Cat Behavior Part 1 - Week 0-5
Adolescent behavioral development
Cat Behavior and Development - 1-5 weeks
It is important for cat owners to have knowledge about how kittens develop to ensure that your kitten is developing normally, both physically and mentally. Below is a breakdown of the development of kittens in the first 5 weeks. Stay tuned to follow our blog series on cat behavior from kitten to cat!
0-3 weeks: In this period, kittens are completely dependent on their mother. The kitten will be asleep or suckling. The kittens are not able to control their own body temperature yet and need their siblings or mother to stay warm, which is why they are always ready to cuddle. The mother will be around her kittens for the majority of this time and will only leave them for brief periods when absolutely necessary. During this stage the kittens are unable to urinate and defecate and require their mother stimulating them to do so by licking.
Normally, kittens will start opening their eyes at around 7-10 days of age, but this varies widely between both separate litters and individual kittens. For the first period after opening their eyes, the kittens have a hard time distinguishing their surroundings and have trouble coordinating their eyesight with their movement. The kittens movement is limited to the front legs for the first two weeks and they will try to drag themselves to their destination. After the first two weeks the hind legs will be developed enough to allow the kittens to crawl around on all fours and they will start playing with each other.
4-5 weeks:
The kittens’ sense of smell is now fully developed. They are able to groom themselves and you will notice that their style of play will become daring. At this age they are able to feed on wet-soaked dry food. The mother will start distancing herself from the kittens and calling for them to stimulate them physically.
In this period, kittens will develop the ability to distinguish the others kittens from objects around them. It is important to ensure that this ability is nurtured by making sure that the kittens have a wide array of visual stimulation.
Want to learn more about kitten development? Part 2 will come soon. While you wait, leave a comment with what you would like us to write about, and check out our store for cat lovers by clicking here. And if you're the mother of a kitten, check out this cute Cat Mom Shirt!
