When Do Kittens Open Their Eyes? Vet-Verified Feline Facts & FAQ
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Most house cats have a life expectancy of around 14 years and reach sexual maturity when they are around 6 months old. By the time they reach adulthood, they have undergone a lot of development.
Kittens are born with an umbilical cord attached, their eyes closed, and their ears folded over. They rely on their mothers to survive at this age, including feeding them and encouraging them to urinate and poop. By the time that they head to their new home, a kitten should be ready for gentle handling, they can feed themselves, and their eyes and ears are open and capable of sensing what goes on around them.
Kittens’ eyes usually open at around the 10-day mark, give or take 2 or 3 days.
Read on to learn more about a kitten’s development and to determine when your kitten should open their eyes for the first time.
When Do Kittens Open Their Eyes?
Kittens are born completely helpless, with their eyes fully closed. In most cases, they will start to open their eyes at around 7 days, although tentatively at first. This will give you your first glance at your kitten’s eyes, which will typically be blue at this point; the color will change over time for most cats. By the time the kitten reaches 2 weeks of age, they should have both eyes fully open and start to be functional.
Cats are born with blue eyes, and when they are approximately 7 weeks old, the color starts changing. It is not usually possible to tell their adult eye color until they are around 3 months old.
Is It Bad If a Kitten Opens Their Eyes Too Early?
Kittens are prone to eye infections when they are newborns. While they will open their eyes when they are ready, if you notice that their eyelids are swelling or that there is discharge in the area, you should contact your vet immediately. You should not try to force them open because an infection might be developing. Regardless, they require veterinary intervention.
When your cat does open their eyes, look for signs of discharge or crustiness that could prevent the eyes from fully opening and staying open. This could mean a trip to the vet to ensure there are no ocular problems.
If your cat does open their eyes early naturally, it should not be a problem. That said, you should double-check with your vet and ensure that the indoor lights are not too bright and that windows are covered with a curtain to prevent too much exposure to sunlight.
When Can You Start Holding Kittens?
Once a kitten does open their eyes, this is around the same time that you can start to gently and carefully handle them. Do not overdo it; just hold them for a few minutes at a time initially, and if there is any sign of distress, put them safely back down, and try again when the kitten has calmed down and is more relaxed.
Waiting until the kitten is around 2 weeks old to handle them not only helps ensure that they themselves are developed enough, but the mother cat can also be very anxious and highly protective of her kittens up until this age. Picking up her babies when they are too young may cause distress.
The sensitive period of socialization for kittens toward humans is between 2 and 7 weeks of age, so this is when kittens should become accustomed to human contact. However, this process should be done carefully and gradually, paying close attention to the kitten’s and their mother’s reactions.
When Can You Tell a Kitten’s Sex?
Even experienced professionals struggle to accurately tell a kitten’s sex until they are around 4 weeks old. At this point, they can check the genital anatomy to determine whether they are male or female. Interestingly, coat color can be used with certain cats, as almost 100% of calico cats are female and 80% of ginger cats are male.
How Long Does It Take for a Kitten to Walk?
Kittens do not usually walk independently until they are about 3 weeks old, and it takes another week until they are confidently wandering around. By the time they reach four weeks old, kittens have usually progressed from walking to some gentle playing.
Conclusion: When Do Kittens Open Their Eyes?
Kittens have a lot of developing to do in a relatively short space of time. While they are born blind and unable to walk, within 4 weeks, they will have opened their eyes fully and should be walking independently and playing. At 5 weeks, an experienced handler will be able to tell the sex of the kitten, and at 12 weeks, your cat may have developed their permanent eye color. Don’t try to rush things, though. Let your kitten develop at their own pace, and absolutely do not try to force their eyes open, as this can cause more harm than good.
Featured Image Credit: DarkmoonArt_de, Pixabay
