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Our kitten ageing chart helps you to tell how old a kitten is at a glance.

Whatever their age, there’s no denying that kittens are adorable. But figuring out how to tell how old a kitten is from pictures is a useful way to ensure you’re caring for them as they develop. While it can be tricky to work out a kitten’s age just by looking, our at-a-glance kitten ageing chart is here to help you out.

Remember, it is important that kittens stay with their mother for at least the first eight weeks of life. Removing them before this time can have dire consequences for their behaviour, health and survival.

Buying a kitten

Newborn

  • Wondering when do kittens open their eyes? The answer is anytime between five to 14 days old. After birth, a kitten’s eyes remain closed, their ears are folded and they are unable to stand
  • They’ll still have an umbilical cord. This will fall off by day three
  • Kittens suckle from their mother every two hours
  • They need help with toileting too. They’ll need their mother to lick their perineal area to stimulate toileting

Weight: 100g       

Length: 7 inches/18cm

 

One week

  • Kittens are still not able to move much and their eyes will remain closed
  • They’ll still require help from their mother with toileting
  • They should have doubled their birth weight by now and will be approximately the length of a pen from their nose to the base of their tail!

Weight: 200g

Length: 7 inches/18cm

Two weeks

  • The kitten’s eyes and ears will now be open
  • Their baby teeth will begin to appear
  • They may begin to walk, although they might look a bit wobbly or uncoordinated. You might even notice them playing with their siblings
  • They’ll still need feeding from their mother
  • Getting kittens introduced to people (often referred to as ‘socialisation’) is important at this stage. Find out more about kitten socialisation

Weight: 300g

Length: 8 inches/20cm

Three weeks

  • The kitten’s ears will now point upwards
  • They’ll still be growing their baby teeth, watch out for those!
  • They might walk more confidently, although don’t be surprised if they still appear wobbly
  • They will still need feeding from their mother, although they may get used to toileting by themselves now. Time to introduce them to the litter tray
  • Introducing kittens to scratching posts and toys is a good idea and sets them up for their new home

Weight: 400g

Length: 8.5 inches/22cm

Four weeks

  • Kittens can now begin to eat solid food
  • Their baby teeth will continue to grow
  • You might notice them interacting with their siblings more, they might even be able to walk, run and play

Weight: 500g

Length: 9 inches/23cm

Five weeks

  • You might notice their eye colour change from baby blue to the colour they’ll keep as adults
  • Their teeth are still growing
  • They may be able to run, avoid obstacles and even stalk and pounce
  • They’ll start to groom themselves or their siblings!
  • They’ll begin to learn how to use a litter tray on their own

Weight: 600g

Length: 9 inches/23cm

Six weeks

  • Kittens seem much more playful, usually chasing, hiding and pouncing. It’s time to teach them how to play safely!
  • They’re still learning how to use a litter tray
  • They’ll be able to groom themselves well

Weight: 700g

Length: 10 inches/25cm

 

Seven weeks

  • Kittens should be eating solid food now. While they’re no longer dependent on their mother for milk, they may still want to suckle from her
  • Their eye colour will have completely changed from baby blue to the colour they’ll have as adults. Kittens with grey, green or yellow eyes are likely to be seven weeks or older

Weight: 800g

Length: 10 inches/25cm

Eight weeks

  • Kittens will need their first set of vaccinations for feline herpesvirus, feline parvovirus and feline calcivirus, so time to book in with the vet
  • It is also a good idea to use this time with your vet to discuss when to neuter and microchip
  • Once kittens are weaned, socialised and vaccinated, they are ready to go to their new home!

Weight: 900g

Length: 11 inches/28cm

Free guide

Download our free guide packed full of all the information you need about cat pregnancy and caring for newborn kittens.

Pregnant cats guide
newborn tabby-and-white kitten
Find out more

After birth

Find out about what to do after your cat gives birth and postnatal cat care in our free guide.

5 minutes
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Hand rearing

Need to learn more about bottle feeding kittens? Find out about hand-rearing in our guide, where you can find more about how to look after kittens.

5 minutes
Find out more

Kitten socialisation

Looking to socialise a kitten? Our expert guide on socialising your kitten, including our kitten socialisation chart is available now.

5 minutes
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