General Information

The term neonatal refers to kittens from birth to three weeks of age. Kittens are very fragile during these first weeks. They are totally dependent upon their mother for protection, warmth and nutrition.

Healthy newborns cared for by their mother are a vision of contentment. They spend 90% of their time sleeping against her warmth, and 10% of their time eagerly nursing.

Most mother cats normally take excellent care of their litters. They are meticulous about keeping the nest and each kitten clean. They are extremely protective of their newborns, and will move them to a new location if they are threatened.

Abandoned neonatal kittens present a very different picture. Cold, hungry, and unprotected, they cry plaintively for their mother. Denied the warmth of her presence, they eventually become comatose. Abandoned neonatal kittens, unable to sustain their body temperature, slip into a coma and die.

Birth Weight

A healthy kitten will weigh three to four ounces at birth. Kittens should begin to gain weight rapidly a few days after birth, and should double their weight by one week. A continuous weight gain of approximately � ounce a day is one indication of a healthy kitten.

If a kitten drops 10 percent of initial birth weight during the first 48 hours of life, and does not start to regain by 72 hours, the kitten is not doing well and should be closely monitored.

The following chart will give you an indication of what is considered normal weight ranges for a kitten.

Temperature

The average rectal temperature of a one-day-old newborn is between 92 and 97 degrees F. The kitten�s temperature at 2 to 21 days old will be 96 to 100 degrees F.

The neonatal kitten does not have the ability to constrict its skin blood vessels. Because of this, the kitten cannot retain body heat and is dependent on the mother cat to keep warm.

Eyes and Ears

All kittens are born with closed eyes and closed ear canals. They can neither see nor hear during the first few days of life. They find their way to their mother by sensing the heat generated by her body. Kittens find their way to a nipple by sense of smell and tactile sensations.

The ear canals will begin to open at 5 to 8 days of life. Eyes begin to open at 8 days and are completely open at 14 days. When kittens are three weeks old, they will have developed complete sight and sound orientation.

All kittens are born with blue eyes. Their true colors appear when they are three weeks old.