How to determine the age of a kitten?

By appearance

If the kitten is very small, then first look for his umbilical cord. It usually disappears within the first three days of life. If there is an umbilical cord, then you have a newborn kitten in your hands.

Eyes

They open during the first two weeks of a kitten’s life. At first, all kittens have blue-blue eyes. Subsequently, the color of the iris in a kitten usually begins to change. The age of small kittens can be roughly determined by the eyes:

• If they are still closed, then the kitten is no more than a week old;

• If the eyes are open but still narrow, he is 2-3 weeks old;

• If the iris has begun to change color, the kitten is 6-7 weeks old.

Ears

At birth, kittens have closed ear canals. They open on average a week after birth. Also, age can be understood by the size and shape of the ears. Unlike the canals, the auricles straighten out longer – it takes 2-3 weeks.

Baby teeth

Until two weeks old, kittens have no teeth. All milk teeth should appear before eight weeks.

• The first teeth to erupt are the incisors. As a rule, this happens by the third week;

•  Fangs appear at 3–4 weeks;

• Premolars, that is, teeth located after canines, appear in 1-2 months. On the upper jaw, cats should have three premolars on each side, on the lower – two.

At two months, a kitten should have 26 teeth: 12 incisors, 4 canines and 10 premolars.

Permanent teeth

Usually the teeth of kittens begin to change at 2,5-3 months. First, the incisors are updated, then the canines, premolars, and at the end the molars erupt – these are the teeth that are planted farthest and serve to chew food, like the premolars. Completely milk teeth are replaced by molars by seven months. By this time, the kitten already has all 30 molars, including four molars.

of movement

• Two-week-old kittens have a staggering and unsteady gait;
• If the movements are quite confident and the kitten explores everything around with curiosity, then he is about a month old. At the same time, kittens acquire the ability to land on their paws when falling;
• The kitten acquires the ability to run by five weeks.

General view

If the kitten runs and behaves confidently, you can examine the proportions of his body. At 4-6 months, kittens begin puberty. At this age, their body and limbs are stretched, and the kitten becomes more and more like an adult cat.

Puberty

You can try to observe the instincts and behavior of the animal.

• From about four months old, males begin to mark the territory;

• In cats, the first estrus can be at 4-6 months.

The weight

Age by weight can only be determined approximately – this is the least accurate way. It is worth remembering that a lot depends on the breed and gender of the kitten, so the numbers are approximate:

•          Newborns – 70-130 g;

•          1 month – 500-750 g;

•          2 months – 1-1,5 kg;

•          3 months – 1,7-2,3 kg;

•          4 months – 2,5-3,6 kg;

•          5 months – 3,1-4,2 kg;

•          6 months – 3,5-4,8 kg.

If you are not sure how correct the age was, take the kitten to the veterinarian, he will help you find out and give detailed advice on the care that the kitten needs.

10 2017 June

Updated: July 6, 2018