograms in weight.
Animals can constantly ask for food, but a frivolous indulgence of an irrepressible appetite is dangerous to their health.
Weight Chart
Using the table, you can determine the age of the Scottish kitten in different months.
Age | Kitty weight | Cat Weight |
1 month | 300-600 g | 450-700 g |
2 months | 450-800 g | 0.85-1.6 kg |
3 months | 1.2-1.6 kg | 1.3-2.4 kg |
4 months | 1.7-2.3 kg | 2-3.7 kg |
5 months | 2.2-3.1 kg | 2.4-4.2 kg |
6 months | 2.4-3.6 kg | 3-5.6 kg |
8 months | 2.9-4.3 kg | 3.5-6 kg |
10 months | 3.1-4.6 kg | 4.2-7.1 kg |
12 months | 3.2-5.4 kg | 4.6-7.4 kg |
24 months | 3.4-5.7 kg | 5.4-8.1 kg |
The table shows the monthly change in weight of Scottish kittens. A two-month-old kitten weighs about a kilogram!
Now they have a wonderful appetite. Kids grow up, so they eat everything that they are offered.
Features of behavior will tell age
How to determine the age of a kitten using its behavioral characteristics? You need to carefully look:
- If the kitten is with the cat, he is enough to feed her milk for a month and a half. The cat herself will wean him from such feeding. This happens when the baby is almost seven weeks old. Therefore, the kitten begins to actively learn about the world, to try new food, and these are the basic conditions for the qualitative development of the animal.
- The approximate birth time of the baby can be assumed by the way he reacts to touch, light, noise. Up to three weeks, he almost does not respond to extraneous stimuli.
- When a kitten is a month old, he may show interest, perhaps fear, when he is stroked, responds to noise, he wants to play with a cat and kittens.
- When a kitten moves with pleasure, runs a lot, plays willingly, it can be assumed that the pussies are about six weeks old.
- At two months, the baby already has good coordination. He is interested in studying everything that he sees around him.
Determining the age of a kitten is very important. Knowing how old the baby is, the owner will be able to accurately select food for him, ensure proper maintenance and care. If necessary, you can always visit a veterinarian. He will help to find out the age of the pet and recommend appropriate care for him.