The First Six Weeks In Your Kitten’s Development – What To Expect

Are you interested in fostering a baby kitten? Or maybe you’ve just discovered a litter of squeaking little critters beneath your porch? The first six weeks of a cat’s life encompasses remarkable and lightning-fast changes.

During this crucial developmental window personality traits appear and health issues emerge. If you dedicate yourself to caring for a kitten during this stage of its life, here are some important things you need to know to nurture your new baby.




Weighing in at mere ounces, a couple of newborns will easily fit into your cradled hands. Still helpless, their eyes and ear canals are not yet open. Momma cats will instinctively mother their babies, taking care of their feeding, cleaning, and warmth needs. If mom has been vaccinated, the kittens receive her immunity and are good to go until they’re old enough for their own kitten shots. During the first week a kitten’s only agenda is to sleep, nurse and expel waste!

Beginning in week two the mommy cat should be offered a high-quality canned kitten food in order to replenish the nutrients she’s passing on. During the second week a kitten is capable of doubling its weight, and will continue to gain around 10 grams daily.

Related: Car Travel with Cats: How to Prepare your Kitty

 Did you know that all kittens’ eyes appear blue at first? The eyes start to open in week two and will be fully open by the end of the week. Their eyes aren’t yet contracting and dilating properly, so they should be protected from bright light. Their sense of smell is becoming more developed at this time, helping them to become acquainted with their environment.

Week three brings immense changes to the little furballs in your care! The sense of smell becomes well developed, eye color will transition to its final hue, and the kittens can eliminate waste without being prodded by mommy’s licking (which stimulates the digestion process).

Tentative steps are taken in the third and fourth weeks, with heads much larger than bodies, and tails are short and stubby. The kittens will continue to nurse, but their instincts to explore the world start to kick in.

Related: How to Kitten Proof Your Home

 Week five brings many milestones. The kittens will be walking and playing now, and it’s a good time to start them socializing with humans. You can now introduce them to the same canned food that mom has been eating.

Momma cat will begin weaning about now, but the babies still need to suckle until eight to ten weeks of age. Give the kittens their own small, shallow litter box; a shoe box lid filled with a natural litter product is perfect!

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At six weeks the kittens have come into their own, and are almost ready for their forever families! A well socialized, box-trained, and weaned kitten can be separated from its mom starting at eight weeks, but ten or 12 weeks is an ideal time for your little brood to make the transition into the wide, welcoming, wonderful world that awaits them.

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Comments (28)
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  • Christine

    I remember when my cat got pregnant (by accident…of course) and she was laying on my lap and I felt the kittens! It was soooo cool (for me…not my parents haha!) She even gave birth in my bedroom (the first time) and then under the chair in the living room(the second time) and allowed me to watch everything! Kittens are so cute!

  • Guest

    I remember when my cat got pregnant (by accident…of course) and she was laying on my lap and I felt the kittens! It was soooo cool (for me…not my parents haha!) She even gave birth in my bedroom (the first time) and then under the chair in the living room(the second time) and allowed me to watch everything! Kittens are so cute!

  • stef

    Never really thought about kitten-proofing the house before, great tips that you’ve shared, thank you!

  • kelly reci

    very interesting! i love kittens! i am about to adopt one this week! this is really exciting! thanks for posting this !

  • Paris (My Big Fat Happy Life)

    Kittens are so cute! My daughter has been begging for a kitten, however, I know that our dog is not ready for one!

  • Guest

    Never really thought about kitten-proofing the house before, great tips that you’ve shared, thank you!

  • Guest

    very interesting! i love kittens! i am about to adopt one this week! this is really exciting! thanks for posting this !

  • Guest

    Kittens are so cute! My daughter has been begging for a kitten, however, I know that our dog is not ready for one!

  • Neha Saini

    I never had a kitten so never thought about kitten-proofing the house before, great tips that you’ve shared, thank you!

  • Guest

    I never had a kitten so never thought about kitten-proofing the house before, great tips that you’ve shared, thank you!

  • Natalie

    I have never had a kitten or even a cat so I learned a lot from reading your post! That picture just melts my heart!

  • Guest

    I have never had a kitten or even a cat so I learned a lot from reading your post! That picture just melts my heart!

  • Elizabeth O.

    It’s really nice to have a cat at home, they’re very clean and easy to take care of. They’re so affectionate as well. We adopted ours at a young age and he’s been really fun to have around.

  • Carol Cassara

    I didn’t know much about a kittens development. It’s quite different from dogs. This was a fun read, I enjoyed learning more about cats.

  • Guest

    It’s really nice to have a cat at home, they’re very clean and easy to take care of. They’re so affectionate as well. We adopted ours at a young age and he’s been really fun to have around.

  • Guest

    I didn’t know much about a kittens development. It’s quite different from dogs. This was a fun read, I enjoyed learning more about cats.

  • lex

    not a cat owner but i love cats so much, a friend next door to my place has one, so i will be sharing this with him incase he has new kittens to look after.

  • Coralie

    Baby kittens are so cute. I can’t believe that it is has been 14 years since we got our kitty. These are great tips.

  • Guest

    not a cat owner but i love cats so much, a friend next door to my place has one, so i will be sharing this with him incase he has new kittens to look after.

  • Guest

    Baby kittens are so cute. I can’t believe that it is has been 14 years since we got our kitty. These are great tips.

  • Hey Sharonoox

    I’m not really a cat person but this is a good read. This is such great tips for those who’s looking to foster a kitten.

  • Guest

    I’m not really a cat person but this is a good read. This is such great tips for those who’s looking to foster a kitten.

  • Our Family World

    Thank you for this post. When one of my cats gave birth, I did not know what to do so I just let her get on with instinct. Good thing she was a good mother! 🙂

  • krystal

    I almost adopted a cat last week and I was so clueless what to do next! I know that these tips will help.

  • Guest

    Thank you for this post. When one of my cats gave birth, I did not know what to do so I just let her get on with instinct. Good thing she was a good mother! 🙂

  • Guest

    I almost adopted a cat last week and I was so clueless what to do next! I know that these tips will help.

  • adriana

    This was very interesting to read! I don’t know much about cats, so this was great. They are so cute!

  • Guest

    This was very interesting to read! I don’t know much about cats, so this was great. They are so cute!