Creature feature

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/DUSTY HIGGINS
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/DUSTY HIGGINS

A stray cat adopted our garage and a week later she had four kittens. I am worried about their eyes. One kitten has both eyes open and the other kittens have only one eye open. Do I need to do anything or is this normal?

Kittens open their eyes at between five and 14 days after they’re born and not all kittens in a litter will open their eyes at the same time, according to vetstreet.com. It’s also common for a kitten’s eyes to open one at a time, sometimes within days of each other.

There’s no need for you to do anything to help the kittens open their eyes, although if your kittens’ eyes don’t fully open by their third week, contact your veterinarian. But it’s more likely that you don’t need to do anything unless there’s a sign of infection - puffiness, redness or discharge. Sometimes a kitten’s eyes become infected with staphylococcus or streptococcus bacteria as the kitten passes through the birth canal. In that case, the infection will show up when the kitten’s eyelids separate and open.

The signs of infection are unmistakable. The eyelids swell and look bulbous, and a pus-like discharge causes the eyelids to stick together. If you see either of these signs, take the kitten or kittens to the veterinarian, who will do an examination and test the discharge to determine the type of infection. Treatment includes antibiotics as well as applying warm compresses to the eyelids to keep them from sticking together.

As for kitten development in general, they mature so quickly that it takes a bit of focused effort to note each development milestone. Here’s a look at some of them and when they typically occur, according to Cat Care & Behavior by Bruce Fogle, vetstreet.com and paws.org.

Three and four weeks: The senses of smell and hearing should be fully developed. By the third week, kittens also start walking on their tiptoes, but aren’t quite sure where to put their feet. At about week four, they become more coordinated and surefooted.

Between the third and fourth weeks, the kitten’s baby teeth begin to erupt. The baby teeth fall out sometime between the third and ninth months to make room for adult teeth.

Five and six weeks: Their sight matures and they’re able to right themselves, place their feet precisely and spot prey. Hearing is developed well enough to give them the balance necessary to stalk and chase their litter mates during “prey play,” which is how they hone skills needed for hunting. By six weeks, their sense of balance is better than a human’s will ever be.

During this period, the mother cat begins weaning the kittens and they should begin eating solid food.

Seven to 14 weeks: The kittens should be falling all over themselves and each other. They wrestle, ambush, chase, toss, paw, hug and pounce.They have full control of their paws so they’re able to grasp and hold balls and other toys.

Three to six months: Kittens begin to look like small adult cats, plus they begin to recognize ranking among themselves and the people in their household. By six months, they’re capable of reproducing so they need to be spayed or neutered.

Seven to nine months: Ah, the teenage phase. Like human teens, they grow rapidly and need a lot of sleep. In fact, a young cat may sleep more than 16 hours a day.

One last thing to remember: Kittens aren’t born liking humans or each other, so socialization is critical during the first eight weeks of their lives.They’ll play with each other, but you and your family member should take time to gently hold, cuddle and stroke the kittens. It’s also helpful to play with them using interactive toys such as balls and teaser toys. Have fun. They grow up so fast.

Do you have a question about pets? We’ll get you an answer from an authority. Send your question to Rhonda Owen, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203 or e-mail [email protected]

Family, Pages 36 on 04/16/2014

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