How to determine the age of a kitten

The best way to determine the age of a kitten is to take it to a veterinarian. By the way, a visit with the found to the veterinaryThe doctor is needed not only to determine the age and sex of your new pet. A street kitten may have some diseases that are important to identify and cure as early as possible. But even if the kitten is completely healthy, the veterinarian will give advice on caring for him and make a schedule of vaccinations.

However, what to do if an immediate visit to a veterinarian is impossible for some reason? There are several ways to determine the age of the kitten by yourself. Please note that size and weight of the kitten are not a reliable criterion for determining the age of the kitten: even at birth, kittens can be small or large, in addition, the growth rate of a kitten depends on how well it was fed by the mother.

If the kitten is less than one and a half months old, its age can be determined by its appearance and activity. So, at the age of up to three days the kitten still hasthere is an umbilical cord. At the age of seven to ten days, the kittens begin to open their eyes and open their ears. At the age of two or three weeks, the kitten is completely open eyes, and the ears are fully raised, like an adult cat. Also, the kitten begins to stand, although it does it uncertainly. In four weeks the kitten becomes more active, he begins to explore the surrounding world and play. At the age of five weeks the kittens are already confidently standing on their feet.

You can still determine the approximate age of the kitten by the color of his eyes. All kittens, regardless of the breed, are born withblue eyes. At the age of three weeks in the body of the kitten begins to produce melanin, which leads to a change in pigmentation. Usually, by 2.5 months, the kitten's eyes get their "adult" color. So if a kitten has blue eyes, he is under ten weeks old.

but This is far from the best way to determine the age of the kitten. First, it has very low accuracy, and incare of a kitten is important every week or even a day. Secondly, this method is not suitable if you are dealing with a breed that provides for the presence of blue eyes, because in this case there will be no change in pigmentation.

Most accurately, the age of the kitten can be determined by teeth. In two or four weeks the kitten has the firstmilk teeth - incisors. Fangs erupt in the third or fourth week. In a month and a half there are premolars (small molars located behind the fangs). By the two months of the kitten all dairy teeth should be present, and at four months they begin to give way to permanent ones. By the half-year the process of changing teeth ends.

By the way, on teeth it is possible to learn age of the adult cat or cat. Only in this case it is necessary to look at howteeth are erased. By the year and a half, the central incisors of the lower jaw are erased, to two and a half are the middle incisors of the lower jaw, to the third and a half are the central incisors of the upper jaw, to four and a half are the middle incisors of the upper jaw. In five years, there are traces of erasure on the fangs, by the age of six, the extreme incisors of the upper jaw are erased.

In seven years, changes begintransversely oval rubbing surface of the central incisors of the lower jaw, in eight years - the middle incisors of the lower jaw, at nine years - the central incisors of the upper jaw. In 10-12 years, the central incisors fall, by 12-15 years all the incisors fall out.

Please note that all methods of self-determination of the kitten's age are extremely unreliable. It is best to contact the veterinarian; to know the exact age of the kitten is very important, since it will depend on the care of your pet, in particular, the diet of its nutrition.