What Do I Need to Know About Newborn Kittens?

Newborn kittens enter the world entirely dependent on their mothers for care and survival. It is the mother that provides protection, nourishment and warmth for her kittens. If you own or are about to own a newborn kitten, you should familiarize yourself with a kitten's stages of growth and development. The first weeks and months of a kitten's life are formative. The kitten's body and senses develop and its hunting and social skills sharpen.

  1. After Birth

    • A healthy newborn kitten weighs about 3 or 4 ounces. Kittens begin suckling their mother's milk within minutes after they are born. After she gives birth, the mother lies down on her side and lets her kittens drink milk from her nipples. Since newborn kittens cannot see and can barely hear, they must rely on their senses of smell and touch to locate their mother's milk. The milk, or colostrum, that kittens first receive from their mother is important because it contains antibodies that protect the newborns against infection. The stump of the umbilical cord attached to a kitten falls off after a day or two.

    First Two Weeks

    • In the first two weeks of its life, a kitten spends its time nursing and sleeping. After each meal, the mother licks the kitten's genitals to make the kitten defecate and urinate. Since the newborn cannot regulate its own body temperature, it does not move around and stays near its mother for warmth. By its fourth day of life, a kitten begins to purr while it is nursing. A kitten's ears become erect and it can locate where a sound originates from during its second week. Kittens open their eyes when they are around 10 days old, and all kittens are born with blue eyes. A 2-week-old kitten develops its first milk teeth and extends and retracts its claws.

    Three to Six Weeks Old

    • Around 3 weeks old, kittens crawl and soon begin to stand. It is important for people to socialize with kittens at this time to help them become people-friendly pets. From three weeks on, a kitten's vision and listening capacity improve. Kittens use their eyes to visually recognize their siblings and mother. When they are 1 month old, kittens begin learning how to use a litter box, and around 6 weeks old, they play and chase each another and climb and leap. Owners can begin to introduce soft, solid foods to their pets when they are 4 to 6 weeks old.

    Seven to 12 Weeks Old

    • Kittens are fully weaned from their mother's milk about six to eight weeks after birth. A kitten has its permanent eye color around 10 weeks old. Its eyes may change from blue to green, orange or yellow. At 10 weeks old, kittens perfect their coordination, jumping and balancing, and by 12 weeks old, they play less with their siblings and focus more on hunting and capturing prey. Cat breeders typically sell kittens when they are 12 to 16 weeks old. By this time, kittens have matured and breeders have had them fully vaccinated.