Kitten

A kitten is a juvenile cat. Kittens are born very dependent on their mothers and need care to survive. They are born with their eyes closed and usually do not open them for seven to ten days. During this time, mother cats feed and protect their kittens.

After about two weeks, kittens start to explore more and become more active. They begin to try solid foods and grow their first baby teeth around three to four weeks old. Domestic kittens are very social and often enjoy spending time with people, making great companions for many families.

Etymology

The word "kitten" comes from an old word in Middle English called kitoun. This word itself came from even older words in Old French, chitoun or cheton. When we talk about the young of big cats, like lions, we usually call them "cubs" instead of kittens. For smaller wild cats such as ocelots, caracals, and lynxes, people can use either "kitten" or "cub," but "kitten" is used more often.

Development

A feline litter usually has two to five kittens, but sometimes can have one to more than ten. Kittens are born after a gestation of about 66 days. When they are born, they are inside a small sac that their mother removes.

For the first few weeks, kittens need their mother's help to do things like using the litter box and staying warm. Their mother’s milk gives them important nutrients and helps protect them from illnesses. Kittens open their eyes about seven to ten days after being born. At first, their vision is not very good, but it gets better over time.

Kittens grow quickly between two weeks and seven weeks old. They start playing with each other, learning to wash themselves, and practicing hunting skills. By three to four weeks, they begin to eat solid food and are fully weaned by six to eight weeks. They lose their baby teeth around three months and have their full set of adult teeth by nine months. Kittens usually start acting like adult cats by around one year of age.

Health

Domestic kittens in developed societies are usually vaccinated against common illnesses from two to three months of age. The usual combination vaccination protects against feline viral rhinotracheitis, feline calicivirus, and feline panleukopenia. This FVRCP inoculation is usually given at eight, twelve, and sixteen weeks, and an inoculation against rabies may be given at sixteen weeks. Kittens are usually spayed or neutered at seven months of age, but kittens may be neutered as young as seven weeks (if large enough), especially in animal shelters. Such early neutering does not appear to have any long-term health risks for cats, and it may even be beneficial in male cats. Kittens are commonly given deworming treatments for roundworms from about four weeks.

Nutrition

Felines are carnivores and have adapted to animal-based diets. Kittens need lots of energy and protein to grow. It is best to feed them food that is easy to digest and has many healthy ingredients. In North America, kitten food should be approved by the Association of American Feed Control Officials to make sure it has all the nutrients they need. Important parts of a kitten’s diet include fat for energy, protein for muscles, and special nutrients like docosahexaenoic acid to help their brain and cognition develop.

Kittens get important protection from their mother’s milk in the first few days after birth. This milk, called colostrum, helps build their immune system. By about five to six weeks, kittens can start eating solid food, and by eight weeks, they will mostly eat solid food. Until they are about one year old, kittens need more food to help them grow, including special fats like omega−3 fatty acids and proteins. They also need certain vitamins and minerals to stay healthy and develop properly.

Orphaned kittens

Orphaned kittens need special care because they cannot survive without their mothers. They require frequent feedings with special cat milk replacer, as regular cow's milk does not give them all the nutrients they need. These kittens also need help with their bathroom needs.

If kittens are separated from their mothers too early, they may grow up underweight and face health challenges, such as heart problems later in life. Without their mother's milk, their immune systems are weaker, making them more likely to get sick.