Humans have to experience ten months of pregnancy before they are born. What about kittens? From pregnancy to giving born, it takes 65 days for a healthy and well-nourished female cat to have its own kittens. She will usually give birth to their kittens during night time (after midnight or in the evening) on the 65th day.

Kittens weigh between 80 and 140 grams at birth (depending on the breed). Under normal circumstances, the weight of kittens should increase at least 10 grams per day. Responsible breeders or caregivers should monitor their weight every day. When necessary, supplementary milk feeding should be done manually. Hidden illnesses during the initial stage are usually discovered by the kittens’ failure to gain weight continuously or even weight loss, so weight is an important indicator of kittens’ health.

Kittens cannot maintain their own body temperature during the early days after birth, so they will crowd around with other kittens and the mother cat. After the first week of birth, the skin and undercoat of the kittens begin to feel the temperature. They will raise their body temperature by shivering. The regulatory function of body temperature will be strengthened with age. Physical contact between the mother cat and her kittens (including rubbing and tongue licking) can stimulate breathing and help accelerate the cardiopulmonary function of the kittens. Kittens have very little body fat and are very sensitive to low temperatures. No matter where you meet the cat you adore, it is very important to know its age, because this will help infer whether they were born under cold weather. If abnormalities are found in its eyes or respiratory system in the future (such as hypersecretion of the eyes and watery eyes), we can provide necessary information to the vet for appropriate treatment.

Kittens will not open their eyes until 7-14 days after birth. Their eyes are dark blue at the beginning, and will develop into an unchanged color after 9-12 weeks. Their ears become able to hear on the 5-8 day, and they will stand upright three weeks after birth. At this time, although kittens have not yet been able to crawl, they begin to feel curious about the outside world. They will begin to learn to crawl and even stand up about three weeks after birth. Being able to actively track sound and light, they begin to interact with their surrounding environment.

Kittens begin to grow deciduous teeth during the 21st week. They will bite the mother cat unintentionally when sucking its nipples. If the mother cat feels painful and resists feeding, it means the kittens have reached the stage when they need to try solid food. This is the time when pet owners should prepare solid food for them.

Generally, when people think of bringing a cat home, they hope it to be as young as possible. However, if kittens leave their parents too early and lack social experience, they may have problems getting along with the others later. Cats are never gregarious by nature. Living under the same roof with humans or other animals is just considered a kind of "cohabitation" by them. When kittens have reached 3 months old, they will start to challenge other animals due to the influence of hormone secretion. During interactions, their parents, who are older, will "appropriately respond" to their challenging behaviours, to enhance the kittens’ social experiences. Therefore, it is better to bring a kitten to its new home when it has reached the age of 5 to 6 months. After taking the kitten home, the owner should spend more time holding it every day to increase physical contact and let it get used to his/her smell. The owner should also try to press its paws and fingertips repeatedly to prepare it for manicure in the future. The owner can also start to touch its teeth since it is young for the development of teeth brushing habit in the future.