Puppy Kitten

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March 17th, 2010 admin Leave a comment Go to comments

Puppy Kitten

Kitten Development

A kitten is not totally independent until about 6 months old. In the wild it would remain with its mother until then, if not longer. A kitten can be fully weaned at about 8 weeks old. It should not leave its mother until then. Pedigree kittens suckle for two weeks longer than non-pedigrees and are not fully weaned until 12 weeks old.

EYES

A kitten's eyes will open from 8 days old onwards, although, some take up to 3 weeks. All kittens are born with blue eyes, as they grow the eyes change colour. The final colour will be evident at 12 weeks old.

TEETH

At 8 weeks all the milk teeth are through, the adult teeth appear at 4 months old. However, unlike puppies they do not spend time teething, the adult teeth grow under the milk teeth.

CLAWS

A kitten is born with the claws extended. As they grow older they learn to retract them. Claws are used for climbing, grooming and protection. They often claw objects at the edge of territories e.g. a tree at the end of the garden. Therefore, it is advisable to move their scratching post to the back door, or near the door of the room they spend most time in.

De-clawing is illegal in the U.K. except for medical reasons. It still continues in the U.S. However it is cruel and involves removing all of the claw and the terminal bone in the toe.Cats are usually de-clawed to avoid them destroying objects and furniture with their claws.

HUNTING

Kittens begin to practice pouncing and hunting with their mother and litter mates from 6 weeks old. Once your kitten begins to hunt properly, you must worm regularly as worms can be passed on from their prey. If your cat brings home mice and birds, it does not mean you are not feeding enough! Your cat may bring you presents, some people believe they do this because they have seen that their owner is incapable of hunting prey for themselves, your cat is ensuring you don't starve!

PURRING

Kittens are able to purr at 1 week old. It is used as a form of communication between them and their mother. They usually purr when contented, for example just before they settle down to sleep. However, they also purr when frightened or in pain as this is less likely to attract the attention of a predator than other noises such as crying.

SCENT BEHAVIOUR

Cats have scent glands on their cheeks, chin, lips, feet and at the base of their tail. When they scratch trees, posts and other objects in their territory they are using the glands on their feet to mark. They can taste scent by opening their mouth, to allow air over this organ. They may rub themselves around you or objects in your house. This is known as chinning when they use their head and allows them to mark you with their scent.

About the Author

John Burns is a qualified veterinarian
who for the past fourteen years has also been producing a natural, holistic and
complete food for dogs and cats, Burns Real Food - free of artificial colours,
flavourings and preservatives.
As a practising Veterinary Surgeon, John became increasingly concerned about the
quality of pet foods on the market, and how nutrition was playing a part in the
poor health of the pets that he was seeing in his surgery.
Burns Pet Nutrition are known for being an ethical company with excellent customer
service and nutrition support which can be accessed via their website www.burns-pet-nutrition.co.uk