Kittens are fuzzy, magical bundles of sweet ‘mews’ and cuddles. If you are lucky enough to spend time with brand new kittens, here are a few things that you might not know:

Kittens don’t open their eyes until 5-14 days of age. 

Kittens are born with their eyes shut. They gradually start opening them around 1-2 weeks of age. Even after they open their eyes, they are very light sensitive. Keeping them away from bright lights can be beneficial.

They all have blue eyes. 

All cats are born with blue eyes and develop their adult eye color by 12 weeks of age. Eye color is determined genetically by coat color of the parents.

Their first steps don’t happen for a month. 

Kittens get around by a crawl that resembles swimming until they take their first steps. They begin jumping up vertically quickly after walking.

Cats are born deaf. 

Kitten’s ear canals begin to open up at 1-2 weeks of age and are completely open by 3 weeks of age. In the meantime, kittens rely on smell and touch to stay close to their mother and littermates.

Kittens can be introduced to a canned diet at 3-4 weeks of age. 

While kittens will continue to nurse until 8-12 weeks of age, offering them a watered down canned food will help their transition. Many kittens that are introduced to kibble refuse healthier canned or raw food formulations.

Kittens grow up fast! Enjoy the kitten breath and all the playfulness.