You have somehow become lucky enough to stumble upon one of the smallest bundles of joy to be had on this earth. It mews and is so adorable that you just can’t stand yourself. There is only one problem, how to tell a kittens age?
If you found a litter of tiny kittens, it is essential for their survival that you are able to age them and give them the proper care. They do not stand much of a chance without the help of their mother or a helpful human.
Following is a list of milestones every kitten makes on its journey to adulthood. These milestones, along with some other rules, can show you how to tell a kittens age.
Milestones By Age
Baby Babies
Newborn kittens are pretty much helpless. They are unable to do much for themselves all the way up to about week old. At this point, they will stop needing so much support.
One Day Old
At one day old kittens can’t walk or stand. They also cannot open their eyes, and their ears are folded. You will need to feed your newborn kitten every two hours with a bottle.
These cats will need to be kept warm as well; they are unable to regulate their own temperature at this point. You can use a heat lamp, or a space heater set on low to make sure the kittens stay nice and toasty.
Three Days Old
At three days old, your kittens will not look much different. They will still be crawling around and need to eat throughout the day with a bottle.
Your kittens eyes will still be closed and their ears may be beginning to unfurl. At this point they are starting to develop their senses and become aware of their surroundings.
Six Days Old
At this point, your kitten’s eyes should start to open a bit. They will be more wiggly and maybe rolling around a bit.
One Week
The ears on these kittens should be fully opened. Their eyes will also be open, but they probably do not have their full vision yet. Another dead giveaway for how to tell a kittens age is that it will usually weigh about the same number of ounces as many days old it is.
Eight Days Old
Eight day old kittens are able to craw around, sometimes stumble, and play a bit in the nest with each other. Kittens at this age will still need to be fed, kept warm, and have help with waste elimination.
Nine Days Old
At nine days old, kittens are fully aware and beginning to look for adventure! All kittens start off with blue eyes that turn to their true colors around two months.
Twelve Days Old
These adorable little kits are becoming more independent. They are still a bit wobbly on their feet. They begin to take pleasure in wandering from the nest to do a bit of exploring.
Second Week
Your two-week-old kittens will start making noises. They will begin kneading their little claws, and their senses are developing to the point that they can recognize familiar smells.
Week Three
Once week three rolls around, you should be able to tell the sex of the kitten. This is also the time to start litter box, training them, and giving them wet food. One other milestone of this age is that they will begin to get teeth, which is another dead give away for how to tell a kittens age.
Fifteen Days
These kittens are still sleeping away much of the day. They still spend a large amount of energy on developing and keeping warm.
Sixteen Days
Sixteen-day old kittens are beginning to romp around and play. They are much more sturdy on their legs and starting to work on their fine motor coordination.
Twenty Days
At twenty days, your cats will be ready to start in on the litter box training. They are able to eliminate waste on their own.
Three Weeks
This is the time that you will start to introduce solid food. Your kittens will also need fewer feedings, but they will be larger. You can mix solid food with kitten formula when you first give solid food a try.
At three weeks, your kittens will be able to stand and romp without falling over. Their hair will also be filling out.
One Month
At one month, the kittens are fully aware of their surroundings, and they are engaging in socialization and play with each other and their humans.
Week Five to Week Eight
From week five to week eight, the kittens are continuing to develop their social and fine motor skills. The kittens are becoming more independent and eating much more regular food than formula. Sometimes in this age range it can be hard to figure out how to tell a kittens age.
Beyond Eight Weeks
After eight weeks, the kittens are ready to find their adopted homes. The kittens will also likely weigh enough to be neutered or spayed. Kittens this age love to play and begin to attach to caregivers.
Their growth will start to slow down, and they will be on a more consistent sleeping and eating schedule. Some people like to wait until ten weeks to adopt out the kittens. Remember, it is safe to do so when they are fully weaned.
An Alternative Way For How To Tell A Kittens Age
One other good thing to look at are the teeth. Does the kitten have baby incisors or permanent incisors? The baby teeth will start to show around three weeks, and the permanent teeth won’t be in until about the third or fourth month.
When In Doubt Call The Vet
If you are having trouble aging the cat, you can certainly take the kitten to a veterinarian in the area. They can also give you tips on the best ways to feed the animal and how to take care of it.
I hope this tells you how to tell a kittens age, if you have some kittens or if you just like thinking about them. With the proper care for their age, they will flourish and grow up to be kind and majestic adult felines.
Feel free to share your kitten stories below! It is always fun to talk about our experiences with them! And as always, enjoy!