How to Determine the Age of a Kitten

How to determine the age of a kitten

At a glance

  • Birth: Newborn kittens weigh between 90 – 100 grams, the umbilical cord is attached, eyes and ears are closed.
  • 0 – 3 days: The umbilical cord falls off on the third day, eyes are still shut.
  • 7 – 10 days: All kittens are born with blue eyes which begin to open from day seven.
  • 2 – 3 weeks: The kitten begins to stand, the eyes and ears open.
  • 4 weeks: The kitten starts playing and exploring her environment.
  • 5 weeks: Kittens are confident on their feet by this age.
  • 6 + weeks: The kittens are extremely active.

Teeth

Newborn kittens
Newborn kittens

Baby teeth:

  • 2 weeks: Deciduous incisors (the small teeth at the front) begin to come in.
  • 3 – 4 weeks: Deciduous canines (the long, pointy teeth next to the front teeth) begin to come in.
  • 4 – 6 weeks: Deciduous pre-molars (also known as bicuspids, these are the teeth located between the canine and molar teeth)  begin to come in.
  • 8 weeks: All baby teeth have come in.

Adult teeth:

  • 12 – 16 weeks: Incisors come in.
  • 4 – 6 months: Canines, premolars, and molars come in.
  • 7 months: All adult teeth are fully developed.

Eyes

One week old kitten
One week old kitten
  • 0-2 weeks: Eyes are sealed shut at birth.
  • 2 weeks: Eyes begin to open, eyesight is not developed yet.
  • 5 weeks: Eyesight is fully developed.
  • 6-8 weeks: Eyes start to change colour.

Ears

Two week old kitten
Two-week old kitten
  • 0-3 weeks: Ears are folded, cats are deaf at birth.
  • 3 weeks: Ears prick up, hearing is well developed.

Weight

Three week old kitten
Three-week old kitten
  • Birth: Kittens weigh 90-100 grams.
  • 1 week: Kittens have doubled their weight.
  • 2 weeks: Weight is now 300g.
  • 4 weeks: The kitten should now weigh 500 grams (18 oz).

Activity

Four week old kitten
Four-week old kitten
  • 0-2 weeks: Kittens nurse and sleep.
  • 3 weeks: Some kittens are starting to stand.
  • 4 weeks: Kittens are becoming more active.

Author

    by
  • Julia Wilson, 'Cat World' Founder

    Julia Wilson is the founder of Cat-World, and has researched and written over 1,000 articles about cats. She is a cat expert with over 20 years of experience writing about a wide range of cat topics, with a special interest in cat health, welfare and preventative care. Julia lives in Sydney with her family, four cats and two dogs. Full author bio

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