When Do Newly Born Kittens Actually See The World?

Witnessing the miracle of birth can perhaps be the greatest and the most incredible things on earth. Unlike humans, animals are more self-sufficient and manage the birth of their little ones on their own. However, you as a cat owner would love to take proper care of your cat during her pregnancy. At the time of birth, newly born kittens resemble delicate balls of soft fur and are very tiny. They depend solely on their mother for new born kitten care which includes food, nourishment, and protection. It is from her that they learn the basic survival skills to defend themselves and live in the company of other creatures.

Newly born kittens are unable to walk or move around and stick to their mother for a while. For the first few days after birth, they spend most of the time nursing or sleeping. At the time of birth of the kittens, their ears are folded back against the head and eyes are closed. In other words, they are virtually deaf and blind. As a cat owner, all you can do to keep them warm and safe is to see to it that you provide a secure place for the cat and her kittens to live in. Make sure that there are no such items in the vicinity that can harm the kittens once they start moving around. When they first come into the world, they are very weak and can barely crawl around their mother. This makes it easier for the mother to be around for her kittens and nurse them in her litter. Once they gain a bit of strength, they are able to walk about. Cats are born with extremely sensitive ears and during the first few weeks of life, ears are drawn back to protect them from loud noises. At the completion of about 16 weeks, their ears are fully developed.

Kittens also have a very sensitive nose and gifted with a great sense of smell, which is their only contact with the world around them when they are just born. They can easily smell and identify their mother and people around them and make hissing sounds if they smell something new. This is also a way of alerting their mother of the approaching danger. Kittens take quite some time to open their eyes and the time taken will actually depend on the length of their fur. A long haired kitten will usually take a longer time to open his eyes as compared to a kitten with short hair. While some shorthaired kittens may be able to see things for the first time in about five to eight days only after their birth, others with long hair may take as long as 10 to 14 days to open their eyes. Most cat owners panic when they realize that some of the newly born kittens are yet to open their eyes. Each kitten varies in the amount of time it takes for its development and it is normal if a kitten takes a day or two longer than others. Some kittens may not open both its eyes simultaneously and it takes several weeks for kittens to actually develop the special eyesight all cats are gifted with. So, have patience with your new born kitten care and allow the kitten to take its own sweet time to grow and actually start exploring the world around.

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