Health now and always
Kittenhood – An amazing transformation
1. A sense of sight
It takes up to four weeks for a kitten’s sight and connected behaviour (spatial perception) to be fully developed.
2. Immunity and defence
In their first six months your kitten's immature immune system must help protect them from millions of germs.
3. Tripling their weight
At birth most kittens weigh around 100 grams. Within a week they will double that weight, and triple it within 21 days.
4. Healthy bones
In the first year of life, your kitten's bones must grow to become four times stronger than concrete.
5. Extraordinary growth
In the first six months of life a kitten will grow as much as a 10-year-old adult child.
Tailored kitten nutrition
ROYAL CANIN® Kitten formulas are tailor-made with the right vitamins and minerals to support a kitten's healthy development.
A guide to kittenhood
Kittenhood is a hugely rewarding time for pet owners, but it's also a time of huge challenges and steep learning curves, for you and your pet. The information and advice in the following pages has been collected from Royal Canin vets, nutritionists and partners worldwide, and should help you and your kitten have a healthy start in life together.
Preparing for a kitten
When you bring your kitten home for the first time, it's a huge change for both of you. You can make the process much easier by making a few simple preparations ahead of the big day.
Getting preparedPick up and a kitten's first weeks at home
Picking up your kitten
Feeding your kitten
Kitten growth stages
Understanding the growth stages your kitten goes through will help you recognize the challenges they face, and how to take care of them. Ensuring they get the right balance of nutrients in their food is key for healthy development into adult life.
Birth – 4 weeks
Neonatal
When kittens are born, they can barely move or hear, and their eyes are completely closed. At around five days old, they will begin to open their eyes. This is also the time when they start to gain between 10 g to 30 g each day.
4-8 weeks
Weaning
By this time, their sense of smell is fully matured and their hearing is well-developed. Kittens begin to develop adult sleeping patterns, motor abilities and social interaction. Key social skills develop through interaction with littermates and their mother.
2-4 months
Intense growth
At this stage, kittens begin to understand their position within the household and may start to form a number of social behaviours depending on their experiences and training.
4 months +
Sustained growth
Your kitten will begin to develop 30 adult teeth. By eight months, the kitten will have reached 80% of its adult weight. Depending on the breed, adulthood is reached between 12 and 15 months.
Kitten socialization and play
Socialization should start as early as possible to avoid any unwanted behaviours and help them develop into confident, even-tempered adult cats. Find out how you can socialize your kitten.
Socializing your kittenKitten training
It's important to train your kitten to adopt the right behaviour from an early age and learn the rules of sharing a home with other people and animals.
Training your kittenThe basics of kitten grooming
Understanding your kitten's health
Your kitten's behaviour
Kittens communicate with you in a number of ways. Reading body language and expressive behaviours, and listening to the sounds they make can tell you a lot about how they're feeling and what they need from you.
Kitten behaviourMeet Our Puppy & Kitten Expert Board
The Puppy & Kitten Expert Board was created to unite some of the best specialists in the veterinary world to help ensure that cats and dogs have a healthy start in life. We know that begins long before they are born in many cases, and affects their health and life long in the future.
Get to know the experts