How to determine the age of a kitten by weight and teeth. Is it possible and how to determine the age of a kitten by external changes and behavior. How to determine how many kittens a cat will have? Determining the age of kittens

Some people, trying to determine the age of their neighbor's toddler, manage to be mistaken by several years. What can we say about kittens who grow up so quickly that the count is not in years or even months, but in weeks. Any expert or veterinarian can accurately name the age characteristics of a little mustachioed fidget, since he knows the main stages of the formation of these elegant and wayward creatures. But it is not at all difficult for the simple owner of a furry creature to comprehend this science.

Why do you need to know the age of a kitten?

It is difficult to imagine a situation where there is any practical sense in clearly establishing the age of a pet. The dosage of food or medicine for cats (as well as for people) is calculated by weight, the date of birth of breeding animals is indicated by the breeder in the accompanying documents (in the pedigree and veterinary passport), and if the kitten was picked up on the street, it does not matter. how many weeks or months old he is.

Determining the exact age of stray kittens is unlikely to make practical sense

This is how our first cat came into the house. My father brought it, warming him from the severe frost on his chest. The little creature had not yet learned to walk and swayed funny on its weak legs. The unfortunate child also did not know how to feed himself, and we took turns feeding him with milk formula from a pipette, without thinking at all about the age of our new pet. Somehow, imperceptibly, an adult robber grew out of a tiny lump, who amused himself by closing the valve in the bathroom from the inside with his paw, scaring everyone in the household to death (we thought a thief had broken in with us), in a word, the question of how many weeks the baby was originally lost its relevance very fast.

There are situations when the lack of basic ideas about what kittens look like at a given age can cause quite certain inconveniences, but this applies primarily to expensive purebred animals.

Once, a potential buyer, negotiating with the author the conditions for purchasing an Abyssinian boy, asked to send him a video in which he could see the kittens, and after studying the recording, he hesitantly asked whether the babies were really only three months old, since they supposedly looked six months old.

Three-month-old kittens differ from their parents only in size

Experts know well that by the age of three months, kittens differ from adult animals only in size, but even this difference can only be noticed when there is a “sample” nearby for comparison. The association of felinological clubs World Cat Federation (WCF) categorically does not recommend separating kittens from their mother before they reach three months of age. Because of this requirement (absolutely justified, by the way), one can often encounter a situation where, seeing in front of him not a kitten, but a small cat, the buyer believes that they are trying to sell him an overgrown animal, although in fact this is not the case.

Let's give another specific example of a situation where the ability to determine the age of a kitten by external signs will help you avoid becoming a victim of scammers.

There are clear rules for transporting animals across the state border. We will not go into details; we will only note that compliance with all established standards practically excludes the legal import of a kitten under five months into the country.

But sometimes you can come across intermediaries offering (for a high fee, of course) services for delivering an animal to any European country, bypassing the required procedures. An important conclusion follows from this: if you are offered to purchase a breeding kitten that appears to be no more than three months old, and at the same time they claim that the animal was brought from abroad, this is either fraud or smuggling, and it is unsafe for the health of the cat. It is possible that the baby, contrary to the mark in the accompanying documents, does not have the necessary vaccination against rabies or the vaccination was carried out earlier than the established deadlines. It is not known which is worse, especially considering that most likely no one will tell you the truth.

A kitten under five months of age cannot be brought into the country legally.

In a word, if for the owner of an ordinary yard Murka the ability to determine her age is nothing more than curiosity, then for those who intend to acquire a breeding kitten and are going to pay a tidy sum for their future pet, such a skill is needed as a very real protection from unscrupulous traders of “live goods”.

“Whiskers, paws, tail - these are my documents”

Newborn kittens look like little worms. The length of their body, covered with delicate fur (quite a pronounced color, by the way), is no more than 10 cm, they are blind, deaf and helpless. During the first few days, the tiny lumps only sleep and eat, touchingly pushing each other with their thin paws. Babies four to five days old are still blind, but they can already hear and even react to some stimuli.

Newborn kittens are blind, deaf and helpless

Place your finger on the face of a kitten that is barely a few days old, and you will be surprised to notice how the baby tries to hiss indignantly, almost like an adult predator.

Other people's children grow up very quickly, but in cats this process happens simply rapidly. We have already said that a kitten goes from a helpless tadpole to a fully formed small predator in three months, but still we are not talking about a magical transformation, but about a consistent change. And it is precisely by how the appearance and behavior of an animal changes that one can quite clearly determine its age.

Age and size

The weight of a kitten at birth is a relative value and depends on many different factors, but on average we are talking about one hundred grams with a possible error of 10–20% in both directions.

In the following days and weeks, the babies begin to rapidly gain weight, from which it would seem that the age of the kitten can be determined by weight. There are even specially compiled tables of the relationship between these two parameters, but it is enough to compare the data given in different sources to notice how much they diverge. And this is no coincidence, because the current weight of an animal is a very individual indicator. Trying to determine the age of a kitten based on its weight is as absurd as making similar conclusions regarding a human cub.

A cat's weight depends on many factors

It is clear that the kittens of a miniature Kao Mani and a heavy Maine Coon are two big differences: at birth, their weight categories are quite comparable, but the growth of large cats is much more intense, so that by the end of the first month the gap becomes obvious. However, the weight of a growing animal is influenced not only by the breed, but also by many other factors, in particular:

• the number of babies in the litter (the more there are, the less milk each gets and the slower the weight gain);
• mother's diet during pregnancy and lactation;
• the kitten's health status;
• gender (at birth the weight of boys and girls is no different, but as they grow, males begin to gain weight a little faster than females).

We will still provide some generalized data on how quickly a kitten is gaining weight, but they are needed not to determine the age of the animal, but to answer the question of whether everything is okay with it. Everything here is the same as in humans: normal weight gain indicates that the animal is healthy and not starving.

A baby who is not gaining weight well needs to be fed extra food

During the first days of life, kittens should gain between 7 and 15 grams of weight each day, and by the end of the second week they will usually double their initial weight. Then the weight gain gradually slows down, so that up to six months the animal gains about 100 g per week.

After six months, the kitten’s growth is generally complete; a slight increase in weight in the subsequent period is possible only due to the development and strengthening of the muscles. The final formation of a cat (including puberty) ends at one and a half or two years.

Table: average normal weight of kittens of different breeds as they grow older

*By the end of the first day, the kitten’s weight may decrease slightly, this is not contrary to the norm.

For the reasons described above, you cannot rely on the size of the animal. Even among breeding cats, officially established standards allow significant fluctuations in “dimensions” (this is very clearly seen from the last line of the table above regarding weight limits), and we can’t even talk about yard Murks. Without knowing to what parameters the kitten intends to grow, it is impossible to determine how many weeks or months this process has already been going on.

Large size can be genetically determined in a cat

The author had the good fortune to meet an ordinary street cat of truly incredible size. He wasn't fat, he was just big! Perhaps his grandmother sinned with a caracal, but the “cat” was about 40 cm tall at the withers and overall looked no smaller than an English cocker. If it occurred to someone to determine the age of such a cat based on its size, the result would be, to put it mildly, unreliable.

The height and weight of a kitten are not the best initial data for determining its age.

Formation of teeth

Newly born kittens do not have teeth, which means their presence and degree of development can indicate the age of the baby.

In cats, like in people, the formation of teeth occurs in two stages: first, milk teeth grow, then they are replaced by molars. This complex system is explained by the fact that during the process of growth in a young animal, the formation of all organs and parts of the body continues, including the jaw, which greatly increases in size during the first year of life. To provide the animal with the ability to normally grasp and chew food, it needs teeth already in the early stages, but they cannot change along with the growth of the jaw. Nature has found a smart way out of this situation - temporary teeth and their subsequent replacement.

The kitten's incisors are the first to grow, but by the end of the first month the fangs appear.

Changing teeth (so-called diphyodontia) is characteristic of most mammals, although there are exceptions. For example, whales and so-called edentates (sloths, armadillos and anteaters) receive only one row of teeth throughout their lives. Rodents' incisors do not change; they simply grow throughout their lives, and the animal gradually grinds them down.

An adult cat has 30 molars, but only 26 baby teeth. Since they all grow in a strictly defined sequence and at the right time, here, unlike the situation with weight, the dependence on the age of the kitten is direct and obvious.

Table: the number and condition of a kitten’s teeth as it grows older

It is interesting that based on the condition of the teeth, experts quite accurately determine the age of an adult cat, but if, speaking of a kitten, attention should be paid to the very presence of certain teeth, then in a “well-worn” animal these most important organs begin to turn yellow, wear out and then fall out, and also in a strictly defined sequence.

It should be recognized that the teeth are the most reliable indicator of the age of an animal; another thing is that only a specialist can “read this book” correctly. Of course, it is relatively easy to catch a kitten and, looking into its mouth, count its fangs and incisors (however, try!), but the answer to the question of whether they are deciduous or molar can cause difficulties.

The number and condition of teeth allows you to most accurately determine the age of a kitten

We can talk for a long time about the external differences between permanent and temporary teeth, but let’s be honest: if you are not a professional breeder, do not look for obvious answers in the mouth of your tailed pet.

Other external "markers"

The standard for each cat breed describes a lot of characteristics that the animal must meet. Moreover, any specialist knows well that they all form gradually, which is why self-respecting experts never evaluate kittens, at least until they reach three months of age. But this rule can also be looked at from the other side: depending on how formed the animal is, one can judge its age. Here, anything can act as a marker - eyes, ears, fur, proportions, etc.

Eyes

The easiest way to determine the age of a kitten from birth to two weeks is by looking at its eyes. Blind at birth, babies begin to “see” between the first and second weeks of life, and by 15 days of age they are already looking at the world.

So, at first everything is very simple:

• if the eyes are tightly closed, the kitten is from one day to a week old;
• if the eyes begin to open (one at a time, from the corner on the side of the bridge of the nose) - a baby from a week to ten days;
• If the eyes are completely open, the kitten is at least 10 days old.

Kittens' eyes open no earlier than 10 days of age.

Dark blue eye color is temporary, it will soon change dramatically

Starting from the third week, children’s “look” gradually becomes clearer, and around the end of the second month, the eye acquires the “proper” color. In different breeds, this process may occur in a special way, in addition, up to a year, some changes in shade are possible, but the general trend is exactly this.

It is worth noting that some cat breeds (for example, Siamese) always have blue eyes, that is, they do not seem to change color. But anyone who has at least once seen the huge dark eyes of a two-week-old kitten will confirm: this shade cannot be confused with anything else.

Ears

Newborn babies' ears look like small rags, located not on top, like adult cats, but almost on the sides of the head.

Newborn kittens' ears are located on the sides of their heads.

They are soft, barely noticeable and almost pressed against the skull, in a downward diagonal direction. The process of ear formation begins in the second week. The pinnae gradually open and the ears slowly move into the correct position on the head, enlarged and elongated, but still remain disproportionately small and noticeably more rounded than on an adult cat. By the end of the sixth week, the kitten’s ears are already in their place, but these organs acquire their final shape in the same notorious 3 months.

The kitten’s ears gradually straighten and take on their proper shape.

This, of course, does not apply to fold-eared cats; these animals have their own history. The folding of ears in Scottish Folds occurs in the second to fourth week of life (the period from the 18th to the 20th day is considered especially important, usually at this moment it is decided whether lop ears will appear), but this process is very individual. The ear can rise, like a normal cat's, but gradually a bend begins to form at its tip, descending more and more downwards.

In lop-eared kittens, the ears do not rise, but rather fall down.

In general, the rule is the same for everyone: ears on the sides mean that the kitten is less than three weeks old, ears on the top of the head mean at least one and a half months.

Wool

In popular articles you can often find bravura statements that the age of a kitten can be determined by the condition of its fur, but no one explains exactly how to do this. Indeed, kittens are not born naked; hair is initially present on their bodies. Moreover, we note that this is wool, and not down, because it contains both types of hair - guard and down.

And yet, the undercoat (fluff) of babies is noticeably larger than that of adult cats, and this is very noticeable to the touch. The animal’s body is completely overgrown with dense, straight, hard and long hairs by five to eight months, which is preceded by the first molt.

Not all cats have fur

There are, however, cats whose coat condition changes as they grow up so much that it can be determined not only by touch, but also visually. First of all, we are talking about ticking - a special color, which is characterized by alternating several shades along the length of each guard hair.

A three-month-old Abyssinian has clearly visible ticking

The most prominent representatives of ticked cats are the Abyssinians. Ticking begins to form in the third month of a kitten's life; in babies, the guard hairs do not have a pattern.

Proportions

As already mentioned, in just three months the kitten’s appearance changes dramatically: from a disproportionate creature with a huge head, thin legs and an impressive belly, the baby turns into a graceful predator with strong muscles. The state of this transformation can also be used to judge the age of the kitten.

A one-month-old kitten has a large head and short legs

So, by the age of one month, the baby’s limbs are already quite strong, but short and thick, and the head still remains disproportionately large. Gradually, the paws stretch out, the entire body increases in size, and the animal becomes closer to the adult standard.

Determining age by behavior

How strange: spoiled children, especially strangers, usually cause us irritation; at best, we do our best to restrain ourselves, trying to be tolerant. But looking at the raging kittens, ready to destroy the whole house in their noisy games, a stupid, touching smile stretches even the faces of stern people.

Kitten games are always a delight

One day, an indignant neighbor rang the author’s doorbell, haunted by the constant roar coming from above. Having crossed the threshold, the man looked for several minutes at the three-month-old kittens, selflessly chasing an empty plastic bottle around the floor, then thoughtfully asked: “How much does it cost?” - and went for the money.

Determining the age of a kitten by its behavior is much more pleasant than looking into the mouth of a small predator and counting its teeth.

Learning to walk

Babies take their first hesitant steps towards the end of the second week of life. At first, it is difficult for them to maintain balance; they sway funny even when sitting, and when they rise to their feet, they have difficulty supporting their plump body on them. Gradually, the forays from the nest become more and more distant, and finally, the bravest one completes the inspection of the entire house.

Between two weeks and a month, babies learn not only to walk, but also to run, jump and climb vertical surfaces using their claws. Having fallen from a height (for example, from a sofa), the baby no longer plops down on the floor with his whole body, but gracefully lands on his paws, deftly turning around in the air.

Month-old kittens run around the house like mad, often knocking over objects in their path.

Hunting is the most important skill for a kitten

By two months, children gradually master hunting skills, their movements and games become more and more “adult”.

From three to six months, the childhood age of small cats is revealed only by excessive activity and immoderate curiosity. By the way, it is during this period that animals often get into trouble, sometimes ending in tragedy.

The author had to endure several terrible hours when his four-month-old cat, having inexplicably slipped through the opened door, decided to explore the new territory and fell into the open hatch of the garbage chute, flying nine floors. Fortunately, the landing was successful: the janitor heard a plaintive meow, and the prodigal daughter was returned to her family.

Learning to eat

As mentioned, WCF strongly recommends that kittens not be separated from their mother until they are three months old. All this time, babies continue to receive mother's milk, but starting from eight weeks, this process is more an element of family communication than nutrition.

They say that kittens need to start switching to solid food at about a month of age, but the author has never had to do this: babies are remarkably “transferred” to adult food on their own when one of them first wanders into the kitchen in search of their mother and discovers her in front of a fragrantly smelling plate.

A month-old fidget will find a bowl of “adult” food on its own

One way or another, kittens begin to feed on their own (lapping and grabbing pieces of food with their teeth) from the ninth week. By this time, as we remember, they have already formed a full row of baby teeth. So, if your baby is pointlessly poking at his plate, he is most likely not yet eight weeks old.

As soon as the kitten begins to receive other food in addition to mother's milk, it is time to accustom it to the tray. Breastfed babies are licked by the cat herself, so they do not need the toilet.

In conclusion, it is worth noting that the speed at which kittens acquire all the above skills largely depends on whether there is an object to imitate nearby. The WCF requirements about the need for kittens to stay in a “full family” for a sufficiently long time are dictated precisely by the fact that for the correct formation of a cat’s character, receiving full maternal education is very important. A puppy can be taught everything necessary by a person, but in cats this function belongs to the mother.

No one can teach a kitten everything necessary for life better than its mother.

This means that if you pick up a helpless baby on the street who can neither walk nor feed himself, perhaps he will learn all this a little later than expected, so when determining the age of your pet, make allowances for his “difficult childhood.” .

Video: two-month-old kittens playing next to their calm mother

Often, the age of a kitten is a sealed secret (unless, of course, you were personally present at its birth). But by looking closely at your pet, you can break these seals one by one. External signs (weight, size, presence and number of teeth, eye color, ear shape, coat condition, proportions), as well as behavioral characteristics should be used as “keys”. Not all of the mentioned tips have the same degree of reliability and information content, but if you study them together and correctly compare the results, the answer you receive will be very close to the truth.

Every person who lives next to cats knows how wise they are and how mysterious their world is. Despite its independence, the cat knows exactly at what moments human participation in its affairs is absolutely necessary.

One of these periods is childbirth, which she perceives as something dangerous for her life. Therefore, at home, many cats literally ask and demand that the owner be next to her, because the first kitten is about to be born, and perhaps the next ones will follow.

How long does a cat bear kittens, for how long and what helps her bear healthy offspring - these are far from idle questions to which the owners of these cute animals want to know the answers.

Cat's pregnancy period

Scientific research has proven that pregnancy in a cat consists of five stages. Depending on what breed the cat is, she will bear offspring from 58 to 72 days. So, for short-haired individuals this period is 58-68 days, and cats with long hair should bear babies from 62 to 72 days.

A relationship has also been established between how long pregnancy lasts and the number of future offspring. If a cat is to give birth to one kitten or two, then she will bear them longer than five or more kittens.

Signs of pregnancy in a cat

The onset of pregnancy in cats is not difficult to determine if you know the main signs of its manifestation:

• the cat’s behavior changes, it becomes less active (immediately in the first week);
• Over the next two weeks, the animal may vomit (especially in the morning). This condition goes away after a few days, but the cat will now sleep and eat more than usual;
• in the third week her nipples turn pink and swell. An experienced veterinarian can detect pregnancy in a cat within 20 days, although the kitten at this stage is no larger than a peanut.

Stages of pregnancy

1. At 30-31 days, the cat’s tummy becomes noticeable, since the length of the future kitten already reaches 3-3.5 cm.
2. At 5-6 weeks of pregnancy, when the embryos have descended into the abdominal cavity, you can try to guess how long the cat carries kittens.
3. Approximately from the 42nd to the 50th day, active development of the embryos occurs, that is, already at seven weeks you can (very carefully) palpate the kitten’s head and feel the baby’s movement. At the same time The cat's appetite noticeably worsens, she becomes restless and begins to choose a quiet place where the kittens will soon be born. With light stroking, you can determine how many babies will appear, especially if there are more than two kittens.
4. After the 50th day, kittens show noticeable activity in the cat's tummy. She herself is often restless and may experience urinary incontinence. At that time owners need to be patient and attentive to everything that happens to their pet. After all, no one knows better than she herself how much time remains before giving birth. About a day before they start, she will actively look for a secluded place, and the cat’s owners must prepare everything necessary for the birth of the babies.

Preparing for childbirth

The first thing to do is try to stay at home with the cat on the expected day of birth. Next you need to prepare:

After the birth of the last kitten, the box is covered with clean diapers and covered halfway on top to allow the cat to rest.

It should be noted that if the cat does not give birth on time, this will automatically increase the risk of giving birth to a sick or non-viable kitten.

If the cat was properly cared for during pregnancy, she is healthy and the birth ended successfully, then most often 3 kittens are born. From the statistics it follows:

1. If cats give birth for the first time, they will have smaller offspring than in subsequent litters. The first labor usually lasts longer. Moreover, after the birth of the first kitten, 10-15 minutes pass and the next baby appears (however, this interval cannot be more than 2 hours). The average duration of labor is 2-6 hours. In very rare cases it reaches 1-1.5 days.
2. Cats that give birth again will have a significantly larger litter than in the first birth. A separate topic is late pregnancy and childbirth in cats older than 8 years. Veterinarians consider this condition dangerous for her due to post-term kittens, which often happens at this age. The worst thing is that the cubs can be born lifeless.

Newborn kittens

A newborn kitten does not see or hear for about ten days, but it has a well-developed sense of smell and touch, which is necessary when searching for the nipple of a mother cat.

On average, babies weigh 57−115 grams, with an average length of 10−12 cm. Already on the fourth day kitten massages mother's belly with paws to get enough milk. And by the end of the first week, his eyes open (by the age of three weeks he will see well) and his weight doubles. When a kitten is one month old, its milk teeth grow, and in five-month-old fluffies, the milk teeth are replaced by permanent ones.

At one month of age, you can prepare minced meat for kittens and feed them little by little. Only Be sure to keep an eye on the freshness of the food and water for drinking. It must be accessible and in the required quantity.

The most interesting thing begins at the end of the first month, when the kitten can already sit and move confidently. In addition, you can play with it little by little. If there are several kittens in a litter, then they all stay together in their nest and never leave. This continues until they are 1.5 months old.

If the need arises, the cat, carefully holding the kitten by the scruff of the neck, can move it to another place. She will do the same to him when the time comes. teach him many vital rules and how to take care of yourself. Having reached the age of 6 months, the kitten ceases to depend on its mother.

Care and affection are very important for furry babies, as both of these factors influence the formation of their character. Experts recommend adopting a kitten when it is about 8 weeks old. By this time, he already has 26 milk teeth, and weighs 700-800 grams. Mother cats part with their cubs calmly, but if they still look for the kitten, then, making sure that it is not nearby, they finally calm down.

Conclusion

After the cat becomes pregnant, the owner needs to follow simple recommendations for caring for her during this period.

1. A pregnant cat does not need to be vaccinated or given any medications.
2. From weeks 2 to 7, it is necessary to increase her usual diet by 1.5-2 times.
3. Starting from the 7th week, you should, on the contrary, reduce the amount of food per meal, and feeding should be three or five times a day. Nutrients you need to include in your food:

• proteins;
• vitamins;
• mineral elements.

It is better to find out how much and in what proportion of healthy nutrition a cat should receive during pregnancy at an appointment with a veterinarian. After all, at this time, the correct development and successful birth of kittens depends on her health.

Scientific research confirms the fact that there is an inverse relationship between how long pregnancy lasts and the number of kittens in the litter. The fewer babies, the longer they need to be carried and vice versa. The gestation period also differs slightly among different breeds and ranges from 58 to 72 days.

When choosing a method of treating a disease in a kitten or an adult cat, when looking for the dosage of medications, vitamins and supplements, it is necessary to determine the age of the animal. If there is no opportunity to contact the specialists of a veterinary office, you will have to make do on your own.

Determining age is not as difficult as it seems. You should act step by step, analyzing and comparing data on some physiological indicators of the animal. Determining the age of a kitten is much easier than finding out how old an adult is.

Show all

By what indicators can you determine the age of a kitten?

Starting from the age of six months, the cat’s body lives an adult life, the age of which is much more difficult to determine.

Up to six months, age is determined by a non-professional quite accurately - with an error of several weeks to a month.

You can judge the age of a kitten or adult cat by the following indicators:

• some elements of appearance;
• examining the kitten's teeth;
• by the eyes;
• based on the ratio of the cat's weight and size.



Worship of cats in Ancient Egypt - interesting facts

Appearance

Small kittens can be easily identified by age and many parameters, primarily by the condition of the umbilical cord. If there are traces of it, we can conclude that the kitten is no more than a week old.

Little kittens have specific physique. Before reaching the age of one month, the body is disproportionate: with a fairly large head, miniature ears, short and weak legs. When the kitten reaches one month of age, the body and legs stretch out. The ears are just as small, the head fits into the general proportions.

By one and a half months, the color of the eyes begins to match the overall color of the coat.

In the two-month period, the body becomes elongated; in the three-month period, the ears increase in size.



Mustache

Whiskers serve an important function in a cat's life, helping to navigate in space.

Starting from the age of nine, the mustache turns grey, and whiskers begin to be visible among the dark ones.



Dental changes

Just as a human child's new teeth grow gradually, a kitten's teeth do not appear at the same time.

Kittens are born without teeth, and from the second week their first milk teeth begin to erupt. At 2–4 weeks, the incisors emerge, at 3–4 weeks, the canines appear, and at 6–8 weeks, the premolars appear. Kittens do not yet have molars, that is, molars. In total, animals have 26 milk teeth, which differ in structure and color from permanent ones.

Starting from 3.5 months, the replacement of baby teeth with permanent ones begins. The process starts with the first and second incisors. From the fourth month - premolars; from the fifth - molars. From 5.5 months, the canines on the upper and lower jaws are replaced. From the fifth month, the replacement of rudimentary fangs on both jaws begins. The process lasts up to 7 months. Like human teeth changing, the process is individual and can last up to 9 months. In males it begins earlier than in females.

So, an adult has 30 permanent teeth:

• 12 incisors are divided into sixes of the upper and lower jaws;
• 4 fangs - two on each jaw;
• 10 premolars;
• 4 molars.

Knowing and clearly distinguishing the sequence of appearance and names of teeth will help you recognize the age of a kitten by the appearance or eruption of teeth. An illustration will help you avoid getting confused about the names and locations of teeth.



When determining the age of a kitten, you should pay attention to his behavior. If your pet has ruined the upholstery of the furniture by chewing it, hunts for laces and chews them at night, this may be a sign of teething. When teething, there is a need to chew toys, bedding, and other objects that interest the animal.

It is indeed possible to determine the age of a baby by the appearance of teeth, but if the animal is an adult, this approach may fail. For a mature individual, the condition of the teeth will indicate age only approximately. An old cat may have both diseased and dilapidated teeth.

Changes in the dental formula after the change of primary teeth can be taken into account in a complex analysis with other indicators in determining the age of the cat.

By the age of one and a half years, the main lobes of the first incisors of the lower jaw are fully formed. According to average indications, there are data characterizing tooth abrasion, however, due to the specific characteristics and subjective indicators of the life of an adult cat, they may not coincide with the real situation. If the lobes of the first and second incisors on the lower jaw are erased, then the cat is already at least 2–2 years and 5 months old. The lobes of the first incisors on the upper and lower jaws are worn away by the age of 3 years and 5 months. If a cat has worn out the lobes of the first and second incisors of both jaws, then he is at least 4 years and 5 months old. If the lobes are present only on the canines of the upper jaw, then the age of the animal is close to 5 years and 5 months. If the surface of the incisors is oval, the cat is about 10 years old. Loss of the first and second incisors on the upper and lower jaws is typical for 12 years. Loss of all incisors is typical for people aged at least 16 years.

Eye color

Eye color changes throughout a cat's life. If we do not take this factor into account for individuals of certain breeds, in which the eye color given from birth no longer changes throughout their lives, this will help to approximately determine the age of the animal.

The eye completely opens in kittens at approximately 10–14 days of age. The eyes should be the same size and fully open. If one eye is noticeably different from the other, then with some confidence we can say that the kitten is no more than 1.5 weeks old.



Eye color also indicates the cat's maturity. Kittens of all breeds have blue irises only after opening. Subsequently, the color changes to another, called “true cat” - it is green or yellow, sometimes amber. The process of color change begins at the age of three months. The final coloration is acquired by the animal at six months.

The change in the iris of the eyes is not so noticeable: only the shade of baby blue changes. In such cases, determining the age of an animal by eye color is difficult.

There are a number of cat breeds that have blue eyes for the rest of their lives. These are Polynesian, Siamese, Neva, Sphynx, Balinese, Ojos Azules, white Angora, Neva masquerade cats. For individuals of the listed breeds, it is impossible to determine age by eye color.

Animal size and weight

If the animal does not have serious diseases, it is permissible to use size and weight measurements to determine age.

Recommendations for the relationship between the age and size of a cat should be taken into account that a particular individual could be born slightly larger or smaller than the average. If this fact occurs, then a deviation of 2–3 centimeters from the average readings is acceptable:

• If the length of the kitten, excluding the tail, is no more than 12 cm, then we can say that it has just been born.
• The length of the body without a tail is 15 cm, so the kitten is about 4 weeks old.
• About 20 cm body length is an indicator of 3 months.
• From the age of two months, boys may be larger in build than girls. With the size of a teenage cat being 23–24 cm, we can assume that the age is about 4 months. A five-month-old girl will measure about 25 cm.
• At the age of six months, the main growth of the animal stops; the length of the body, excluding the tail, is about 26–27 cm. Boys are longer by 2 to 6 cm.

In the system for calculating the weight of a cat, the weight of a newborn is taken as the starting indicator - this is 90–100 g. The deviation for subjective factors is assumed to be 20–30 g. The cat gains weight before reaching the age of two.

At the end of the first week, the approximate weight of the kitten is about 113–115 g. By the end of the second week, it increases to 200 g, by the end of the third - to 280 g. In subsequent weight changes, it increases noticeably faster. By the end of the fourth week his weight is 370 g, at the end of the fifth - 450 g.



The indications given in the recommendations are conditional and approximate. A healthy kitten, with proper nutrition and care, increases by approximately 100 g every week. Having reached six months, the cat develops more slowly. Noticeable changes in weight will appear once a month. Even with abundant feeding, the animal gains little weight over the course of a week. The parameters of weight, height, eye color and other characteristics are set very conditionally, therefore, to obtain more accurate information, it is necessary to compare data from different age determination methods.

Determining the weight of an active, curious pet is quite possible at home. The kitten's maximum activity occurs at six months. This period lasts up to one and a half years. As time passes, the animal becomes calmer.

It’s good when your pet’s passport contains the exact date of birth. But it happens that a kitten was not purchased from a caring breeder, but was simply picked up on the street. Then it is necessary to determine his age at least approximately. This will allow you to choose the right nutrition and care, set a date for the first treatment against worms and vaccinations, and calculate your age in the future.

It is very difficult to determine the age of adult cats; even experienced veterinarians do not undertake to give exact figures. But in young animals up to 6-8 months, there are external signs by which the approximate age can be determined.

Newborns: up to 7 days

3 weeks – 1 month

The first baby teeth (incisors) usually erupt during the 3rd week of life. Baby canines (these sharp teeth are easy to spot) appear at about a month. The kitten is already firmly on its feet, walks confidently, and deftly turns over. Kids, who previously only ate and slept, become curious and actively explore the space, and begin.

At 5-6 weeks of age

Kittens develop very quickly. By one and a half months they have:

• deciduous premolars (chewing teeth behind the canines) are emerging;
• the eyes change color (the baby blue of the iris goes away).

Such a cub weighs no less than 250 g and can already run. The ability to move quickly is a sure sign that the pet is more than 5 weeks old. At this age, kittens look quite confident in themselves, coordination improves noticeably. The kittens begin to lick themselves.

You can switch from cat milk replacer to. The most convenient are the commercial diets “babycat” and “kitten”, which are allowed from 1 month. Kittens willingly eat canned food, but if finances are limited, you can also offer dry food. The small granules are easily soaked in water, and some kittens chew and swallow them in their original form.

During this period it is possible to carry out

When buying a kitten with a pedigree, its date of birth is known exactly, as well as if it was born in your home. However, there are situations when age needs to be established. In this case, some go to the veterinarian, because a specialist can accurately determine how many days/months the pet is. However, you can determine its age yourself.

You can understand how long ago a kitten was born by its size:

For up to 10 days, an animal (even representatives of large breeds, such as the Maine Coon) fits in the palm of a person, since its length (excluding the tail) is approximately 12 centimeters. At the same time, the body is disproportionate - the head looks much larger than the body. During the first month of life, the kitten grows up to 15 cm. By the end of the second month, the height is 16-18 cm, the third - 18.5-20.5 cm. By this time, the body also stretches, muscles develop, the legs become longer and stronger. By six months the animal usually reaches 3/4 the size of an adult. After 9 months, most representatives of the cat family stop growing, with the exception of large breeds.

Cats grow faster than cats!

Weighing will also help determine your date of birth. A week-old kitten weighs on average up to 120 grams, a half-month-old kitten weighs from 120 to 170 grams, a three-week-old kitten weighs up to 260, a month-old kitten weighs from 350 to 550 (representatives of large breeds) grams. At one and a half months the weight is up to 760 grams, at two months – no more than 1.3 kg, at two and a half – up to 1.5 kg, at three – up to 2.3 kg. After that, the animal gains about 0.5 kg every month.

If the kitten is tiny, you can examine its stomach. If an umbilical cord is found, the animal is no more than 3 days old.

Teeth

The age of both very small and adult individuals can be determined by the teeth. Teeth begin to grow at 2-3 weeks, and fangs appear at 3-4 weeks. Next, the premolars erupt. If the baby has molars, then he is more than 8 weeks old, and if 4 molars have already grown, then he is at least 7 months old.

An adult cat has 30 molars, including: 12 incisors, 10 premolars, 4 molars and canines.

By the age of one and a half years, the teeth turn yellow, the incisors begin to wear out, and at the age of 5-5.5 years the same fate befalls the fangs. After 10 years, loss of incisors is noted, and from 14-15 years the animal also loses its fangs.

Eyes

Kittens are born blind and usually remain that way for at least 10 days. On average, their eyes open after 2 weeks from the moment of birth. Narrow and asymmetrical eyes indicate that the animal is about 3 weeks old. Have you noticed that your eyes have started to change color? The pet is approximately 6 weeks old.

All kittens' eyes are blue and cloudy at first!

Ears

The age of cats is also determined by their ears. From the moment of birth until 5-8 days, the ears are pressed to the head, since the ear canals are closed, but by the end of the third week they will be fully expanded. At 12-16 weeks, the ears lengthen and take on a permanent shape.

Behavior

And of course, you can judge age by behavior. The animal takes its first hesitant steps at 10-14 days and, staggering, can even move a meter and a half away from its mother and brothers and sisters; before that, it only crawls on its stomach.

Closer to 3 weeks, the baby stands confidently on his paws. By the end of the fourth week of life, he is already moving more actively around the room, he can jump, and by the eighth week he has excellent control of his body, plays and moves a lot.

At 2-3 weeks the kitten reacts to noise and external stimuli.

Puberty begins at 4 months. Some individuals, under the influence of hormones, meow loudly and ask to go outside. In cats, the first heat is observed at 4-6 months; cats at this age can mark their territory, and some try to mate. However, remember that early mating leads to serious consequences, so carefully monitor your four-legged pet. This time is considered optimal for castration and sterilization; it is better to do this before the first heat in cats and hormonal explosion in cats. By 7 months of life, all felines are considered sexually mature.

Now you know how to determine the age of a kitten, but if you still doubt your calculations, contact a specialist.