Kitten at six weeks.

The term kitten (Old English diminutive of cat) generally refers to a young domesticated cat that is 6 weeks old or younger. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2122x1415, 978 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Kitten Wikipedia:WikiProject Cats/Gallery ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2122x1415, 978 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Kitten Wikipedia:WikiProject Cats/Gallery ... Old English (also called Anglo-Saxon) is an early form of the English language that was spoken in parts of what is now England and southern Scotland between the mid-fifth century and the mid-twelfth century. ... A diminutive is a formation of a word used to convey a slight degree of the root meaning, smallness of the object named, encapsulation, intimacy, or endearment. ... Trinomial name Felis catus Linnaeus, 1758 The cat (or domestic cat, house cat) is a small carnivorous mammal. ...

The young of species in the genus Panthera and of some other big cats are called cubs rather than kittens. Either term may be used for the young of smaller wild felids such as ocelots, caracals, and lynx, but "kitten" is usually more common for these species. Groups of domestic kittens are referred to as kindles. In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biodiversity. ... Species Panthera is a genus of the family Felidae (the cats), which contains four well-known species: the tiger, lion, leopard, and jaguar. ... Big cat refers to large wild felines of the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe. ... Cub can refer to: the young of certain large predatory animals such as bears, lions and other big cats, and wolves; analogous to a canine pup (also in some of the following meanings) by analogy a human youth, especially one who is inexperienced, awkward, or ill-mannered, boy or (rarer... Subfamilies Felinae Pantherinae †Machairodontinae The Felidae family includes the Lion, the Tiger, the Domestic Cats, and other felines as its members. ... Binomial name Leopardus pardalis (Linnaeus, 1758) Ocelot range The Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), (from the Nahuatl ocelotl) also known as the Painted Leopard or McNenneys Wildcat, is a wild cat distributed over South and Central America and Mexico, but has been reported as far north as Texas and in Trinidad... Binomial name Caracal caracal (Schreber, 1776) Type species Caracal melanotis Gray, 1843 (= Felis caracal Schreber, 1776) by monotypy Caracal range map Synonyms Felis caracal The Caracal (Caracal caracal), also called Persian Lynx or African Lynx, is a fiercely territorial medium-sized cat. ... The overall range of Lynx species. ...

Ginger kitten.

Image File history File links This work is copyrighted. ... Image File history File links This work is copyrighted. ...

Birth and development

A litter of kittens, aged one day

A litter of kittens usually consists of three to six kittens. They are usually born after 64 to 69 days of gestation [3], and kittens emerge in an amnion which is bitten off and eaten by the mother cat. For the first several weeks, kittens are unable to urinate or defecate without being stimulated by their mother. They are also unable to regulate their body temperature for the first three weeks, so kittens born in temperatures less than 27 °C (80 °F) are at risk for death from exposure if they are not kept warm by their mother. The mother's milk is very important for the kittens' nutrition, so if possible, the kitten should not be taken from their mother for at least 5 to 6 weeks after birth. The kitten is otherwise more likely to get infected with a disease. Day-old kittens. ... Day-old kittens. ... A litter of pigs A litter is a group of newly born, young animals from the same mother and usually from one set of parents. ... A litter of pigs A litter is a group of newly born, young animals from the same mother and usually from one set of parents. ... Gestation is the carrying of an embryo or fetus inside a female viviparous animal. ... For the alien race in Stephen Donaldsons The Gap Cycle, see Amnion (Gap Cycle). ... Celsius is, or relates to, the Celsius temperature scale (previously known as the centigrade scale). ... Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after the German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736), who proposed it in 1724. ... A disease or medical condition is an abnormality that causes discomfort, dysfunction, distress, or death to the person afflicted or those in contact with the person. ...

A kitten that has opened its eyes for the first time.

Kittens open their eyes about seven to ten days following birth. At first, the retina is poorly developed and vision is poor. Kittens are not able to see as well as adult cats for about three months after birth. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2304x1728, 1636 KB) Summary Kitten just opened its eyes Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Kitten Talk:Stephen Colbert User talk:Kbdank71 User:Maxcap User talk... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2304x1728, 1636 KB) Summary Kitten just opened its eyes Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Kitten Talk:Stephen Colbert User talk:Kbdank71 User:Maxcap User talk... A human eye. ... A human eye. ... Birth is the process in animals by which an offspring is expelled from the body of its mother. ... Human eye cross-sectional view. ...

Kittens develop very quickly from about two weeks of age until their seventh week. Their coordination and strength improve, they play-fight with their litter-mates, and begin to explore the world outside the nest. They learn to wash themselves and others as well as play hunting and stalking games. The kittens' mother or other adult cats present may demonstrate hunting techniques for them to emulate.

As they reach one month of age, the kittens are gradually weaned and begin to eat solid food. Kittens live primarily on solid food after weaning, but usually continue to suckle from time to time until separated from their mothers. Some mother cats will scatter their kittens as early as three months of age, while others continue to look after them until they approach sexual maturity. A breastfeeding infant Breastfeeding is the practice of a woman feeding an infant (or sometimes a toddler or a young child) with milk produced from her mammary glands, usually directly from the nipples. ...

A litter of Manx kittens

The gender of kittens is usually easy to determine within the age of approximately six to eight weeks, although it is possible to do so sooner. The male's urethral opening is round, whereas the female's is a slit. Another marked difference is the distance between anus and urethral opening, which is greater in males than in females. Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 188 KB)A week old Manx litter. ... Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 188 KB)A week old Manx litter. ... The shield and spear of the Roman God Mars are often used to represent the male sex In heterogamous species, male is the sex of an organism, or of a part of an organism, which typically produces smaller, mobile gametes (spermatozoa) that are able to fertilise female gametes (ova). ... In mammals the flow of urine from the urinary bladder is controlled by a group of muscles collectively called the urethral sphincter, named for their proximity to the urethra. ... Look up Female in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Female Human Anatomy Male Human Anatomy This article is about the bodily orifice. ...

Kittens are highly social animals and spend most of their waking hours interacting with available animals. Kittens are more vulnerable to harm because they like to find dark places to hide; the results can be fatal if the kitten is not watched carefully. Although domestic kittens are commonly sent to new homes at six to eight weeks of age, some experts believe that being with its mother and litter mates from six to twelve weeks is important for a kitten's behavioral development.^{[citation needed]} Usually, breeders will not sell a kitten that is younger than twelve weeks, and in many jurisdictions, it is illegal to give away kittens younger than a certain age (usually between eight and twelve weeks).^{[citation needed]}

Caring for domestic kittens

Kittens require a diet higher in protein and fat than adult cats do.^[1] From weaning until about one year of age they should be fed a diet specifically formulated for kittens. Kittens can be touched or held when a lot of fur is visible and kitten(s) are walking. Most veterinarians recommend that kittens be vaccinated against common illnesses beginning at 2-3 months of age (FVRCP 8 weeks; FVRCP 12 weeks; FVRCP, rabies and sterilization at 16 weeks) and spayed or neutered at 4-8 months of age.^{[citation needed]} Some veterinarians will spay or neuter kittens as young as 6-8 weeks and weighing at least 2 pounds (approx. 1 kg); the practice is particularly common in animal shelters so that kittens can get into the adoption area sooner.^{[citation needed]} Kittens should also be wormed against roundworms at about 4 weeks. Sterilization can mean: Sterilization (surgical procedure) - an operation which renders an animal or human unable to procreate Sterilization (microbiology) - the elimination of microbiological organisms It can also mean the death of sperm cells due to radiation. ... Spaying and neutering are the respective processes of female and male animal sterilization, in order to keep them from producing offspring. ... Classes Adenophorea    Subclass Enoplia    Subclass Chromadoria Secernentea    Subclass Rhabditia    Subclass Spiruria    Subclass Diplogasteria The roundworms or nematodes (Phylum Nematoda from Gr. ...

A ginger kitten.

Orphaned kittens too young to eat solid food may be fed a cat milk replacement formula every two to four hours. Kittens should not be fed cow's milk because it does not provide all of the necessary nutrients and they are unable to digest lactose, and it may cause diarrhea.^[1] Orphaned kittens not urinating or defecating must be stimulated to do so after each meal by rubbing with a warm, damp washcloth at the base of their spine where the tail begins.^[2] This is vital to the kitten's survival. It is best to leave a kitten with its mother if at all possible. Kittens fed bottled milk, especially single kittens, tend to have behavioral issues (no bite inhibition) when they get older.^{[citation needed]} If a kitten develops diarrhea, the best treatment is to seek advice from a veterinarian. The kitten may need to be de-wormed with a de-wormer at 6-8 weeks old and then again 2 weeks later. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2272x1704, 1670 KB) Summary Kitten Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2272x1704, 1670 KB) Summary Kitten Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Lactose is a disaccharide that consists of β-D-galactose and β-D-glucose molecules bonded through a β1-4 glycosidic linkage. ... Types 5-7 on the Bristol Stool Chart are often associated with diarrhea Diarrhea (in American English) or diarrhoea (in British English) is a generally unpleasant condition in which the sufferer has frequent watery, loose bowel movements (from the ancient Greek word διαρροή = leakage; literally meaning to run through). Acute infectious...

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Kittens

Wikibooks has a book on the topic of

How to choose your pet and take care of it

• Cat
• Felidae
• Felis
• Purr

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Image File history File links Wikibooks-logo-en. ... Wikibooks logo Wikibooks, previously called Wikimedia Free Textbook Project and Wikimedia-Textbooks, is a wiki for the creation of books. ... Trinomial name Felis catus Linnaeus, 1758 The cat (or domestic cat, house cat) is a small carnivorous mammal. ... Subfamilies Felinae Pantherinae †Machairodontinae The Felidae family includes the Lion, the Tiger, the Domestic Cats, and other felines as its members. ... Felis is a genus of cats in the family Felidae. ... A purr is a sound made by some species of felines and is a part of cat communication. ...

References

1. ^ ^{a b} West Oxfordshire Cats Protection website on Diet Advice for kittens [1]
2. ^ Feline How-to Manual from Pawprints and Purrs, Inc, on feeding newborn cats [2]