Friday 4 July 2014

New Born Kittens Development - Week 5

Activity increase. The kittens sight is fully developed at five weeks. The kittens are also very active and confident - I often find them climbing my guitar case and book shelf. Kitten at this stage will start exploring a lot more, often stalking, wrestling and pouncing on their litter mates. The kittens may also experiment sleeping in different and somewhat awkward places (mine decided that my guitar amp is a great place to have a nap), gently move them to their bed so they can get used to their place of rest.

Weaning process starts. The weaning process can begin around five weeks of age. I started by leaving dry and wet kitten food available. Not all kittens will take to food immediately, so patience is important. Introduce a small amount, initially. You can introduce solids either by placing a small amount of food on your finger or in a cat bowl. Select a quality brand of canned kitten food (ask your vet) with a named meat source as the first ingredient (chicken is good). Many breeders and rescuers will have been feeding this food to the mother cat, and the kittens will quickly accommodate to eating mom's food.

Litter training. You can start this from week three. From week five however they should be able to confidently use the litter tray. Although you could still find some "accidents". Be patient! Make sure that the bedding is easily washable, so you can ensure the area remains clean. Provide your kittens with a small litter tray, and make sure it has litter which is safe for young kittens to use (and possibly eat).