Stages of Development for a Kitten - Kittens are born with their eyes are closed
Every kitten is born wet and helpless resembling anything but a cat. Newborn kittens are generally less than 5 inches long and weighing only a few ounces at birth. Their ears are tightly folded over and eyes squeezed shut. Every newborn kitten is born unable to see, hear or walk. Kittens are born with the righting reflex and heat receptors on its head to help it find it's mom and a tiny little voice for making distress signals and the ability to purr. At this point, momma cat herself provides the only source of food, warmth, cleaning and grooming, protector and sole care giver. At about a week old the kittens will start to blink their eyes a bit, however, they won't fully open for a few weeks yet. All kittens are born with mesmerizing blue eyes. At about two weeks kittens begin hear. At two weeks to about a month their teeth begin to come in and they become more coordinated and begin to move around, although not too graceful at this point.
Persian kitten development milestones to mark:
At birth: Blind, deaf, helpless, righting reflex and ability to purr.
At one week: Umbilical cord falls off, still completely helpless and dependent on momma.
At two weeks: Ears open up, weight has doubled, eyes begin to open, socialization started.
At three weeks: Begin to eliminate without help of momma, begin crawling vigorously, learning to stand.
At four weeks: Eyes completely open, walking, rolling and tumbling with siblings, grooming themselves.
At five weeks: Balance improves, baby teeth erupt, litter box experimentation beginning.
At six weeks: Life is all about playing, weaning beginning, creative and vigorous play.
At seven weeks: Weight about seven times of birth weight, weaning underway, litter box perfection.
At eight weeks: Teeth all in, serious play, full control of claws and feet.
At nine weeks: Most of the litter is now weaned, more aggressive play initiated.
At ten weeks: Play becomes more serious, show of strength becomes apparent.
At three months: Adult eye color begins to appear. Weaned. Adult teeth replacing baby teeth.
At five months: Marking of territory, adult teeth completely in.
At six months: Fully independent, signs of sexual maturity begins in females.
At seven - twelve months: Growth continues, males sexually mature, attachment to household routines.
At just over a year: Adult eye color fully established.
At about three years: Coat has reached its full mature magnificence.
At eight years and over: Activity level slows, ability to self groom starts to decline. Extra care needed for grooming and bathing. More health monitoring is required. Teeth should be checked annually.
For reference on Persian kitten development, we have used photographs of Oliver, a red tabby & white male Persian as our example of how a Persian kitten will develop into a beautiful adult Persian cat.
