Growing Kitty Week Four

Week Four 

Week four has loads of growth. We are growing in size, our senses are completely developed, and we can walk with our tail up!

All Our Senses

During week four, kitten's senses are said to be completely developed. Their eye sight is now as good as their mothers so they can see the world around them. Bright lights do not tend to bother them as much as they venture around to new places.  They can also hear much better which means they do not get startled as easily and can detect a playful sibling about to pounce. Sense of smell is such an important part of a cat's life and during this week they can smell what's cookin' on the stove... well in our case what's cookin' in the bowl. 

Up Up and Away 

Kittens ears are now fully upright big and tall. They can play and pounce a bit more gracefully now while holding their own tail up! During the fourth week, the kittens are usually weighing in at around a pound but expect a big growth spurt. Their teeth are coming in nicely and will start using them more and more every day.  Momma's are starting to leave their kittens for longer periods of time. They are learning to groom themselves but mom always comes in to add the final touches.  You can also introduce a small bowl of water for them to play in..... I mean drink from. Kittens are very curious at this age, they are busy exploring and working out the details of their surroundings.  

Play with Me

Again, during these weeks, it is extremely important to socialize and interact with the kittens. This is when they learn that this big giant thing, we call humans, is nice and fun not frightening. Laying or sitting on the floor with them is a great way for them to come to you on their terms. It builds their confidence around each other, you, and new fun toys. By the end of the play date you end up being this super awesome kitty jungle gym and the kittens can't get enough!

Have you ever experienced being a kitty jungle gym?

Until Our Next Cat Convo

-Amanda

Growing Kitty Week Three

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Welcome to Week Three

Week three is full of exciting things and a big leap for the kittens. In week three we can hear, smell, walk, play, and potty on our own! 

Potty Time

In week three mom get a little "me" time. Their work with the kittens is becoming easier and easier by the day especially when it comes to potty training. Kittens digestive systems are developed now and this allows them to defecate on their own. Now, mom still helps out when needed especially in the grooming department. Mom shows the babies everything they need to know and that's including bath time. By watching their mom groom herself, and their litter-mates the kittens pick up on this activity which teaches them how to clean and groom themselves. At this time, you should start introducing the kittens to their litter box. You should ALWAYS use a non-clumping, natural litter when they are kittens. Think about it... Since mom is teaching them to clean up after themselves, they know that after being in the potty box they need to clean up, including their paws. Now, if you have a clumping litter + kittens cleaning their paws = clumped litter in their bellies! This is NOT something you want your kitten to go through, it is much easier to get a natural litter like pine pellets or non-clumping clay to keep your kitty happy and healthy. 

Can You Hear Me?

Kittens ears are now standing in the upright position and their ear canals will be completely open. Your kittens are hearing new things for the first time and they may get startled by loud noises since their hearing is yet to be fully developed. Try and keep it down a notch so the kittens feel comfortable in their environment. 

Let's Play

The little fur monsters are now starting to move about and play with their litter-mates. Their movements are still wobbly and aren't completely stable but this will improve throughout the week. This is the time to start socializing. Starting at week three, to week seven, is the most crucial time for socialization. It is recommended that you play with all the kittens for a few hours out of the day to ensure they are getting the most out of that human interaction. The babies LOVE toys so get stocked up and play with them as much as possible. Although kittens still cannot retract their claws, you never want to use your hands to play. They don't stay little forever! This will teach them the bad habit that your hands are toys, and as they grow its not so fun for you anymore. Toys are for playing, hands are for feeding and petting. At week three they can even start to purr so don't be surprised if you hear a little something when settling down after playtime. 

Changing Appearances

Kittens bodies are also changing a bit at this time. If you notice your kittens beginning  to chew on things you may consider some plastic chew toys. Their teeth are coming in and the chewing helps ease the discomfort. You can also tell the gender of the kitten at this time, so if you do not know how to tell GOOGLE it. HAHA just kidding. The males will have what would look more like a colon ( : ) they have a hole instead of a slit and it is farther away from the rectum. Most male kittens will not have visible testicles this young but that doesn't mean they won't. The females will have more of an upside-down colon ( ; ), sorry I can't figure out how to make it upside down but you get the idea. Their vaginal opening is more of a long slit rather than a hole and its much closer to the rectum. But for real... if you can't figure out just google it.

Another thing that changes is their fur, especially in Savannahs. The kittens go through what we call the "Fluffy" Stage. All kittens fur will get fuller and fill in but Savannahs they get really fluffy and their spots are disguised and often have a grayish color on the tips of the fur. We believe they get this trait from the Serval. In the wild, Serval kittens develop much like the domestic cats and at week three they start to roam and play about. Their coat changes to that fluffy grayish color to disguise them from nearby predators while playing outside the den. When the kittens are about six months old their mothers have taught them how to hunt on their own and can protect themselves from nearby danger. During this time, their coat loses the fluff and becomes more pronounced again. Savannahs are very similar in this aspect. 

Do you have any special techniques to help socialize your kitten?

Until Our Next Cat Convo

- Amanda

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Growing Kitty Week Two

Quick tid-bit from me

Hey all! Sorry I have been a bit behind. I am sure most of you do not know but unfortunately, I suffer from an autoimmune disorder. It seems like once you get diagnosed with one they just keep on coming. Anyways, I have been down the last few weeks and have been trying to recover. I started some new things and I am feeling much better so hopefully I can get back on track! Plus, I have all my kitties that take care of me!

Thanks for bearing with me.              #snapchat ;)

-Amanda

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Week Two

This week is week two and big things are happening. Ears, eyes and nose, oh my! The developmental changes in week two are significant and we are here to tell you all about it. 

Look at me grow

At week two the kittens grow at an amazing rate of around 10 grams per day. This is a lot for its tiny little body so it needs plenty of milk, sleep, and lovin's. Momma kitties need a ton of nourishment at this time to help support not only her nutritional needs but her kittens as well. She should be fed a high-quality food to ensure she is getting the most out of her food so those babies can keep growing.

Sniff, Wiggle, Sniff, Sniff

Kittens are starting to smell new and interesting things. Since their sense of smell is only a little on the working side, they will get hissy with unfamiliar smells as well as sounds. They are starting to recognize who their siblings are and interact with them more and more. Even an occasional hissy fit over their favorite nipple. 

Bright eyed and bushy tailed 

Hey mom, can you see my eyes? At about 10 days old the kittens eyes will start to open. Some will open sooner than others and maybe only one at a time. By the end of week two their eyes are typically wide open and can start to see objects, although still very blurry. During this time, their eyes are extremely sensitive so keep those bright lights away and let them adjust in a dim environment. Did you know that all kittens are born with blue eyes? Since their eyes are still developing they acquire that blue color. By about a month old their eyes should start changing to their permanent eye color and continue to develop until they are around 9 months old.  

What eye color does your kitten have?

Until Our Next Cat Convo

-Amanda

Growing Kitty Week One

Week One

We all know there are several stages a kitten goes through in the first few weeks of life but why are these stages so important and what happens during this time? In the next few blog posts I am going to explain the developmental changes a kitten goes through week by week until they are ready for their forever home.

Hello World!

From the time the kittens are born mom is hard at work. She is cleaning, feeding and keeping her tiny tots warm. Throughout this week she is very protective of her young and if bothered too much she will try to relocate them to a more peaceful location. During this time, we do not interfere to ensure mom's stress level stays low and she feels cozy and comfortable in her nesting area.

Puttin' On the Ounces

Kittens, when welcomed to this world, typically weigh a whopping 3-4 ounces. Of course, as far as Savannahs go, the higher the generation the bigger the kittens. In this week, the kittens will typically double in size to about 6-8 ounces which is a lot for their tiny little bodies. Within about 2-3 days their umbilical cord will detach and they are ready for takeoff.

Help Mom

When born, kittens are completely helpless and solely rely on their mothers to care for them. Their eyes are tightly shut making it a bit hard to see and their ears are folded so they cannot hear a thing. They react to their mothers body heat for comfort and rely on their  faint sense of smell to find their favorite nipple at feeding time. 

Happy and Healthy

In the first 24-48 hours of arrival the kittens will receive colostrum from their mothers. This is a very vitamin and nutrient rich milk that is crucial to the kittens development. Given the mother has had her vaccinations, this milk allows the kittens to receive the mothers immunity to harmful diseases until they are old enough for their first set of shots.

Potty Time

Another thing kittens are incapable of at this stage is controlling their bowels. Mom will lick their bellies to aid in digestion as well as their bottoms to help stimulate them to defecate. Kittens also can not regulate their own body temperature so mom always stays near to be sure they are all snuggled up.

A Whole Lot of Shut Eye

In order to for kittens to grow and develop as fast as they do, they need plenty of beauty rest. Kittens spend 90 percent of their time sleeping while the other 10 percent they are chowing down. Other than snoozing, fighting their littermates for a nipple is their top priority but Mom always makes sure there is plenty to go around.

What first week experiences do you have?

Until Our Next Cat Convo

- Amanda