How to quickly determine the age of a cat
If you've picked up or adopted a kitten, it's important to know its age so you can properly feed and care for it. Kittens develop much faster than humans, with
significant changes occurring between two weeks and two months of age. So, let's take a look at how kittens judge their age. Normal can be judged by a cat's teeth,eyes, weight, and mobility
Umbilical cord
If you pick up a kitten, you can first examine the stump of the kitten's umbilical cord. The stump of a kitten's umbilical cord usually scarifies and falls off three
days after birth. If your kitten still has a small umbilical cord, it's only a few days old.
Teeth
Checking the appearance and development of teeth is a good way to estimate the age of your young cat. Toothless kittens are newborns and less than two weeks old. If
teeth appear, you can deduce the age based on the number and characteristics of the teeth. A kitten's baby teeth will push out of the gums at 2 to 3 weeks. The first
teeth to appear would have been its incisors. If no teeth are visible, gently touch the gums with your hand to feel how the teeth are developing. Canines (baby teeth)
will appear in 3-4 weeks. They are located next to the incisors and are long and pointed in shape.
The eyes.
1. Kittens don't open their eyes until 14 days after birth. Some kittens open their eyes within 7 to 10 days after birth. If your kitten's eyes are closed, it's new to
the world. If your kitten has opened its eyes, it is at least a week old
2. If your kitten's eyes are just opening and she's squinting a little, she's about two or three weeks old. When the kitten first opens its eyes, you will notice that
the eyes are bright blue. With age, the blue film will gradually disappear and the eyes will return to the color of the breed.
3. If you have a kitten that looks older and notice that her eyes are starting to change color, she's gone in about 6 to 7 weeks. At this point, the iris color of the
eye changes to a permanent, mature varietal color. Note that if your cat continues to grow up with blue eyes, you may not be able to see the color change and can't rely on this method to determine age.
Weight.
Because of breed characteristics, it may not be accurate to infer age based on weight or body size, but weight can be used as a reference factor to help you infer age.
The average weight of a healthy cat is about 100 grams at birth and increases by 7 grams a day. So, a normal kitten will weigh 100 to 160 grams in the first week of
life. Note that kittens weighing less than 100g oz may be sick or malnourished and you will need to take them to the vet for treatment and examination. A normal kitten
weighs about 113-170 g when it is 1 to 2 weeks old and is smaller than an adult's hand. Most kittens between 2 and 3 weeks old weigh between 170 and 225 g. Kittens
between four and five weeks old weigh between 225g and 450g. Kittens between 7 and 8 weeks old weigh between 680g and 900g. At three months old, a kitten will gain a
pound a month for the rest of her life, until her weight stabilizes around 4.5KG. So, a 1.35KG cat is about 3 months old, and a 1.8KG cat is about 4 months old.
Although this is a general standard, it is useful for inferring the age of a cat at around 12 weeks. Most cats weigh up to 4.5KG pounds by the time they reach
adulthood. You can tell how old the cat is.
Behavior.
Normally developing kittens exhibit the ability to move proficiently at a certain age. Kittens within two to four weeks are not proficient at standing or walking.
Kittens spend most of their time sleeping or sucking breast milk next to their mother and siblings. If kittens from the first few weeks need to move, they will crawl
on their bellies. Kittens as young as two weeks old may be wobbly and hesitant when moving around. If your kitten seems to be starting to walk around confidently, he's
probably 3 weeks old. Around week 3 or 4, kittens begin to use their famous body righting reflex, which allows them to roll over in mid-air and land on their feet
front. At about 4 weeks of age, kittens can walk more steadily and begin to feel around the world. Their curious and playful nature comes out as well. Then the cat
began to pounce. Kittens that can run should be at least five weeks old.
significant changes occurring between two weeks and two months of age. So, let's take a look at how kittens judge their age. Normal can be judged by a cat's teeth,eyes, weight, and mobility
Umbilical cord
If you pick up a kitten, you can first examine the stump of the kitten's umbilical cord. The stump of a kitten's umbilical cord usually scarifies and falls off three
days after birth. If your kitten still has a small umbilical cord, it's only a few days old.
Teeth
Checking the appearance and development of teeth is a good way to estimate the age of your young cat. Toothless kittens are newborns and less than two weeks old. If
teeth appear, you can deduce the age based on the number and characteristics of the teeth. A kitten's baby teeth will push out of the gums at 2 to 3 weeks. The first
teeth to appear would have been its incisors. If no teeth are visible, gently touch the gums with your hand to feel how the teeth are developing. Canines (baby teeth)
will appear in 3-4 weeks. They are located next to the incisors and are long and pointed in shape.
The eyes.
1. Kittens don't open their eyes until 14 days after birth. Some kittens open their eyes within 7 to 10 days after birth. If your kitten's eyes are closed, it's new to
the world. If your kitten has opened its eyes, it is at least a week old
2. If your kitten's eyes are just opening and she's squinting a little, she's about two or three weeks old. When the kitten first opens its eyes, you will notice that
the eyes are bright blue. With age, the blue film will gradually disappear and the eyes will return to the color of the breed.
3. If you have a kitten that looks older and notice that her eyes are starting to change color, she's gone in about 6 to 7 weeks. At this point, the iris color of the
eye changes to a permanent, mature varietal color. Note that if your cat continues to grow up with blue eyes, you may not be able to see the color change and can't rely on this method to determine age.
Weight.
Because of breed characteristics, it may not be accurate to infer age based on weight or body size, but weight can be used as a reference factor to help you infer age.
The average weight of a healthy cat is about 100 grams at birth and increases by 7 grams a day. So, a normal kitten will weigh 100 to 160 grams in the first week of
life. Note that kittens weighing less than 100g oz may be sick or malnourished and you will need to take them to the vet for treatment and examination. A normal kitten
weighs about 113-170 g when it is 1 to 2 weeks old and is smaller than an adult's hand. Most kittens between 2 and 3 weeks old weigh between 170 and 225 g. Kittens
between four and five weeks old weigh between 225g and 450g. Kittens between 7 and 8 weeks old weigh between 680g and 900g. At three months old, a kitten will gain a
pound a month for the rest of her life, until her weight stabilizes around 4.5KG. So, a 1.35KG cat is about 3 months old, and a 1.8KG cat is about 4 months old.
Although this is a general standard, it is useful for inferring the age of a cat at around 12 weeks. Most cats weigh up to 4.5KG pounds by the time they reach
adulthood. You can tell how old the cat is.
Behavior.
Normally developing kittens exhibit the ability to move proficiently at a certain age. Kittens within two to four weeks are not proficient at standing or walking.
Kittens spend most of their time sleeping or sucking breast milk next to their mother and siblings. If kittens from the first few weeks need to move, they will crawl
on their bellies. Kittens as young as two weeks old may be wobbly and hesitant when moving around. If your kitten seems to be starting to walk around confidently, he's
probably 3 weeks old. Around week 3 or 4, kittens begin to use their famous body righting reflex, which allows them to roll over in mid-air and land on their feet
front. At about 4 weeks of age, kittens can walk more steadily and begin to feel around the world. Their curious and playful nature comes out as well. Then the cat
began to pounce. Kittens that can run should be at least five weeks old.