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Birth-2 weeks
Normal at this stage:
- Diet entirely milk
To do's for caregivers:
- Provide high quality nutrition for queen or
kitten formula
Normal at this stage:
- Minimal social interaction
To do's for caregivers:
- Minimal but gentle handling
Normal at this stage:
- Stimulated by mother
To do's for caregivers:
- None unless ill or failure to thrive
Normal at this stage:
- Eyes open, walking by 14 days, can't
regulate body temperature
To do's for caregivers:
- Provide warm, safe environmet
3-8 weeks
Normal at this stage:
- Begins to eat solid food, gradually ceases
milk consumption
To do's for caregivers:
- Provide high quality kitten food and fresh
water daily
Normal at this stage:
- Sensitive period for social learning
- Social play begins and increases steadily
- Learns many social skills
To do's for caregivers:
- Frequent gentle handling and play with
varied people including men, women, and
supervised children
- Expose to other cats and species while
ensuring safety
- Take kitten socialization classes if available
- Reward appropriate friendly behavior to
humans and all other animals
Normal at this stage:
- Develops control of bladder and bowel
function
- Begins to use litter box
To do's for caregivers:
- Provide litter boxes with low sides for easy
entry
- Scoop litter boxes twice daily
- Use unscented litter
Normal at this stage:
- Object play begins and increases
- Climbing and running begin
- Capable of complex learning
- Scratching and predatory behavior begin
- Eye color changes
- All baby teeth erupt
- Can regulate body temperature
- Begins to groom self
To do's for caregivers:
- Enrich environment including toys
- Kitten-proof home
- Expose to novel objects and locations
- Make the carrier a safe haven
- Begin tooth brushing
- Gently examine ears, teeth, nails
- Groom
- Provide scratching post
- Begin training to harness and leash
- Begin training to sit, come, etc.
9-16 weeks
Normal at this stage:
- Eating solid food
To do's for caregivers:
- No change
Normal at this stage:
- Continues to learn social skills
- Social play peaks
- Social conflict over status may emerge
To do's for caregivers:
- Continue social education
- If had no previous social education, initiate
slowly
Normal at this stage:
- Continues using litter box
To do's for caregivers:
- May need larger litter box, (minimum box
length 1.5 X cat’s body length)
Normal at this stage:
- Vigorous exploration of the environment
and climbing, begins to lose baby teeth
To do's for caregivers:
- Provide vertical space (e.g.,climbing
structures)
- Continue basic training
17 weeks-1 year
Normal at this stage:
- No change
To do's for caregivers:
- Start transition to high quality adult food
at 6-8 months of age
- Provide food puzzles and food toys
Normal at this stage:
- Sexual maturity if not sterilized
- Social play lessens
- Likely to be subordinate to larger adults
but may challenge these cats for status
To do's for caregivers:
- Continue to play with and reward friendly
behavior
- Contact veterinarian if serious conflicts
arise
Normal at this stage:
- Spraying may occur, less likely if spayed or
neutered
To do's for caregivers:
- Reevaluate litter box size
- Contact vet if spraying or inappropriate
elimination occurs
Normal at this stage:
- If allowed outdoor access, may wander
farther and for longer periods than before
To do's for caregivers:
- Provide identification (e.g.,microchip or
break-away collar and tag), especially if cat
goes outdoors
1-6 years
Normal at this stage:
- Metabolic rate slows, may gain weight if
diet and exercise not monitored
To do's for caregivers:
- Reassess body condition and food intake
every 3 months, encourage exercise.
Normal at this stage:
- Matures socially at approximately 2-3
years, personality strongly affected by
genetics and early experience, social play
decreases but may continue given an
available playmate.
To do's for caregivers:
- Continue to play with and reward friendly
behavior
Normal at this stage:
- If intact male, urine odor becomes strong
To do's for caregivers:
- Reevaluate litter box size, contact vet if
spraying or inappropriate elimination
occurs
Normal at this stage:
- Nothing
To do's for caregivers:
- Rotate toys for self play, replace equipment
and supplies such as beds and litter boxes
as needed
7 years and older
Normal at this stage:
- Changes in appetite can occur
To do's for caregivers:
- Monitor appetite and water intake
- Contact vet if increases or decreases
Normal at this stage:
- Decreased activity may lead to decreased
social interaction
To do's for caregivers:
- Continue social interaction—even if lower
activity level is warranted
To do's for caregivers:
- Contact veterinarian if elimination concerns occur or persist