Understanding and knowing the different stages of your kitten’s development will help you identify the needs it may have at each point in its young life. The first eight weeks of a cat’s life are full of changes. In fact, a newborn kitten will be very helpless, but in just eight weeks it will be able to play and run and will look like a miniature cat.
If you are going to take care of a newborn kitten, it is important to know the different needs and care it will have. This way you will be able to help it develop to its full potential.
Development of your kitten in four weeks
During the first week of its life, a kitten can weigh from 50 to 150 grams. He will have his eyes closed and will not be able to regulate his temperature. A newborn kitten will sleep most of the day, but will move and meow if handled. It must have a heat source to help keep it warm and at a stable temperature.
In the absence of the mother, the caregiver should feed kitten formula every two hours and encourage the kitten to go to the bathroom.
By the second week of life, you will see your kitten’s development clearly, as it will have doubled its birth weight. It will now weigh between 150 and 250 grams, but will not yet have teeth. It will begin to open its eyes between 8 and 12 days.
He will continue to sleep most of the day and you will need to continue to keep his temperature stable and feed him frequently. This is in case his mother is not present.
By the third week of life, you will be able to see your kitten begin to take steps, although they will still be somewhat wobbly and uncoordinated. He will not yet have teeth and you will have to keep feeding him every three to four hours.
At this time, a deworming agent can be administered, always under the supervision of the veterinarian.
Between the third and fourth week of its life, the kitten will already have its eyes fully open and its ears will begin to point upwards. This is the time when your vision slowly begins to improve. Their first baby teeth will also begin to erupt.
They may also begin to explore their environment, becoming curious about cat toys, although they will not yet be able to run or chase objects.
At this age they will not yet have enough autonomy to feed themselves, but they can begin to show grooming skills.
At one month of age
The development of your one-month-old kitten will be very visible. The kitten will now have much sharper vision and hearing and will already have several baby teeth. He will be able to more confidently explore the outside world and will increasingly improve his ability to clean himself, using the litter box.
At five weeks, a healthy kitten can begin the weaning process. You will be able to provide wet food for kittens, together with the bottle. Must have access to food and water at all times. It is important to ensure that you maintain an appropriate weight.
A seven-week-old kitten will already have all of its baby teeth and will experience a peak of energy. He will run and play, decreasing sleep time. You will have already perfected your ability to use the sandbox. At two months, your kitten should weigh between 850 and 950 grams and will be energetic and independent. They should be fed three or four times a day and have water and access to the litter box at all times. Remember that veterinary control is important to make sure that your kitten’s development is going well.
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