Kitten Development & Life Stages Flashcards
Examples of emotional systems developing during socialization phase
Desire-seeking (seeking play with familiar individuals)
Fear- anxiety (avoidance of strangers/strange objects)
Panic-grief (distress from separation)
Social play (play fighting with siblings)
Sexual maturity is between __ & ___
4 & 6 months
Phases of kitten cognitive development
Pre-natal (conception-birth)
Neonatal (birth to 2 weeks)
Transition (between neonatal & socialization)
Socialization (3-7 weeks)
Juvenile (end of socialization, sexual maturation)
Social maturity (2-3 years)
Feline Life stages (per AAFP)
Kitten: birth-1 year
Young adult: 1-6 years
Mature adult: 7-10 years
Senior: > 10 years
Kittens learn voluntary elimination at around
4 weeks of age
Kittens start to eliminate in the litter box at ____ and may or may not __
5-7 weeks; cover stool/urine
Deciduous incisors and canines erupt
3-4 weeks
Deciduous premolars erupt
5-6 weeks
Eyes open
10-14 days
Purring begins
2 days
Walking at
14-21 days
Crawling from
7-14 days
Functional hearing
4-6 weeks
Menace/PLRs at
28 days or later
Adult iris color at
4-6 weeks
(Adult) molars at
4-5 months
Adult incisors
3-4 months
Adult canines at
4-5 months
Adult premolars at
4-6 months
Age through which kittens cannot retract their claws
4 weeks
Age at which kittens will start using scratching material (if provided)
5 weeks
Able to recognize mother by sight/smell
End of 3rd week
Independent in ability to eliminate and find appropriate substrate–suitable materials should be provided
5-6 weeks
Kittens are born altricial, meaning
They are born helpless (totally reliant on mother for survival)
