Kittens, like any other baby, grow very quickly. They remain kittens until they are around two years old, but it is the first three months of their life that are the most critical in their development. Before moving a kitten to a new home, it is imperative for its health and well-being that it first reaches the proper stage of development. The problem is: how do you know when a kitten is ready to be delivered to a new home? The following stages describe the development early in a kitten’s life, from birth to adoption.
newborn kittens
Small and completely helpless, newborn kittens are completely dependent on their mother for everything. All they know is comfort, discomfort, and hunger, and they will cry if their needs are not met.
weeks one and two
Newborn kittens will open their eyes when they are seven to fourteen days old. All kittens are born with blue eyes, and although they are open, most remain blind. They develop the ability to discern identity by smell and begin to learn self-defense by hissing at any unfamiliar person.
weeks three and four
Your kittens ears will open and they will develop the ability to hear. They will also begin to walk on unsteady legs and explore their immediate surroundings. This is also the age at which teeth will start to come in and he can be taught to use a litter box, but always with supervision.
weeks five and six
Now your kitties will become even more entertaining because this is the stage where they learn to play. They will fight and pounce on the other kitties, and start hitting anything they see. Care must be taken to ensure that they do not cause damage to your home or to each other. They will also begin to learn to groom themselves, and may begin to be weaned off their mother’s milk and taught to eat soft, moist food from a bowl.
weeks seven and eight
Now is the time to take your kittens to the vet for their first vaccinations. They are becoming very skilled at the game and will mostly be weaned from their mother.
weeks nine and ten
You’ll want to start exposing them more often to a wider variety of humans to help them develop their social skills. They will need a lot of playtime and attention. Your eyes will settle to their adult color at this time and will be ready for the next series of shots.
week twelve
This will be the most difficult moment of all. Your kittens are weaned, litter box trained and ready to be moved into their permanent homes. They still have a long way to go, but they are old enough to thrive away from their mother.
