![]() This is the socialisation period during which they accept what they see as normal. Essential Socialisationįor a cute kitten to make a great pet, it all depends on their first two to nine weeks of life. ![]() ![]() This means from nine to ten weeks of age young kittens watch their mother and start problem solving by following her example – which brings us to socialisation. Felines are one of the few species that learn to problem solve through observation. Of course we all know cats are special, and science is inclined to agree with us. It is this smell that draws the newborns along a saliva-scent trail to find a nipple for that first milky drink. Scent-sational KittensĪt birth a kitten’s sense of smell is so highly developed they can match the smell of the mother’s saliva on their own coat (where she licked them dry after birth) to the saliva on her fur (from grooming). This is a clever survival strategy as it prevents the kittens fouling the nest, which could attract a predator’s attention.Ĭan you guess which is a newborn kitten’s strongest sense? If you guessed, their sense of smell you’re correct. She licks her kittens’ backsides to stimulate them to pee and poo, and then washes away the evidence. They are so helpless they can’t regulate their own body temperature and need to snuggle up to their mum to keep warm.Īnd if you thought changing nappies was bad, spare a thought for the mother cat. Birth to Two WeeksĪfter around 65 days cosy in the comfort of the womb, kittens are born deaf, blind, and dependent. Let’s take a look at their remarkable development in more detail. In the space of eight short weeks a newborn kitten goes from blind, deaf dependence on the mother, to a miniature stalking, swatting, and scooping huntress. So if you’re a sucker for cute kittens and find them irresistible, it’s all down to hormones!Īside from being enchantingly cute, kittens are a marvel of biological engineering. A kitten is arguably the cutest thing in the world!īut did you know the “Awww!” feeling you experience around kittens, is down to an oxytocin rush? Oxytocin is the hormone a nursing mother releases when she sees her baby, and its nature’s way of bonding them. ![]()
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