Key Takeaways
- Newborn Kitten
- Age 3 to 10 Days
- Age 10 to 14 Days
- Cats & Kittens
- Cat Health Care
- Kitten Health & Care
Doug has been owned by a long line of cats and dogs in a variety of shapes and sizes. Today he lives with two crazy Jack Russell terriers (Pez and Dash) and a loyal and lovable Labrador Retriever (Pilot). Doug is a veteran garden and pet writer/editor who also is on the Board of Directors of the Franklin County, Florida, Humane Society.
Knowing how old your kitten is can be important if you want to be sure you are providing your pet with age-appropriate care and nutrients. You can tell the age of a kitten by looking at his eyes, ears, teeth, weight, and how he moves, according to Carlene Strandell, Director and Founder of Smitten with Kittens, a non-profit, foster-based kitten rescue that operates in Tallahassee, Fla.
“Some kittens will be older than their size and weight might suggest,” she says, so check other characteristics as well to determine age. Here's what you need to know to tell how old a kitten is—from newborn to 1 year old.
Newborn Kitten
Teeth: Toothless; While nothing beats milk from mama cat, if she isn’t in the picture, he may need you to step in to bottle feed him with formula (learn more about that here).
Age 3 to 10 Days
Eyes: Start to open from 7 to 10 days; eyesight is unfocused
Movement: Start to crawl at about 7 days
Age 10 to 14 Days
Eyes: Will be open, although they won’t be able to dilate. All kittens will have blue eyes at this age.
Movement: Kittens will snuggle together
3 Weeks Old
Ears: A kitten’s ear canals will be completely open and the animal may startle with loud noises.
Movement: They walk with purpose
Weight: 10 ounces to 1.1 pounds
4 to 6 Weeks Old
Teeth: Canine teeth and premolars start to show
Movement: Kittens begin to play with each other. Self-grooming also begins at this age. Weaning starts at this age as kittens begin to eat solid food.
6 Weeks Old
Eyes: Change from blue to their permanent adult color
Teeth: All baby teeth are now in place and your pet will be eating solid food almost completely.
8 Weeks Old
By this age, your kitten should look like a miniature version of an adult cat.
Weight: 1.4 pounds to 2 pounds
9 Weeks to 6 Months
Teeth: Once your kitten is between 3 and 4 months old, adult teeth will start to push out the baby teeth. By the time he’s 6 to 7 months old, all of his adult teeth should be in place.
Weight: Until he’s 5 months old, most kittens gain 1 pound every month. Therefore, a 4-pound kitten is probably 4 months old. Until they are 12 months old, kittens eat solid food designed for their growing needs.
1 Year Old
At this age, your kitten is considered an adult cat because he will be fully grown and have a full set of adult teeth. Your cat may gain some additional weight as he grows older, but at this time he should be fed adult cat food.
