How Old Is My Kitten? How To Find Out A Kitten’s Age

Do not forget your kitty grows really fast. Hence, you have to constantly monitor your kitten’s changing needs and requirements.  

The needs and requirements of a kitten change significantly at different stages of its life. Thus, determining their age to provide the right care is very important. 

This article provides a detailed, accurate guide to determining your kitten’s age.  

Why Is It Important To Identify The Age Of Kitten?

You can easily estimate your kitten’s age by following a few simple steps. Here are the basic steps to follow. 

1. Assess Their Teeth  

You should examine the kittens’ teeth closely. Moreover, the baby teeth generally start to emerge after only three weeks of age.  

However, the kitten’s permanent teeth begin to erupt between three and four months of age. On the other hand, the middle incisors generally grow after 14 weeks. 

In addition to this, the permanent second and third incisors appear around 15 to 16 weeks of birth. 

The kitten’s teeth tend to be exceptionally small. Thus, most cat parents find it difficult to distinguish between permanent and baby teeth. 

However, you should consider the following characteristics while inspecting a kitten’s teeth. 

A. Size And Shape Of The Kitten’s Teeth  

Baby teeth tend to be a little smaller and more pointed. On the other hand, the permanent teeth have flatter crowns and are slightly larger. 

B. Color Of The Teeth  

You should also consider the color of the kitten’s teeth. Moreover, permanent teeth often have a yellowish tint. 

On the other hand, baby teeth are generally whiter than permanent teeth.  

C. The Position Of The Teeth 

Baby teeth generally look more crowded in the mouth. On the other hand, permanent teeth have more space between them as they grow. 

D. Check The Gumline  

The gumline around the baby teeth appears slightly more swollen and inflamed than that around the permanent teeth.  

E. Presence Of Both Baby Teeth And Permanent Teeth  

The teeth of a kitten in their growing age generally go through a transition phase. Moreover, during this time, you can see baby teeth as well as permanent teeth. 

Moreover, this allows you to directly compare the permanent and baby teeth of a kitten. This transitional phase also represents a particular stage in the kitten’s life. 

2. Check The Body Weight Of Your Kitten  

The body weight of a kitten generally changes with their age in months. Generally, they gain weight as they follow a graph until they are at least 5 months old.

 When the kitten is in good condition, you can easily assume that a one-pound kitten is around a month old. On the other hand, a three-pound kitten has to be around three months old.  

3. Check If They Have Opened Their Eyes  

The Kittens generally have closed eyes when they are born. They do not open their eyes until they are at least 10 days old. 

Thus, if the eyes of your kitten are open, always remember that it is at least older than 10 days. 

4. See If They Are Walking Around Or Playing Around  

The kittens generally walk when they are three weeks old. However, their limbs take a little more time to walk in a coordinated way. 

This time generally varies from kitten to kitten. The time is mostly around an extra week or so. Hence, a walking and playing kitten has to be at least 4 weeks old. 

Behavioral And Developmental Changes

You should take your kitten to the vet to accurately determine the age of the kitten. However, you can also look for some of the signs and changes to properly determine the correct age of your kitten. 

1. Newborn  

The newborn kittens have their eyes closed. The kitten’s eyes slowly begin to open around eight to 12 days after their birth.  

Within these first few days, they generally double their body weight. Their body weight becomes around 150-250 grams. 

2. One Week Old  

The eyes of the kitten still remain closed even when they are 7 days old. After seven days of age, their ear canals start to slowly open. 

Around 8-12 days of age, they slowly start to open their eyes. Always let the eyes of a kitten open on their own. Never try to pry them open forcefully. 

During this period, the body weight of the kitten becomes around 150 to 250 grams. 

3. Two Weeks Old Kitten  

After two weeks, the eyes of a kitten become fully open, and they are generally baby blue in color. 

The vision of a kitten still develops during this stage of their life. The ear canals slowly open up, and the ears become small and more rounded.  

The kitten starts to take wobbly steps during this stage of their life. Their body weight is around 250 to 350 grams in this stage. 

4. Three-Week-Old  

After four weeks of age, the first teeth of a kitten start to erupt. They develop tiny teeth in front of their mouths.  

These teeth are called incisors. These teeth start to poke the gums of the kitten. Generally, kittens develop ears that point upward. 

The kittens generally start walking, they start to explore their surroundings, and they also begin to learn about their litter box. 

The average weight of a kitten is around 350 to 450 grams during this age. Go to your vet if your kitten is underweight at this age. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are the answers to some of the questions that people ask, along with “How old is my kitten?”