The term kitten most commonly refers to a pre-adolescent cat. It may also refer to a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog or squirrel. This article discusses kittens of the domestic cat.
Birth and development
A litter of kittens usually consists of three to six kittens. Born after approximately 63 days of gestation, kittens emerge in an amnion which is bitten off and eaten by the mother cat. Their eyes remain closed for their first week to 10 days of life. For the first several weeks, kittens are unable to urinate or defecate without being stimulated by their mother.
Between 2 and 7 weeks kittens develop very quickly. Their coordination and strength improve and they spar with their litter-mates and begin to explore the world outside the nest. They learn to wash themselves and others and to play hunting and stalking games. If they are outdoor cats their mother or other adult cats may demonstrate hunting techniques for them to emulate.
Gradually as they reach 2 months of age the kittens are weaned and begin to eat solid food. Kittens live primarily on solid food after weaning but usually continue to suckle from time to time until separated from their mothers. Some mother cats will scatter their kittens as early as at 3 months of age while others continue to look after them until they approach sexual maturity.
Between 2 and 6 months, kittens grow quickly, going through a "leggy" and energetic phase. By the end of its first year, the kitten has become a cat, although some larger breeds such as the Maine Coon may take a few more months to attain full adult size. The breed Manx requires full five years before becoming fully grown. Kittens usually become sexually mature at 6-8 months, but females in particular can mature earlier.
Kittens are highly social animals and spend most of their waking hours interacting with their mother and littermates. Although domestic kittens are commonly sent to new homes at 6-8 weeks of age, some experts believe that being with its mother and littermates from 6-12 weeks is important for a kitten's social development. Most cat breeders will not sell a kitten that is younger than 12 weeks.
The young of cats larger than the common domestic cat are usually called cubs rather than kittens.
Caring for domestic kittens
Kittens require a diet higher in protein and fat than adult cats do. From weaning until about one year of age they should be fed a diet specifically formulated for kittens. Most veterinarians reccomend that kittens be vaccinated against common illnesses beginning at 2-3 months of age and spayed or neutered at 5-8 months of age. Some veterinarians will spay or neuter kittens who are as young as 6-8 weeks. This practice is particularly common in animal shelters.
Orphaned kittens who are too young to eat solid food should be fed a commercial cat milk replacement formula every two to four hours. Kittens should not be fed cow's milk because it does not provide all of the necessary nutrients and may cause diarrhea. Orphaned kittens who are too young to urinate and defecate at will should be stimulated to do so by rubbing with a damp washcloth after each meal.
Perceptions of cuteness
Feline kittens are stereotypically (and typically) very cute to human perception. There are good evolutionary reasons to expect humans to find juvenile humans, and perhaps juvenile animals in general, cute. Why humans find cats in general cuter than most other species remains a topic of speculation.
As a result of these perceptions, kittens are sometimes referred to figuratively as something pleasant to view or as something that will induce maternal behaviour in humans.
See also
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