What is the age of a cat? If it is a stray cat we picked up or a kitten acquired through adoption, it is usually difficult for us to know its age. But only by knowing the age of the kitten, can it be properly fed and cared for.

1. Physical development

1. Observe the umbilical cord. After the kitten is born, the mother cat bites off the umbilical cord between her and the placenta, leaving a small section of the umbilical cord hanging from her abdomen. After 1 week, the umbilical cord will shrink and fall off. If you can still see the umbilical cord on the kitten, it means that it is less than 1 week old.

2. Observe the eyes. Cats don't open their eyes until 2 weeks after birth. If your cat hasn't opened its eyes, it's less than 2 weeks old. If the eyes are open, the ears are standing up, and there are small teeth, it is about 1 month old.

3. Observe the teeth. Checking the teeth is the best way to tell the age of a kitten. Like humans, cats have two sets of teeth. The first set has 26 deciduous teeth and the second set has 30 permanent teeth.

The growth process of deciduous teeth (3~6 weeks):

Within 3 weeks: no teeth.

About 3 weeks: deciduous teeth emerge from the gums (the earliest ones are incisors, 3~4 weeks long canines, 4~6 weeks long molars).

About 6 weeks: All deciduous teeth have grown.

The growth process of permanent teeth (4~6 months):

4 months: the small deciduous teeth of the incisors will gradually be replaced by permanent teeth

4 ~6 months: The small deciduous teeth of canines and molars will gradually be replaced by permanent teeth in turn, until about 6 months, when all the teeth are replaced.

If your cat has all of its permanent teeth, it means that your cat is at least 6 months old.

4. Observe the weight. The weight factor is for reference only, because the breed of the cat will be different according to the diet and feeding habits.

A newborn cat is about 100~120g; 1~2 weeks is about 170~230g; 2~3 weeks is about 300~350g; 3~4 weeks is about 350~400g; 4 weeks~2 months is About 400~700g; 3 months is about 2~4 catties; the average adult is 2.5~5.5 kg.

2. Socialization Response

1. Observation of motor ability

At about 2 weeks, the cat will try to stand, but a little Shaky; after 4 weeks, walking slightly more stable and able to jump.

5~6 weeks, began to have curiosity about external things, and began to actively explore the surrounding environment.

At 7~8 weeks, the cat's body coordination ability is perfected, and it begins to learn to interact with the owner, and is learning socialization step by step.

The 3-month-old cat grows in permanent teeth slowly and likes to grind and bite; the 6-month-old cat is the most curious and likes to jump up and down.

2. Observe the response to sounds and moving objects

Cats begin to open their eyes around 2 weeks, when vision and hearing are still in the early stage of development, and they will not respond to external things. too sensitive. After 3 weeks, the cat will slowly feel the stimulation of the external sound and will make some reactions.

From the 3rd week, the kitten will enter the socialization period, it will slowly start to learn all kinds of objects, so from the 3rd week to the cat three months, this time is the best time to train the cat Stages, such as training it to go to the toilet at a designated place, using some cat treats as an aid during training, and rewarding it when it learns to use the toilet in the litter box, which can strengthen the cat's positive impression.

This time period is also an important stage for cultivating the cat's character. If you can interact with humans in a friendly way during this time, the cat will be very affectionate when it grows up.

Third, look at signs of sexual maturity

Cats generally begin to enter puberty at 6 months old, and their hormones will undergo some changes at this time. , some unusual behavior occurs.

At this time, the female cat will release hormones by urinating to seduce the male cat. The male cat will start marking everywhere, dividing the territory, and the male cat is likely to run away from the house in search of a mate.

If your cat suddenly yells and urinates, and often fights with other cats for territory, it means that the cat is in puberty. This period is also a good time to sterilize cats. If you don’t want cats to breed offspring, you can sterilize them during this period.