How to Determine a Kitten's Age (2024)

FAQs

How can I tell how old my kitten is? ›

A kitten's weight in pounds roughly corresponds to his age in months, and he will gain weight at a relatively predictable rate until about 5 months of age. As long as a kitten is in good body condition, you can safely guess that a 1-pound kitten is about 4 weeks old and a 3-pound kitten is about 12 weeks old.

You can talk to a veterinarian to come up with an estimated birthday for your cat. Even if you don't know their exact age, you can care for them according to their estimated life stage, whether they're a kitten, a young adult, or a senior.

When kittens are three weeks old, their ears are finally fully upright and their blue eyes are open (their adult eye color does not set in until they are olderand might not happen until they're two months old!).

Eight weeks is a milestone age for kittens. They should weigh about two pounds, which means they're ready to be spayed and neutered! They're also fully weaned (you're done with bottle feeding) and look more like adult cats.

Examine the kitten's eyes.

If your kitten has closed eyes, they are likely a newborn. If your kitten has already opened their eyes, they are at least a full week old. If your kitten's eyes are just starting to open but still appear squinty, they may be in their second or third week of life.

Immunizations are started at 6-8 weeks of age and are repeated every 3-4 weeks until the kitten is 4 months old. The routine or core vaccinations will protect your kitten from the most common diseases: feline distemper (panleukopenia), feline viral rhinotracheitis (feline herpes virus 1), calicivirus, and rabies.

At six months of age, your kitten may look like a little adult, but that doesn't mean it has reached its adult size. The basic rule of thumb is that the average-sized cat will gain about 1 pound a month, so at six months of age, your kitten should weigh about 6 pounds with a lanky torso and legs.

Many cats begin to show age-related physical changes by the time they are between 7 and 10 years old, and most will have by about 12 years old. People often think that one "cat year" is equivalent to 7 "human years", but this isn't quite accurate.

Most kittens poop and pee on their own by 3-4 weeks of age. In fact, kittens can learn to use the litter box at 3-4 weeks old, too! Once the instinct kicks in, it's time to begin litter training. Orphaned kittens younger than 3 weeks old need to be stimulated with a warm wet cloth to cause them to poop.

When should you start giving kittens water? Kittens will generally begin to wean around three to four weeks of age, at which point it's time to start giving them a little solid food. At the same time, you should provide them with fresh, clean drinking water in a shallow bowl.

Can 3 week old kittens survive without a mother? ›

Unfortunately, orphaned kittens less than 4 weeks old cannot live without their mother, and must be bottle fed around the clock in order to survive. Thankfully, most discoveries of newborn kittens do not call for human assistance, and in fact, leaving Mom and her family alone is generally the best thing you can do.

Kittens will gain weight at a relatively predictable rate that is most reliable until about 10 weeks of age. For animals in good body condition, you can estimate that a 1-pound kitten is about 4 weeks old, a 2-pound kitten is about 8 weeks old, and a 2.5-pound kitten is about 10 weeks old.

Kittens under six months should not be left alone for more than 3-4 hours per day. Older kittens can be left alone for up to 8 hours. Leaving kittens alone for too long can cause anxiety and stress.

What to feed a 3-week-old kitten ready for solids. If your kitten's deciduous teeth have started appearing, it's a good time to introduce them to solid food—you can begin with gruel, dry food, or wet food.

As sight develops, cat's eyes often begin to change, and take on a range of different colors, from browns and yellows to greens, oranges and ambers. This change will likely begin somewhere between three to eight weeks of age. It'll be complete by the time your kitten turns three months old.