Summary
Learn how to determine a kitten’s age, including the condition and/or presence of an umbilical cord and teeth, the degree of openness of eyes and ears, and mobility and weight. Knowing the age of a kitten will help determine the possible care.
If an exact birthdate is unknown, there are physical and behavioral indicators to help determine a kitten’s approximate age.
Determining a Kitten’s Age
Umbilical Cord as an Indicator of Kitten Age
In most cases, newborns will have a visible umbilical cord several inches long. In some cases, the queen may have bitten it off very close to the abdomen.
Never pull on or remove an umbilical cord, and if examining, do so gently.
Kittens less than 12 hours old will have a pliable umbilical cord.
Kittens older than 12 hours but less than approximately 24 hours will have a drier and stiffer umbilical cord.
After 24 hours, the umbilical cord will continue to dry and appear like a stiff, brownish-colored string.
Generally, the umbilical cord will fall off on its own approximately five to ten days after birth. This tends to happen earlier in this time window when kittens are with their mother cat as she continues to lick and clean the kittens.
Eyes as an Indicator of Kitten Age
Kittens are born with their eyelids sealed closed.
Their eyes may begin to gradually open starting with a small slit as early as five days of age and should be fully open by about 8-10 days of age.
One eye may open sooner or faster than the other; never try to pry open a kitten’s eye(s) if they have not yet opened on their own. The eyes of kittens who are with a queen tend to open earlier than those of orphaned kittens.
Note: If there is bulging under or discharge from an eyelid of a kitten whose eyes have not yet opened or fully opened, the kitten should be seen by a veterinarian immediately as there may be an infection.
Kittens are born with blue eyes, which will change to their adult eye color between six and 10 weeks of age. When their eyes first open, not much color is visible because the dilated pupil takes up more space in the eye; the iris, which has the eye color, is therefore less apparent. During the kitten’s maturation process, it is common to see various colored flecks in the eyes. These are from pigment cells located in the iris and are an early indicator of the final eye color.
Kittens’ eyes will be able to follow motion after approximately day 11. At approximately three weeks of age, increased blood flow to the eyes allows for improved vision. At approximately four weeks of age, depth perception develops, and by six weeks of age kittens use vision in addition to smell to locate food and avoid obstacles. True adult vision capability does not develop until eight-plus weeks of age.
Ears as an Indicator of Kitten Age
At birth, kittens’ outer ears (pinnae) are folded flat against the sides of their head. Therefore, they cannot hear well as their pinnae are covering their ear canals.
At approximately two weeks of age, their pinnae will unfold, opening the ear canals, and begin to sit more upright towards the top of their head.
At three to four weeks of age, their pinnae should be upright, sitting on top of their head and appearing similar to the position of an adult cat’s ears.
Teeth as an Indicator of Kitten Age
Teeth are one of the most reliable indicators of age for kittens younger than six months. Kittens are born without visible teeth. Deciduous (baby) teeth are normally replaced by adult (permanent) teeth by six months of age.
The first teeth to erupt through the gums at two to three weeks of age are the incisors, six on top and six on the bottom.
The canine teeth erupt at about three weeks of age, with two on top and two on the bottom.
The premolars erupt between four and six weeks of age, with six on top and four on the bottom. These premolars may take about a week to fully emerge after erupting through the gums.
At about 12 weeks of age, the permanent teeth will start erupting in the same order as the kitten’s deciduous teeth. It is not uncommon to see deciduous and adult teeth simultaneously. The deciduous teeth should eventually fall out; if they do not, they can be removed by a veterinarian. You may not always see the deciduous teeth when they fall out. Sometimes the kitten will swallow them and safely pass them in feces.
Kittens will also acquire four molars with their adult teeth, two on the top and two on the bottom.
Kittens have 26 teeth while adults, with the addition of the four molars, have 30 teeth.
Mobility as an Indicator of Kitten Age
At birth and one week old, kittens have the ability to move by crawling. They are on their abdomen and using their legs to push and pull themselves. Kittens even a few hours old can try to fend off their littermates to gain access to their preferred nipple by pushing aside their littermates
By two to three weeks of age, they begin to put their legs underneath their bodies to stand and start walking unsteadily on their feet. At this age, they will hold their tails straight out behind them.
By four weeks of age, most kittens are walking more steadily. However, they may occasionally stumble and fall until they learn to balance themselves better. Kittens at this age can hold their tail upright and position it left and right to help them balance and walk more steadily.
At five weeks of age, kittens begin running, pouncing and showing interest in toys. Over the next few weeks, their balance and motor skills continue to improve. Kittens develop the ability to retract their claws at four weeks of age, but the ability to retract may be delayed up to a week.
Weight as an Indicator of Kitten Age
Weight alone is not a good indicator of a kitten’s age for many reasons, including: the kitten may be malnourished; different breeds of kittens are larger or smaller than others; the queen’s nutritional health could affect the kitten’s weight, or the kitten could be ill. As a result, kittens may be younger or older than the commonly used weight charts (like the one here) indicate. It is essential to look at physical and behavioral indicators of age in addition to the kitten’s weight when trying to determine an age. Never rely on weight alone.
General Weight Chart for Healthy, Well-Nourished Kittens
| Age | Grams | Ounces | Pounds |
| 0-1 week | 50-150 | 1.76-5.29 | 0.011-0.33 |
| 1-2 weeks | 150-250 | 5.29-8.81 | 0.33-0.55 |
| 2-3 weeks | 250-350 | 8.81-12.35 | 0.55-0.77 |
| 3-4 weeks | 350-450 | 12.35-15.87 | 0.77-1.0 |
| 4-5 weeks | 450-550 | 15.87-19.40 | 1.0-1.22 |
| 5-8 weeks | 550-950 | 19.40-29.98 | 1.22-2.0 |
