Kitten Care Features: When Do Kittens Open Their Eyes?

Nowadays, a cat in the house is the most common pet. She is kept not so much as a mouse catcher, but so much in order to get a pet, friend and even a new family member. And, of course, the care of the new family member lies entirely with you. When do kittens open their eyes? This is the most common cat care question, which we’ll cover below.

When these tiny creatures are born, they need your protection and there are often a lot of questions, from diet to caring for them. For the first 20 days, their mother takes care of the crumbs. In doing so, remember the following:

• since the body temperature of a kitten is lower than that of an adult cat (35, not 37,5), the kids try to warm up next to their mother;
• 6 days after birth, the kitten develops a trembling reflex, which allows you to maintain a constant body temperature;
• in the period of 2-4 weeks of age, the body temperature of the crumbs fluctuates around 36-37 degrees Celsius;
• after 4 weeks of age, the body temperature of the baby is the same as that of an adult cat.

The only thing you should do is keep the “cat’s nest” clean – it can be a separate box or a cage that needs to be laid out. If the cat feels that this place is unclean or unsafe, then she herself can transfer her child to a cleaner place that you do not like. So keeping this place clean is very important. After all newborn baby is very sensitive to the environment and can pick up some infectious disease.

Cats that were born have closed eyes and ear canals, but they have an excellent sense of smell and touch. So when do kittens open their eyes? The eyes open approximately from the 10th day after birth, and the auditory organs are restored at about 2 weeks of age. But it should also be remembered that the exact time when the eyes open depends on the breed.

Short-haired pets develop faster than long-haired ones. So, Persian cats open their eyes 12-18 days after birth, and Siamese breeds and sphinxes already 2-3 days of life. Eyes open gradually. Kittens up to 3 weeks of age do not yet distinguish between silhouettes, but are fully responsive to light. And at this time it is better to keep the kitten in the dark so as not to damage the pupils of the eyes.

Kitten Eye Care

Newborn babies always have wet eyes. This can cause various infectious diseases. The baby has a very weak immune system and therefore it is necessary to observe the hygiene of the baby. Can regularly clean the eyes with a cotton swabdipped in tea infusion, but there are also special veterinary drops for caring for the eyes of a newborn kitten. Such drops are more effective in the fight against various eye diseases and can help the baby at the most crucial moment in life.

Starting from 14-15 days of age, kittens begin to move, while stimulating body temperature and metabolism. For a kitten:

• eyes open;
• auditory canals open;
• milk teeth begin to erupt.

Starting from the 4th month, the milk incisors are replaced by permanent ones.

Starting from the age of 5 weeks, the kitten can be accustomed to normal food. You can start with cat food, give in portions, crushing. Starting from the 6th week, the kitten needs less mother’s milk. So you can cut down on milk consumption. Already from 8 weeks of age the baby has a certain diet and does not require milk. You need to choose a special diet for feeding kittens. Dry food can also be included in the diet, but it should be given after moistening with water.

Kitten development

The development of each fluffy lump individually. We can see that some of them are more active and mobile, while some are very lazy and passive in their actions. Of course, each crumb has its own character. No need to worry about it. The eyes, as usually happens, are opened by the first kittens that appear, then, with a delay of a couple of hours to several days, the eyes of the rest open. Do not worry if the eyes do not open even after 2 weeks of age. You just need to make sure that mucus does not form under the eyelids, and when you see it, you need to wipe your eyes with a cotton swab dipped in tea.

Kittens are weighed at birth and until they reach the age of one month every week. Usually kittens at birth weigh 90-110 g and put on weight every week 50-100 g until reaching six months of age.

Acceleration of development

From 2 weeks of age, the crumbs begin to actively develop, acquire additional skills. Mom is already starting to spend some time away from the child. And, of course, we all want our pets to grow up quickly and start eating or running on their own. Can this process be accelerated? Experts recommend every day more to pick up their pets. When you do this, the cat begins to lick it more and more intensively in order to get rid of someone else’s smell. Such massage helps the baby develop faster than usual. You can also stroke the kitten more. This kind of massage also helps the development of the crumbs.

But you should also pay attention to the reaction of the mother cat. If you notice that the cat is nervous when you take the kittens in your arms, then you need to leave them aloneso as not to suffer from maternal anger.