How to Monitor Newborn Kitten Growth

Co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Last Updated: September 16, 2021 References

If you own a female cat who recently gave birth, you’ll need to play a role in caring for and monitoring the newborn kittens. While the mother will feed the kittens and keep them safe and warm, you’ll need to make sure that they have a dark, safe, quiet place to grow. You’ll need to monitor the newborns closely during the first 10 weeks of their growth to make sure that they’re healthy, and take them to the veterinarian should any medical problems occur.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Watching Kittens for the First Two Weeks

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Give the kittens a warm bed. During the first two weeks of their lives, kittens are helpless: their eyes will still be shut, and they should spend about 90% of their time sleeping and eating.^{[1]
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Research source} As long as the mother cat is feeding the kittens, your involvement will be minimal.^{[2]
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Research source} The kittens' main source of warmth will be their mother. You can, however, line the box or cat carrier with a towel which can be soiled and washed.
- It’s important that the kittens be kept warm, as they’re not yet old enough to fully regulate their body temperature. The room in which you’re housing the kittens should be kept close to 80 degrees for the first two weeks.^{[3]
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2
Make sure the kittens are eating and plump. The mother’s milk contains all of the nutrients that kittens need to grow and thrive, and keeps them hydrated as well as nourished. As long as the kittens are nursing regularly, your involvement at this point will be minimal. The mother cat will initiate feeding during the first two weeks, and the kittens should appear to have full, plump bellies after nursing.^{[4]
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- If the kittens are not nursing every 1–2 hours, they’re likely not getting enough nutrition. A lack of sleep and persistent crying can indicate this problem as well.
- If a kitten is not eating regularly and does not appear content and plump, keep an eye on it for a couple of days. If the kitten makes no discernible improvement, you should call your veterinarian and ask for their recommendation; you may need to bring the kitten to see them.
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3
Keep the kittens isolated from other household pets. The kittens will be extremely small, weak, and delicate during the first two weeks of their lives.^{[5]
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Research source} While the mother cat will frequently be around them, it’s important that you isolate the kittens from other household pets, especially if you have an energetic or large dog. You can do this by enclosing the kittens in a room that other animals will not be allowed to enter.
- Even if your other pets would never intentionally harm the kittens, they could accidentally trample the tiny newborns.
4
Weigh the kittens daily to monitor weight gain. During the first two or three weeks of life, newborn kittens should be gaining weight substantially. In fact, by the time a kitten is two weeks old, it should have doubled its birth weight.^{[6]
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Research source} You can weigh the newborns with a kitchen scale or other precise device. Make a chart of their daily weights.
- Try not to separate the kittens too much from their mother. Bring the scales close to the nest and weigh the kittens one by one, putting each one back with its mother once the weighing is done.
- If any kittens are not gaining weight daily during the first two weeks, contact your veterinarian and ask for their advice.
- As a point of reference, a typical kitten will weigh 3.5 ounces when it’s born. A healthy kitten will gain .5 of an ounce each day.
Newborn kittens will not have the muscle control to eliminate waste during the first two weeks of life. In order to stimulate waste elimination, the mother cat will lick the kittens’ genital region and stomach approximately every two hours. If the mother cat is not engaging in this behavior, you’ll need to step in: take a warm, wet washcloth and gently wipe over the kittens’ anus and stomach until the defecate and urinate.^{[7]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Caring for Kittens During Weeks Three through Six

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Monitor the kittens’ movement and walking. The newborn kittens’ eyes will open by the end of the second week, and during weeks three and four, they should begin to show curiosity towards their environment. During this developmental stage, kittens will leave their nest and begin to clumsily walk around the room you have contained them in.^{[8]
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- Make sure that the environment is safe for the kittens to wander through. There should be no objects on shelves that could fall on the cats.
2
Begin litter box training. Kittens can begin using a litter box as early as three weeks. Often, kittens will pick up on this behavior simply by watching their mother use a litter box. If a kitten isn’t imitating this behavior, you can pick up the kitten after it has finished eating or sleeping and place it in the litter box. Use one of the kitten’s forepaws to scratch at the litter, and use a washcloth to rub its genitals and stomach. Repeating this action will train the kitten to use the litter box.^{[9]
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- Since the kittens will still be very small, they’ll need a litter box with low sides for easy access.
- It’s safest to provide newborn kittens with a wood-, paper-, or sand-based cat litter. Avoid filling the litter box with clay or silica gel litter, as the kittens may try to consume these unsafe substances.
3
Start weaning the kittens after week four. Kittens should start initiating nursing during weeks three and four, and in weeks five and six, will be able to start eating solid food. If the kittens have been eating on a regular schedule, you can set down a dish of wet cat food in front of them at the time when they would usually nurse from the mother. To generate interest among the kittens, scoop up a small amount of food on your finger and hold it near the kittens’ face.^{[10]
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- When introducing kittens to solid food, make sure to feed them a kitten-specific product. Wet food is recommended for the initial weaning process, although kittens can be given dry food.
- If you prefer to give dry food, make sure that the kibble pieces are small. To make sure kittens can eat the kibble, you can soften the food. Do this by pouring a teaspoon of water over a small saucer full of kibble.
4
Start socializing the kittens around week 3. Hold each kitten for a few minutes each day to get them used to human touch. It’s also a good idea to socialize your kittens with other people, especially if you’re planning to sell the cats to new homes. Invite your friends over, and ask them to take turns petting with, playing with, and briefly holding the kittens.^{[11]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Keeping an Eye on Kittens for Weeks Seven through Ten

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Allow the kittens to wander through your house. By weeks seven through ten, kittens will have developed coordination and will begin to react appropriately to stimuli in their environments, including frightening or dangerous objects. At this point, you can let the kittens out of the “nursery” room and let them explore your house or apartment. Kittens should show a natural curiosity and begin to play with one another.^{[12]
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- By this stage of development, the kittens will also be able to fully regulate their own body temperature, and so you won’t need to keep them in a temperature-controlled room anymore.
- You may still want to return the kittens to their nest and “nursery” room every night, so that kittens will have restful sleep and plenty of opportunities to use the litter box.
Socialization with other animals is an important process for kittens, as it allows them to understand social behaviors with other cats. It should always take place under constant supervision. If you have a friend with a cat, or know a breeder with a litter of kittens, plan a day to set aside a few hours during which the kittens and cat can cautiously get to know one another.^{[13]
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3
Take the kittens to a veterinarian for health or behavioral concerns. Although kittens will have developed substantially by the time they reach 10 weeks, it’s important to continually monitor them for signs of illness. If kittens are not eating or sleeping regularly; if they appear week, lethargic, and undernourished; or if they regurgitate milk and do not respond to their environment, the kitten may be ill.^{[14]
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Research source} Contact a veterinarian if you notice any of these behaviors in your kittens.
- If kittens had contact with other pets or outdoor animals at any point during weeks one through six, they could have caught an illness. Let your veterinarian know if you suspect your cat has caught an illness.
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By the end of eight weeks, healthy kittens should each way about 2 pounds.^{[15]
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Even under the best of circumstances, not all newborn kittens survive past the first 10 weeks. Mortality rates increase for kittens who have been orphaned or whose mother is not involved in their rearing.^{[16]
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