How to tell the age of a cat? If it is a stray cat that we picked up or a kitten obtained through adoption, it is usually difficult for us to know its age. But only by understanding the age of the kitten can we feed and care for it correctly.

1. Physical development

1. Observe the umbilical cord. After the kitten is born, the mother cat will bite off the umbilical cord between the kitten and the placenta, and a small section of the umbilical cord will hang on the abdomen. After 1 week, the umbilical cord will shrink and fall off. If you can still see the umbilical cord on the kitten, it means that it is less than 1 week old.

2. Observe your eyes. A cat won't open its eyes until 2 weeks after birth. If your cat hasn't opened its eyes yet, it means it's less than 2 weeks old. If the eyes are open, the ears are erect, and there are small teeth, then he is about 1 month old.

3. Observe the teeth. Examining the teeth is the best way to determine a kitten's age. Cats have two sets of teeth just like humans. The first set has 26 deciduous teeth, and the second set has 30 permanent teeth.

The growth process of deciduous teeth (3~6 weeks):

Within 3 weeks: no teeth.

About 3 weeks: The deciduous teeth emerge from the gums (the first ones to grow are the incisors, 3 to 4 weeks old canine teeth, 4 to 6 weeks old molars).

About 6 weeks: All deciduous teeth have grown.

The growth process of permanent teeth (4~6 months):

4 months: The small deciduous teeth of the front teeth will slowly be replaced by permanent teeth

4 ~6 months: The small deciduous teeth of the canine teeth and molars will gradually be replaced by permanent teeth, until about 6 months old, all the teeth will be replaced.

If all of your cat’s permanent teeth have grown in, it means that your cat is at least 6 months old.

4. Observe your weight. The weight factor is for reference only, because it will vary according to dietary feeding habits and cat breeds.

A newborn cat is about 100~120g; 1~2 weeks is about 170~230g; 2~3 weeks is about 300~350g; 3~4 weeks is about 350~400g; 4 weeks~2 months is About 400~700g; 2~4kg at 3 months; average 2.5~5.5kg in adulthood.

2. Socialization response

1. Observe movement ability

Cats will try to stand up at about 2 weeks old, but they are a bit It was wobbly; after 4 weeks, he walked a little more steadily and was able to jump.

At 5 to 6 weeks, children begin to become curious about external things and begin to actively explore the surrounding environment on their own.

At 7 to 8 weeks, the cat’s body coordination has improved, it has begun to learn to interact with its owner, and it is learning socialization step by step.

A 3-month-old cat’s permanent teeth slowly grow in and likes to grind its teeth and bite things; a 6-month-old catHe is the most curious and likes to jump up and down.

2. Observe the reaction to sounds and moving objects

Cats begin to open their eyes at about 2 weeks. At this time, vision and hearing are still in the early stages of development, and they are not aware of external things. Too sensitive. After 3 weeks, the cat will slowly feel the stimulation of external sounds and will make some reactions.

Starting from the 3rd week, the kitten enters the socialization period, and it will slowly begin to learn various physical objects. Therefore, from the 3rd week to the cat’s three months, this time is the best time to train the cat. Stage, for example, train it to go to the toilet in a designated place, use some cat snacks as an aid during training, and when it learns to use the toilet in the litter box, reward it with food, which can strengthen the cat's positive impression.

This period of time is also an important stage for cultivating the cat’s personality. If the cat can have friendly interactions with humans during this period, the cat will be very affectionate when it grows up.

3. Look at the signs of sexual maturity

Cats generally begin to enter puberty when they are 6 months old. At this time, the cat’s body hormones will undergo some changes. , some abnormal behavior occurs.

At this time, the female cat will release hormones through peeing to "seduce" the male cat. The male cat will start to mark everywhere and divide its territory. It is very likely that the male cat will run away from home in search of a mate.

If your cat suddenly yells and urinates randomly, and often fights with other cats to compete for territory, it means that the cat is going through puberty. This period is also a good time to neuter your cat. If you don’t want your cat to reproduce, you can neuter it during this period.