The following kitten growth chart can help you learn what to expect each week in your kitten’s development. Are you wondering about how fast your kitten is growing? Or do you need to find out your kitten’s age based on his size or behavior?

Below you will find out how to gauge her changes and milestones, tips to help you raise her at each growth stage, and info that will let you know what to expect in the weeks ahead.

Kitten Growth Chart: Newborn to 4 Weeks


1 Day Old Kitten

 

Development

Kitten growth chart newborn kitten development

Born blind, deaf, and unable to regulate body temperature.
The kittens will root towards their mother’s body heat.
They huddle with siblings for warmth.

 

Care Guide

1 day old kitten

Unless they are orphan kittens, just give mama cat some
privacy to do her job–she knows best.


 

5 Day Old Kitten

Development

Kitten growth chart newborn kitten development

  Ears will open, but they are still deaf. Eyes may begin to open at the inner corners.
Still huddling for warmth, not interactive yet.
For growth, they will be twice their birth weight.

 

Care Guide

baby kitten 5 days old

       If mama cat allows, between nursing sessions begin gently holding the kittens for no more than a minute at a time.
This will be the beginning of the socialization process, to help them become good pets!



 

10 Day Old Kitten

Development

kitten opening eyes what age

They will be able to orient to sound, but do not recognize it yet.
Eyes will be fully open between 9 and 14 days.
Not interacting much with siblings, they are still just interested in nursing  and staying warm.

 

Care Guide

10 day old kitten growth stages

                The kittens’ eyes cannot dilate yet, so make sure to protect them from bright lights.
Continue to handle them for a few minutes at a time several times a day–their emotional growth depends on it.


 


2 Week Old Kitten

 

Development

kitten growth chart illustration

Still cannot recognize sound, ear canals will open in about a week.
Sense of smell is becoming more developed.
Beginnings of uncoordinated walking and they are becoming more aware of their sibling.

 

Care Guide

2 week old kittens development

The beginning of the true socialization period.
Make sure to handle kittens gently and frequently from now on so they will get used to humans.


 


3 Week Old Kitten

 

Development

kitten three weeks old

The kittens’ ear canals have opened and they can recognize sounds.
Now able to control elimination on their own. They may begin purring to communicate to their mother and siblings.
It’s almost time to introduce them to the litter box.

 

Care Guide

kitten development at 3 weeks

       Talk to the kittens frequently since they can now hear your voice–and  beware of little explorers escaping the nest box!
You can also introduce them to low-level normal household sounds. (No scary vacuum cleaners nearby yet though!)


Kitten Growth Chart: 4 Weeks to 1 Year


4 Week Old Kitten

 

Development

1 month old kitten

Depth perception is developing, and sense of smell is fully functional.They are walking with less stumbling. The growth of baby teeth (deciduous) begins, which means soon the kittens will be weaned by their mother. The kittens begin forming alliances with their litter mates, which may or may not be based on gender. They are beginning to learn social play, and will be pouncing each other soon!

 

Care Guide

kitten 1 month old

       Begin feeding the kittens soft, wet food or kibble softened with water. Continue to let them nurse in addition until the Queen (mother cat)      decides to wean them. Make sure you use a natural, non-toxic and non-clumping cat litter, since they will want to taste this too!


6 Week Old Kitten

 

Development

kitten at 6 weeks growth chart

Balance is improving! The kittens’ eyes will settle into their permanent color. Baby teeth are fully grown, and the kittens can fully regulate their body temperature. Social play is at a fully rambunctious (and entertaining) level.They are nearly fully weaned, although may still continue to suckle.

 

Care Guide

kittens growth at 6 weeks old

Catch early bad habits in their tracks! Training them now will be easier than if you wait. You can begin with simple stern “no’s” but don’t expect enough of an attention span for anything more complicated.


8 Week Old Kitten

 

Development

kitten at 6 weeks growth chart

 kittens are testing the limits of their acrobatic prowess, but they are still accident prone at this growth stage.The kittens can safely be spayed or neutered. The kittens will begin understanding and displaying cat body language, especially during play-fighting.

 

Care Guide

2 month old kitten

Make sure to supervise the kittens and kitten-proof your home if you haven’t already. At this stage of kitten growth, you can also begin introducing them to nail trims.




12 Week Old Kitten

 

Development

3 month old kitten growth

The kittens are really beginning to test their physical limits. They are only about a month away from the growth of their adult teeth. Fully socialized and ready to be separated from mom and siblings.Clawing behavior for scent marking begins during this growth stage.

 

Care Guide

3 month old kitten development

      The last of three rounds of vaccines are due (7th, 11th, and 12th week of life) before the kittens can go to their forever homes.


6 Month to 1 Year Old Kitten

 

Development

6 month old cat growth

Welcome to the end of the kitten growth chart! Ungainly physique, not unlike 15-year old human teenagers.The kitten will not reach full size until 1-2 years old, or even a bit older if he is a large-breed cat. During adolescent growth, kittens may begin acting “macho” and may be less affectionate for awhile.

 

Care Guide

6 month old kitten development

If you adopted one of these kittens, give him plenty of love on his terms. He has to go through his teenage years and explore his independence, but once he’s through the full kitten growth chart stages should return to your lap in no time! We hope this kitten growth chart proves valuable in helping you to raise your kitten!For detailed care instructions, make sure you read the other articles on this site and consult your vet for medical questions.

 

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73 COMMENTS

  1. So helpful. We just had three litters of kittens and I have a parent and adopters messenger group that will love this. Thanks for the info.

    • Please Spay and neuter your cats!!! Millions are being killed in shelters every year and others left to fend for themselves on the street. Stop the suffering. If you cannot before the procedure, there are plenty of low-cost spay and neuter certificates available if you reach out for help.

        • While you were writing this comment, I was spending my last two weeks with my Tonkinese who died in a spay surgery.
          Not all breeds can handle anesthesia or all age groups or all cats period. It also can be a religious principle for some people so these comments are at best rude and over generalized.

          • This was not the fault of the breed, it was a mistake on the part of whoever gave the cat too much anesthesia. There’s a certain age cats can’t be spayed or neutered before but they should still have it done when they reach the age. And who cares about religious beliefs? The well-being of the cats you care for should come before that. Don’t be an ass just because you’re upset about the literal .1% of cases where a cat can die during anesthesia. Your logic could also dictate we shouldn’t give our cats any kind of medical care that makes anesthesia necessary. And we all know that’d be an awful mistake.

          • When it comes to pets especially cats they must be spayed/neutered

            No if No But Cats bcome sexually active at a very early age

            In my area there are dozen of colonies of abandoned/lost cats totalling in the thousands

            To make matters worse Animal Control will NOT take them

            And No One wants to adopt Grown Up/Older cats

          • my condolences. I just lost my 11 month old to sedation. He was the most dog like cat I have every seen. Had just seen the Guiness 30 year old cat and thought how lucky I am to have ashey. A scottish fold with a teddy bear face and body. Still devastated so I know how you are feeling take care jim

          • I am so sorry for your loss. <3

            To put in my humble two-cents in this awkward little argument I see going on here…
            I honestly believe BOTH comments were reasonable if someone takes the time to try to see things through another person's eyes. Sue was fine to suggest spaying or neutering. Yes it's a good thing to do. But also, situations can arise where this procedure is either impossible or not necessary. Are they the norm? Maybe not, but they exist nonetheless. Do I believe Sue was being rude? No. Do I believe the health and well being of the cat should come first? ABSOLUTELY. But, these situations do exist, and I do believe that those in these situations shouldn't be looked down upon. As for religious reasons, while yes the well being should come first, you can't really force people to act against their deeply held will. If the cat is fully indoors and won't be breeding, I, in my possibly ill-informed ignorance (Yeah I cut ya off at the pass there) am not aware of why the procedure would be absolutely necessary. I'm open to being corrected here. Just felt like mentioning it though.

            And can we all just remember at the time of making the comment, Devorah had recently suffered a tragic loss? Any animal lover should know the effects of losing your pet. I lost my cat (to old age) during Christmas and months later it was still hard to deal with. The subject, understandably, may have been hard for her. Let's not demonize those who are suffering, no matter whether they are wrong or right.

          • I totally agree with you. Sue’s point of view is narrow and not thinking of the whole picture. Think about it, if every cat owner spayed their cat there will be no more cats in life after 10 or 20 years! Besides, God has created them to be reproductive just as human is . Do you like that some take you and spay you cause population is coming to a red alert level for water and recourses?! And there are lots of orphans and homeless people? Its exactly the same . Sue, do you see how cruel it is? And you say you look at best interest of cat? Who ate you to decide to cut a piece of any soul’s body? Ignorant!

          • When we went to get our kittens fixed at the dumb friends league mobile pet lab (which is FREE btw),we were told they only needed to be 2 lbs.

          • Found a feral litter of kittens. I called my county animal shelter and they were picked up and spayed / neutered at 10 weeks all over 2 pounds. They came back with no problems at all. As long as they are 2+ pounds they are safe. Now I’m feeding 14 cats because they will spay/neuter but the shelters do not keep them. Please spay and neuter!!

        • Sue did not make the illogical comment. It was Devorah Machotka. You should retract the comment that Sue is unintelligent. She is advocating for cat sterilization. Neither was it she who lost a cat during surgery. Shame on you for not paying attention to the discussion.

          Foster a new mother and her kittens; it’s a very rewarding experience. Our county animal care center had an intake of 400 animals during the last 5 days, and it is at its capacity. VOLUNTEER in any way you can. 🐾🐾

          • Last fall I took two feral kitten and got them spayed then took them back home. Today they are still in contact with their litters . My neighbour and I had been feeding them. We ask for help to neuter them but no organizations or vet will help

      • My cat of 17 years died and I thought about getting another cat, but vascillated. Then a feral cat gave birth to 4 kittens right outside my window, so now I have FIVE cats (kittens + momma).

        So far I have had three of them spayed/neutered, but with all the tests, shots, and surgery that was about $280 each, so I’ve spent close to $900 on this! Ideally I’d like to get momma fixed but she’s very skittish, and baby-daddy is hanging around too.

      • millions are being killed in shelters because they can’t find forver homes for them. Trust me I know alot about this stuff. Plus theres a reason why you should neuter/spay your cats because males will spray every were and sometimes you can’t aford all of the things for you litter. Trust me on this one to,I a as have seen it happen. Sorry if this comment is late.

      • I am so sorry, Sue, you must listen to all these opinions. God Bless you for trying to do your part in controlling the cat population. So very sorry you lost your beloved kitty whilst trying to do the right thing. Prayers of healing to you.

      • Sue McKinley,

        Thank you for putting this out there….people throw away animals like trash and it’s people like us that deal with it. It’s crucial that people understand the benefits of spaying and neutering with dogs and cats. Not only for reproducing, but for health factors also. Please, please, please SPAY AND NEUTER YOUR PET. Thank you!

      • I agree: every cat must be neutered/spayed. There are too many homeless cats! I found 2 kittens on my porch. I gave them to a TNR rescue worker. I cannot afford to adopt them as a bonded pair. The gray male kitten got a home. I’m getting the black ‘n’ white female kitten. I already have 2 cats ( both rescues) and senior ages ( 9 1/2 and 14 years old). Also there must be more pet friendly rentals to prevent people from surrendering their pets .

  2. My male kitten is 11 months old and has big feet and a big head and weighs 13 pounds. He grazes from the cat dish at any time. Is he too fat?

    • probably , depending on his breed , some cats are much larger than others ,can you feel his ribs , When you look straight down on him does his belly stick out?

  3. Yes my 1 year old male is in his macho stage lol. But I’m a little concerned about his size. We adopted him from shelter where he was neutered. His vet check ups are perfect but he stopped growing around 8 months old and his weight is 7lbs. I’ve never had a petite male cat but vet says nothing is wring with him. Nonetheless he will get plenty of love and snuggles once he’s out if that macho stage where he doesn’t like to be held and smooched on right now.

  4. I think she was perfectly correct. I say this as a person who has 25 cats in my indoor care right now, including a approx yr old mama and her 4kittens who came to me off the street, as she put it. I also have 3 dogs,a rabbit and 6horses. They all have some form of health problem from herpesvirus to epilepsy to cerebellar hypoplasia (SP?). I have 35 yrs experience in this and have adopted out hundreds. I’ve paid to have stray dogs or cats tested, when the local humane society couldn’t. And we’ve paid to put them down because they were beyond being saved. no, we don’t ask for help from anyone.my husband has a half decent job and I’m disabled.I know that one of you has 3 litters now. wow, before calling someone out and all the derogatory remarks,maybe you should look up the facts about cats.maybe you’re one of the ones who chooses to be ignorant to the facts. Maybe you’re one of them who turn the blind eye knowing there are people out there like me and several of my friends, who will take them in and adopt them out after I take care of whatever ails them. Maybe you are aware but choose to be ignorant. It’s people who don’t own responsibly, who make it necessary for people like me . if I typo, sorry.I have lil Kali and her 4 kittens(the latest stray I spoke of who is a beautiful dilute calico)jumping all over me and the phone.more than likely, the unintelligent one is the one who made the comment.i know you aren’t a rescuer by your comment.maybe you could take the time to educate yourself on the subject. Maybe volunteer at one of the many high kill shelters…..local rescue….anything really….

  5. A word about spaying.
    My Tonkinese was an indoor cat. I took good care of her. She didn’t make loud meows to mate & didn’t spray. I thought cats have “menopause” so when finding out they don’t I got concerned & due to family pressures I decided to spay her. She died.
    Please ladies stop pressuring the spay thing. I would still have her now & she’d be fine in my home NOT spayed

    • Anesthesia-related deaths only happen in .11% of cats. I’m sorry for your loss but the .11% does not make it okay to tell people not to spay/neuter your animals.

    • I’m sorry that you lost your cat Devorah but people MUST spay/neuter their animals. It is extremely rare for an animal to die while being spayed. This is usually as a result of an undiagnosed underlying disorder or weird reaction to anesthesia. Again, I am sorry for your loss. But the death of your cat does not negate the fact that thousands of animals are killed every year in shelters. Telling people not to spay their animals is irresponsible. Sorry.

    • Intact female cats are prone to having pyometras( Infected uterus)
      If you have ever seen one , especially if the cat is pregnant , you would rethink your stand on Spaying

    • I am so sorry for your loss! I hope at some point in honor of your kitty whom passsed you give another kitty in need of a forever Home a wonderful home and a warm bed!😊😊

  6. My cat won’t grow I got him at 7 weeks and he’s probably gotten longer and wider by non more then 2cm but he hasn’t grown taller and he’s now 10 weeks old and we have another kitten they are 2 weeks apart but my kitten is half it’s size he honestly still looks like a 6 week old kitten and I don’t know what breed he is or why he won’t grow

    • There are small breeds of cats, like the Munchkin, who have really short legs. Others just don’t get very big. Our cats are various sizes and all (but my foster) are adult. My oldest is actually the smallest. If he’s checked out to be healthy by your Veterinarian, he’s probably just a little cat. 🙂

    • I just had to have a kitten put to sleep who did not grow. I also obtained her at 7 weeks of age. She ate food and did everything normally until she was about 4 months old. Then she got sick. She had a fever and wouldn’t eat anything. After five days at the vet, and a big vet bill from full blood panel and urinalysis, medications and IV fluids, the results all pointed to Feline Infectious Peritonitis. I had intended to use her for breeding (she was a Snowshoe Siamese), and I had bought two other Siamese who came from the same home. I had to know for sure what had been ailing her when it became clear, six weeks after she first fell ill, that she was getting worse, not better. I took her to OSU Veterinary Medical Center for euthanasia and autopsy. I have not received the histopathology report yet but the preliminary report is consistent with Feline Infectious Peritonitis. She had lesions on her brain, heart, lungs, and she had peritonitis, and her kidneys were huge and full of foci lesions. If she had been suffering from this infection from the time I bought her that would explain why she did not grow properly. My vets think the poor growth rate was a sign of something amiss.

      I have since bought a scale and will weigh kittens regularly to make sure they are growing properly. I suspect that her mother, who I bought at the same time, may be an asymptomatic carrier of the Corona Virus which causes FIP. She is currently pregnant but I will not use her for breeding again. She will be neutered and kept as an outdoor pet on our farm.

      So, the moral of this story is to be suspicious of a serious problem in a kitten that does not grow well. Even so, had I had a scale, and had I known this before all the problems started, I couldn’t have done anything differently than I did, but I would have been more mentally prepared for the final outcome. I kept all of the cats isolated from each other for several months after buying them, and they were not allowed to go outside at all. The kitten got sick after I let her and her mother live together. The weaning process was quite complete and I thought all was well. I thought the kitten was a bit small but had nothing to compare her to. I thought, at first, that the drop in the kitten’s appetite was due to a food change and the stress of having her mother reintroduced into her life and the extremely hot weather we were having.

      I have worked for veterinarians for a total of about 9 years, but that was years ago. I also have a BS in Animal Production Science, also from years ago. I am still learning things and I’m relearning things I seem to have forgotten… The point is that I have a strong background in Veterinary science (I am far, far from being a Veterinarian however.) I had all the new cats blood tested for FeLV, FIV. They are all vaccinated and dewormed regularly and on flea prevention. I did everything I could to do it right and FIP, the scourge of catteries, got me anyhow. I bought the cats from a private home, not a cattery, but the pair I bought had come to that home from a cattery. I had no idea to avoid cattery bred cats.

      I want to say to those here who are quick to be judgmental and name callers that I do not think it is fair or wise to do that. It is far better to try to educate people than to call names. There is much to be learned in a public forum like this but much harm can also be done in the form of aggressive, accusational, name calling. I am a firm believer that most of the nasty things said in these forums would not be said in a face to face situation. Keep the nasty comments inside and get off your high horse and share your knowledge and back it up with solid resources and personal experience instead of being judgmental and name calling. Personal attacks are not called for, nor are they productive. All they do is show a need to feel superior to someone.

  7. Helpful, thanks. I am new to kitten fostering and learning about bottle feeding and newborn kitten care. I know kittens belong with their mama, this group was brought into a shelter without their mom and the choice was foster and bottle feed or euthanize. Every one of these kittens will be fixed before they go to forever homes.

  8. So much ignorance in the world today…people keep popping out babies and not taking care of them and/or they are born drug addicted. Let’s worry about that…over population of humanity will ultimately be our demise.

  9. What about months 3-6??? That’s the age most kittens are adopted, and new adoptive parents have the most questions about their kitten’s development.

  10. I adopted a feral kitten. Looking at his behavior, I think he is at least 6 -7 weeks old. He is very tiny. Only 1 lbs and 10 oz, and bone skinny. Is he under weight?

    • Sounds to me like he is underweight by the bone skinny description. I’m currently caring for a 4-5 week old and he’s just over 1lb. Make sure to feed him food made specifically for kittens and have him checked out by your Veterinarian for any underlying health problems (like worms) or if he needs a supplement to make sure he’s getting proper nutrients for healthy growth. Also, if he has fleas, a nice warm bath in Dawn dish soap will cut down on them. It’s safe for Kitty’s tender skin and kills the fleas. Be sure to rinse him well though and make sure he’s really very dry. Since we’re not sure his exact age, he may not be able to regulate his body temperature properly just yet, and a chill could make him deathly ill. Bless you for adopting 🙂

  11. Critterchatter.com states:

    “Female cats that are not spayed are at risk for a number of serious medical problems. Mammary cancer is the third most common cancer in cats and is much more common in cats that have not been spayed. Spaying greatly reduces the risk, and spaying before the first heat reduces it more. Cancer of the ovaries and uterus are not common in cats, but they do occur, and spaying removes any possibility of these tumors.
    Pyometra is a severe infection of the uterus that, if untreated, is almost always fatal. Bacteria enters the uterus and it becomes filled with pus as the cat’s body tries to fight the infection. Treatment of pyometra requires a difficult and expensive oviohysterectomy (spay). Toxins resulting from the infection can damage the kidneys and heart, cause lifelong problems, and can be fatal.
    Female dogs face many of the same risks as cats if they are not spayed. Mammary tumors are the most common type of cancer in dogs, and the incidence seems to increase with each heat cycle the dog goes through. The risk is one half of one percent in dogs that are spayed before the first heat. It rises to 8% in dogs spayed after the first heat, and 26% for dogs spayed after the second heat. And as with cats, cancer of the uterus and ovaries, while not common, does occur.
    Pyometra, the uterine infection, is just as serious for dogs as for cats, and will result in death if not treated. Treatment involves difficult and expensive surgery, and the dog may still be left with heart or kidney damage causing lifelong problems or even death. Not spaying a female dog or cat just doesn’t make sense at all.
    There are those who believe that it is unnatural to spay or neuter an animal, believing instead that they should be left as nature created them. But how natural is it to allow any creature to have an overpowering urge to mate – females when they are in heat and males when they smell or hear them – and then prevent them from doing so? By keeping them indoors, fenced in or chained, the owners are just teasing them for a week or two at a time.”

    I am sorry for the loss of your cat, I just lost my 8 year old baby girl to acute ketoacidosis, which is almost always fatal. I understand your grief, but I hear a lot of guilt behind your comments. Rest assured, you were doing what was best for your fur baby, what happened was an unfortunate accident. People die from undergoing surgery, but does that mean they should not have it?

    I suggest adopting a new kitten, not as a replacement, but a a tribute. My mother gave me a new beautiful baby girl, who I named Juno, in honor of Luna. (Both names are moon goddesses from folklore). While I still grieve Luna, Juno has helped me fill that void, provided an outlet for my cat love; and is a living memorial to my late pet. Something maybe to think about.

    • I understand why we always say to spay and nueter our animals but i have to see where the lady is coming from and really you ALL need to try to understand why she feels the way she feels about it without dismissing her opinion and trying to keep verifying your reasoning with facts and opinions of your own. She was pressured into spaying her cat. A pet that may have been like her child or maybe her only companion we do not know the situation, if it hadnt been for people constantly telling her to spay it it would still be with her. People who knew nothing about the whole age thing, who have been on websites like these where they simply say “spay,spay spay without giving any precautionary messures when it comes to age and disease and stuff like that. If she had known that anesthesia is more dealy at older ages she may have not done it, and what if her cat DID have something wrong with it already. What if cancer had already taken hold. I mean maybe there should be exams ran before hand on older unspayed animals to ensure theres nothing that could cause anesthesia to go horribly wrong instead of just jumping on everyone that comes in the door and immediently putting them to sleep. I dont care about the ONLY.11 percent or whatever it was either because with the thousands of cats and dogs involved that is alot more than it sounds. I do agree that spaying is a GOOD thing im not saying that at all. What i am saying is that the opinions of others shouldnt be looked upon so harshly. There are reasons for each persons outlook on things. And others shouldnt have pressured her into doing it without understanding the situation. If its inside and its already went years without getting pregnant spaying should no longer be what everyone is worried about, it should be the health of the cat at the present time and then if its healthy and SHE decides it would be best to spay her then so be it, if not, who cares. Yes theres animals being killed in shelters but all the while there are PLENTY of people always looking for pets the problem is they seem to think they have to have a pure breed dog or cat and go out and spend a small fortune buying them instead of adopting the ones already available. How about we stop allowing people to use their pets as baby making machines just so they can make a fortune. I bet there wouldnt be many pets being killed in shelters if that were to stop. If the only way to get a pet was to go to a shelter and get one that was made naturally out in the wild by circumstance instead of acting like its okay for people to go out and buy these animals that have been basically manufactured BY MAN. Its always “spay your animals because theres too many coming into shelters” they dont ever look at the owner of pure bred animals whom breed them to sell for high prices and say you need to fix this animal so that theres not as many animals being killed in animals shelters. They dont sit and shove the fact about cancer being a greater risk or anything. They see the owners of purebred male and females and they actually try to help the owners get those animals pregnant. Stop the over population of MAN made breeds that usually come with their own share of health problems due to the fact that these designer breeds originated from in breeding of litters to begin with and then maybe these litters born in the streets or in homes of the poor can find loving homes. Its ALL about who has the most money in this world or the expense of the possessions we own that makes the difference in how this world works and how your percieved and treated and it sickens me it really does. And by the way i had my cat spayed and she ended up with mammory tumors and it was a really bad case too that eventually took her life. SO question is does spaying really help prevent cancer or is it just something we read in an article and believed because we were told too believe it. Could it actually make them acquire other types of cancer more easily. How do we know without our OWN experiences with the issue what is true and not true in this world anymore when a doctor could write that he did a study of the earth being flat and theres alot of people who would and actually DO believe it. because it HAS to be true since a doctor or a university did a study on it and wrote it in a magazine right? I know one thing as a woman i had a hysterectomy and though it may have gotten rid of the cancer risk in THOSE organs i now have a lump in one of my breast as well. It screws with the naturally occuring hormones when you take something out or mess with the way we are supposed to be period. It has nothing to do with religion either its just fact. We are the way we are for a reason. If its wrong then it will one day on its own adapt and fix itself like the world and everything in it has done for millions of years. So yes i do believe in spaying animals to an extent but ONLY because i am forced to conform to what the world has created to be the norm. Before we took these animals into our homes they roamed the planet having babies left and right living in the wild its because of our own selfish ideaology why animals are killed in shelters. I mean they can live feral just fine but we have made it out like its cruelty to animals to ever let them go back to their wild ways and live on the streets or in the mountains. If not for the feral cats living in the cities by the way just think of how much worse the rat population would be. But anyways thats my view on it so sorry hun that you lost your furr baby, your opinion matters even though im probably going to be luahged at and judged for mine now I really dont care because being able to stick up for someone whom is clearly being judged will be worth it. And knowing that when all humans are dead and gone due to our own overpopulation and selfish ways these cats and dogs will go back to the wild and have millions of babies that will not be put in shleters and KILLED BY HUMANS is enough for me, and never mind posting your judgemental remarks because i wont be visiting this sight anymore anyways.

  12. @ Devorah,I m truly sorry for the loss of your cat,However they say to spay early do not wait until the kitty is older,as the the incidence of death rises,my friends vet told her this.I had cats growing up n had them spayed/neute,now at the age of 54 I still have my cats spayed/neutered and have not loss a cat to the procedure.
    I know some vets will offer to the older pet a screening for anesthesia.
    So ppl please do spay n neuter your pets,there will be 1000 cats n dogs that will be euthanized by the end of the day.If they do make it to a home,a good percentage of them will be abused…So please be a responsible owner n spay/ neuter n train your pet!

  13. My cat had kittens 5 weeks ago and she has lost interest in nursing them. It’s been to the point where I need to hold her down so they can nurse. Are they old enough where they can be ok on food. I have a duel cat bowl always full of food and another for water and they seem to be eating and drinking lots. Is this ok? Or should I be formula feeding instead of forcing her or just let the kittens eat themselves? They are quite far so donot seem to be starving.

    • They’re at the age where mama begins to wean them and I’ve seen a few occasions where mama seems pretty mean about it. I wouldn’t say formula is necessary, unless you have some that won’t eat or are underweight. Making sure they have kitten food to eat will help them to get the nourishment they need to grow into healthy adults, lessening the possibility of health problems in their adult lives later. 🙂

    • I hope by now you’ll figure it out or got an answer but just in case Go to your local pharmacy or drugstore and ask them to give you some small syringes (without needle) 2 feed abandoned kittens

      Putchase kitty milk either at the supermarket or pet store and feed it to them

    • if they are eating the food then they are ok. If you are worried about the vitamins they may not be getting from their mothers milk they have alternative formulas for kittens but they are 5 weeks old and that is old enough for them to eat on their own if they are already doing it that’s great

  14. Thank you for this very helpful info. I just took in 3 kittens from the street in September and they are have grown to become part of my family. I am definitely going to get them fixed. I have one male and the other 2 are female. I was wondering if it is necessary to get the girls fixed. Couldn’t I just get the boy fixed? Any suggestions would be great. I never realized how attached I would get to these small adorable creatures.

    • It’s recommended that you spay your girls before 5 months (and after 8-9 weeks depending on her weight) (to avoid her going into her first heat cycle and also being so playful she might rip her bandages off). Here’s a read that combines a lot of information if you’re interested. I would say, if you don’t get your girls fixed, it’s almost certain that they will suffer from a cancer. Female cats are also more likely to have aggressive tendencies (which include peeing/marking) when they are whole. Every heat cycle increases her chances of cancer. http://www.pet-informed-veterinary-advice-online.com/spaying-cats.html#pro-spay

  15. We had a mother cat give birth to 5 kittens on our patio. We had all 5 neutered at four months and tried to have mom fixed too but she evaded us. This happened at a time when our local shelters were receiving over 1,000 cats/kittens a day! So re-homing was not an option. As a result we are the proud parents of five adult litter mates. I have raised several kittens in my life to age 15+ however, the opportunity to watch the family dynamics of an entire litter is a truly wonderful thing. The wrestling and loving of my boys has been time consuming and heart warming, would not trade my eleven months for anything! My only regret was not being able to neuter the mother cat, I am sure by now she has had 2-3 unwanted litters of kittens since mine were born. BTW – I approached my vet regarding neutering and asked for a discount because a) they were rescues and b) a group discount. They gave us a 20% break. It does not hurt to ask. Another vet gave them flea preventative for free for these same reasons. I have found most vets very willing to aid in population reduction.

  16. We just took in a foster who was dumped because hse got pregnant, her kits are two weeks old now. I personally spay all my cats, but they are usually around 6 mo to a year old. Saying that however my heart does go out to the lady who lost her cat to the surgery and i can see the argument for both sides.

  17. My question is, what do I do with my single kitten? All it’s litter mates were stillborn and premature. Socializing is important, but they only have their mother, our dog(medium sized), and other local adult cats. I’ll be busy with a newborn baby soon.
    Also, on the spay issue, everybody’s situation is different. Reason we didn’t get our cat spayed right away is cause there were no males near by. And, when one finally showed up almost a year later we didn’t find out soon enough.

  18. We or I have wanted a kitten for sometime but due to my husband’s illness haven’t looked. 3 days ago a cute white kitten appeared on our deck. Does not wan to come in,the house, but very friendly and will let you pet her. I went immediately and got cat food as she was so hungry. I fed her off and on all day. She retreated to bush area to sleep, but then disappeared so thought she was gone, then saw her but a big burly back cat was near. Later an adult white male chased her all over the yard and was on-off her and when off, they would lie next to each other, then both disappeared. Last night she returned alone. I fed her and she hung around sleeping on the deck, then left. She’s back today alone again. I am not sure she belongs to someone or is a feral. I haven’t been around a kitten like this….looks to be maybe 6 months. What should I do if she continues to stay here? I might add that I was also not sure she was a female when first arrived.

  19. Every vet I have talked to says that you can get your cat spayed between 4-6 months but it’s best to wait until they’re at least 6 months. It ensures that the kitten is big enough and strong enough to handle the procedure. I personally waited till my kitten was at least 6 months old to get her fixed because I wanted to increase her chances of getting through the procedure safely. My girl got a compliment from the vet for how well she handled everything, being the best cat they had all day and I didn’t even need a cone for her because she didn’t touch her stitches. I feel that came with maturate (and obviously my cats personality played a huge factor). My other girl is 5 months so we’ll see if it goes the same way!

  20. There is nothing wrong with what Sue said. She is simply saying to spay/neuter your cats. It’s the responsible thing to do. If you don’t want to do it that is fine. Shelters are overrun with kittens and cats who can’t find homes. It’s very sad. Not spaying/neutering your cats is very irresponsible. I guess there are exceptions, but it is something that should be done unless you want cats with bad behaviors who spray everywhere. To each his own.

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