Yesterday I showed the kitten progression till ten weeks right here at How To Determine A Kitten’s Age! Today we will look further including some tips on how to decide a kitten’s age, and see what happens after ten weeks.
12 week old kittens
12 Weeks Old
Their eye color should change to their adult color and it’s the best time to adopt a kitten.
20 weeks old
The kitten’s suckling reflex begins to subside.
24 Weeks Old
Kittens begin to experience a decrease in growth rate!
32 Weeks Old
Depending on the breed, they should reach their adult size, and by 36 weeks they have reached their sexual maturity. When they are 52 years old, they should be their full adult size!
More tips!
Showing off his baby teeth!
Teeth
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 biscupids, 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, pre-molars & molars come in.
7 months – All adult teeth should be fully developed.
Eyes
Kittens are born blind, but after a week their eyes begin to open and after ten days their days should be completely opened. Kittens are all born with blue eyes, which will gradually change color as they mature. The eyes will usually change and settle 7 weeks after birth. If the orphaned kitten still has blue eyes, it is probably under 7 weeks of age.
Litterboxing
Very young kittens — under the age of 3 weeks — will not be litterbox/toilet trained and will need to be stimulated to pass a bowel movement along with urine. (Observe the kitten to see if it’s trying to use the litter tray. If not, use a moist paper towel or a wet flannel, which will resemble the mother’s tongue, and massage it over the kitten’s bottom until the kitten has passed a bowel movement or urine.)
Resources
alleycat.org.
cat-world.com.au
rescueguide.com
voices.yahoo.com
And more great information at all-about-cute-kittens.com
Ahhhhh….. babies!
My cat still has the suckling reflex – he is always sucking the tall person’s fingers.
Some cats who haven’t been nursed long enough, can still be sucking on things. Hiro used to do that when he was younger, especially on blankets, haha.
They’re adorable, Dianda, especially the one showing the baby teeth, looks like they don’t hurt, but actually they’re little sharkies teeth
Shark teeth indeed!