Key facts at a glance
- Kittens are born with their ears and eyes closed.
- Young cats open their eyes after about seven days, although their vision is initially weak.
- Over the next few weeks, the ears will open, the teeth will grow and the cat will learn to walk.
- After the fourth week, the kitten begins to perceive its environment more and more consciously.
The first two weeks after birth
Kittens are born completely helpless. They usually weigh less than a hundred grams and their ears and eyes are closed at birth. They also have very thin fur and are therefore dependent on the warmth of their mother and siblings.
During this time, a kitten’s day consists almost exclusively of sleeping, drinking milk and cuddling.
After about seven days, the eyes finally slowly open. However, the retina is not fully developed at this point. It is therefore not until the end of the tenth week of life that a young cat achieves its full vision.
While the eyes are already open, the ears are still closed and lie flat against the head of the four-legged friend.
The development of young cats up to the fourth week
From the third week, the development of the young cat continues to pick up speed. Her ears open and the little four-legged friend makes his first attempts at walking.
In addition, the kitten is now growing its first teeth. It will soon begin to eat its first solid food and gradually wean itself off the mother’s milk.
After the fourth week of life, the kitten is still dependent on the help of its mother. However, it is becoming more and more curious and also begins to consciously perceive its environment and to react to movements and noises.
Now, slowly but surely, the first discovery tours with the siblings are coming up and the little four-legged friends are starting to make the apartment unsafe together.
Up to the twelfth week: the young cat is growing up
In the coming weeks, the kitten will gradually develop into a real house cat. Weaning from breast milk is complete between about six and eight weeks of age. The little four-legged friend is slowly getting stronger and his coordination is improving.
After the sixth week, the socialization phase begins. During this time, the young cat learns how to behave from its mother and from dealing with its siblings. Socialization is very important for character development. For this reason, it is also generally recommended that kittens are not separated from their mother and siblings until at least 12 weeks old.