It is advisable to carefully monitor your cat's weight at an early age. During this period, the kitten's weight allows us to evaluate the process of its development. Non-compliance with monthly norms may indicate malnutrition, illness and other abnormalities. Lack of weight gain is an alarming sign, so in this case you should immediately contact your veterinarian. It should be remembered that in the first weeks of life the pet is very vulnerable and the occurrence of any violations requires an urgent response.
Kitten weight by month: table
Weight depends on many factors, which include breed, gender, size of parents, individual characteristics, etc. At birth, a kitten can weigh from 80 to 150 g. For example, Maine Coons, on average, give birth to 130-gram kittens, while British cats – 100 grams, and outbred cats weigh about 90 g at birth.
The table below shows averages of how much animals weigh depending on age and breed:
| Age | Maine Coon | British cat | Sphinx | Outbred |
| 1 Week | 180-250 g | 110-230 g | 100-220 g | 100-250 g |
| 2 week | 280-350 g | 150-300 g | 130-300 g | 150-300 g |
| 3 week | 420-570 g | 210-500 g | 200-430 g | 200-500 g |
| 1 month | 560-730 g | 250-650 g | 230-590 g | 250-650 g |
| 2 months | 1.1-1.5 kg | 450-900g | 420-800 g | 400-1kg |
| 3 months | 1.7-2.2 kg | 1-2.5 kg | 900-2 kg | 1-2 kg |
| 4 months | 2.7-3.7 kg | 1.7-3.5 kg | 1.3-2.7 kg | 1.5-2.5 kg |
| 5 months | 2.9-5.3 kg | 2.2-4 kg | 2.1-3.9 kg | 2-3 kg |
| 6 months | 3.2-6 kg | 2.3-4.5 kg | 2.2-4.3 kg | 2.5-4 kg |
| 7 months | 3.5-6.5 kg | 2.4-5 kg | 2.3-4.6 kg | 2.5-4.5 kg |
| 8 months | 3.8-6.7 kg | 2.5-5.5 kg | 2.4-4.9 kg | 2.5-5 kg |
| 9 months | 4.1-7 kg | 2.5-5.9 kg | 2.5-5.3 kg | 2.5-5.5 kg |
| 10 months | 4.3-7.7 kg | 2.6-6.4 kg | 2.6-5.8 kg | 2.6-6 kg |
| 11 months | 4.4 -8 kg | 2.7-6.8 kg | 2.7-6.4 kg | 2.8-6.5 kg |
| 1 year | 4.6-9 kg | 3-7 kg | 3-7 kg | 3-7 kg |
Weight gain in the first month
The first four weeks of life are characterized by the most intensive growth. The weight of a kitten in the 1st month can increase up to 15 g every day. At the end of this period, it can be two or even three times greater than at birth. Such intensive growth is noticeable to the naked eye. If at this age there is a slight gain in body weight, then you need to seek help from a veterinarian to diagnose and correct the situation.
In the first month, the kitten needs intensive care and good nutrition. The optimal diet is provided by mother's breast milk. However, a cat cannot always feed its offspring for various reasons. In this case, the role of “mother” falls on the pet owner. The best substitute for mother's milk are special industrial mixtures, the composition of which duplicates the natural components as much as possible. The dosage and frequency of feeding depend on the age and size of the animal. So, in the first week he should be fed about 4 ml every 2-4 hours, and in the second week - every 4-6 hours, 5 ml. With proper nutrition, by the end of the fourth week he will weigh 300-400 g, his first teeth will grow and he can already be given additional food.
In addition to rapid growth, signs of your pet’s health in the first four weeks of life will include:
- ability to stand on one’s paws (way and not confidently);
- active behavior;
- healthy sleep;
- regular bowel movements.
How much should a cat weigh at different stages?
German Shepherd weight by month: table
During the first 15–20 days of life, kittens spend most of their time sleeping. After about 16 days from the moment of birth, babies begin to be interested in the events happening around them, frolic and play.
The table shows the weight of a growing kitten by month:
| Kitten age | Kitten weight by month | Note |
| 1st day of life | Approximately 99 g | Average weight of a newborn kitten |
| 7th day of life | 149 g | If a 7-day-old kitten weighs less than 99 g, he is either seriously ill or malnourished. |
| 14th day of life (0.5 months) | 170 g | The weight of a kitten is given, which is not sick with serious illnesses, but also does not receive the maximum portion of attention. |
| 21 days of life (0.7 months) | 225 g | With special care, kittens reach the specified weight at the age of 14 days |
| 35th day of life (1.2 months) | 450 g | The weight of an absolutely healthy, naturally strong kitten is indicated. |
| 2 months from the date of birth | 900 g | The cat no longer feeds her kittens; their future fate depends entirely on the owner. The permissible minimum weight at this age is 710 g |
| 3 months | 1400 g | The average weight of a typical kitten is indicated. |
| 4 months | 1800 g | Average weight |
| 5 months | 2300 - 2900 g | Male kittens weigh more than their sisters |
The table shows the average weight. The exact indicators depend on the breed, gender and health status of the kitten.
Outbred kittens develop in approximately the same way as purebred kittens, only their mortality rate is higher due to the lack of additional nutrition.
A weak kitten weighs very little from the first days of life
Note! An animal that at the time of birth weighed less than its littermates will not be able to do without additional nutrition. Pushed away from his mother's nipples by stronger brothers and sisters, he does not receive enough nutrition, does not gain weight and becomes weaker.
Kittens stop needing mother's milk within a month after birth. By this time, their fangs and incisors have erupted, their ears take a vertical position (in representatives of straight-eared breeds), and their weight reaches 440-470 g. A kitten that has reached six months of age is considered an adult and weighs about 3 kg.
Kitten weight at 2-3 months
During this period, intensive weight gain continues, although not as active as before. For every 30 days, the kitten almost doubles in size, and by the end of the 3rd month it will weigh approximately 1.5-2 kg. He can already eat soft food, so you should diversify his diet and don’t forget about water. Stores sell special food for kittens, which may come in the form of a pate or soft pieces in a sauce. Since the small pet is already actively exploring the territory, it is necessary to limit its access to adult food, which will be too tough for it.
How does a kitten's weight change as it gets older?
If babies are healthy, they will gain weight daily. A day after birth (second weighing), the weight of newborns, if they are not sick, will increase by at least 8-10 g. The strongest kittens gain 14 g in weight by the second day of life. If a baby whose weight at birth corresponded to the norm, during the second day of life he did not gain at least 7 g, this should alert the breeder.
A newborn baby should weigh up to 170 g
During the first week of life, a newborn's weight may double.
Important! The kitten, who lived for 10 days and gained 168-174 g, has passed the first critical milestone. The majority of newborns die during this period. Almost always the cause of death is a lack of mother's milk.
Kittens are fed around the clock at intervals of two hours. When eating, the kitten should lie on its stomach. It is unacceptable to feed your baby adult food, such as cow's or goat's milk. This can cause diarrhea and, as a result, weight loss and death. The breeder must also weigh the kittens daily and record the results.
The norm is 4-5 months
At this age, the average weight of a kitten is 1.5-3 kg. The period of intensive growth has ended, but the pet still continues to gain weight. At the end of the 5th month, males can reach 4 kg.
Your pet still needs to eat baby food frequently. The number of feedings is up to 5 times. Diets should be chosen with the maximum protein content, which is necessary for the normal development of the growing predator’s body. Industrially produced food is marked with the appropriate inscription “For kittens”. However, it is necessary to carefully study the composition in order to choose a quality nutrition.
Cat weight at 8-12 months
By the time a cat is one year old, it is considered an adult. Its dimensions practically do not change, and on average reach 4-6 kg depending on the breed and gender. By the age of one year, it is necessary to reduce meals to two times a day and monitor its balance. It is important to feed animals with good food, in which the protein level is more than 30% (if we talk about industrially produced feed). High-quality balanced nutrition will be the key to the normal functioning of the cat’s body and is the prevention of obesity.
Why monitor the development of newborn kittens?
Newborn babies are absolutely defenseless and need good care. It is necessary to carefully monitor how kittens grow from birth, whether they eat well, and whether they gain weight. This is extremely important for their life and health. Constant observation will allow the owner to notice that the kittens are not feeling well. By the first signs of ill health, it will be possible to “catch” the disease at the initial stage and easily cure it.
Kids are growing by leaps and bounds
Kitten health problems:
- poor appetite: the baby does not suckle milk;
- weakness, lethargy;
- labored breathing.
If you notice any sign of trouble, you should immediately contact a veterinarian.
Newborn babies are defenseless against the outside world
Weighing procedure
To find out how much a kitten weighs, you can use a kitchen scale in the first months. A small pet will fit well in a bowl or bowl. In the future, you can use a canter scale by placing the animal in a bag with two handles or a basket. It is necessary to subtract the weight of the bag itself from the result obtained in order to obtain reliable data. Using the subtraction method, you can also weigh your pet using floor scales, which the owner first stands on himself, and then with the pet.
Weighing an animal may be required in the following cases:
- artificial feeding;
- pathologies at birth;
- suspicion of developing the disease;
- development control.
When do kittens change fur and eye color?
Changing eye color
For a newborn kitten, vision does not play a significant role. Babies open their eyes between one week and 16 days. Only in the third week of life do they begin to see. Until four weeks of age, a kitten's eyes are covered with a protective film; it disappears on its own when the time comes. Small kittens usually have blue or blue-gray eyes. This is due to the fact that almost all the pigments went to forming the fur color; they have not yet really reached the eyes. In one month, when the kittens' eye color changes, it becomes noticeable that splashes of a different color have appeared in the sky-blue iris.
The less pigment, the lighter and cooler the eye shade. At the time of birth, there is still very little pigment in the iris. For this reason, all babies have cool blue or light blue eyes.
The process of changing the color of a kitten's eyes is called pre-blooming. If you want a pet with a certain eye color, choose a baby around four months old. By this point, the kitten’s eye color has changed so much that one can conclude what it will be like throughout its life. With a 50% chance you can guess what your pet's eyes will be like by looking at the eye color of its parents. Some changes in eye color are possible before the age of two. Green eye color takes longer to form than others.
You should not think that the color of a kitten's eyes is related to its color. They are directly related only in purebred cats - breeders have fixed a certain trait through selection. The main eye colors in cats are green, gold, copper, blue, blue. There are some restrictions on eye color related to belonging to a particular breed. Representatives of the Russian Blue breed have green eyes of varying color saturation. An adult Siamese cat has blue or blue eyes - here the eye color undergoes minimal changes from an early age. Ojos Azules cats have blue eyes. Ojos azules is translated from Spanish as blue eyes. These are just some examples.
There are albinos among cats. They have white fur, but their eyes can be different colors, such as blue or green.
Another feature of eye color is heterochromia, that is, one eye is different in color from the other due to the uneven distribution of pigment. Heterochromia is uncommon in cats and does not affect vitality or vision.
Changes in color
Kittens are born with fur. Babies' coats actively develop and change noticeably in texture and color in the first year of life. Kittens exchange their baby downy coat for a guard coat; already at the age of one week, the fur begins to fluff up, and the first undercoat can be seen. At five weeks, the kitten’s fur pattern becomes brighter and more contrasting, and the undercoat becomes denser. White little kittens often have a colored spot on their head, which later disappears. Felinologists advise starting to accustom your kitten to brushing as early as two and a half months. The pet still has little hair that needs to be combed. But this is the right moment to make the procedure something familiar to the kitten, a ritual of communication, and not a severe necessity.
At the age of three months, kittens have already formed a fur pattern. But it will be possible to determine the color of the kittens a little later - at six to seven months, the felinologist will be able to tell you what the pet’s color will be throughout its life. The head and ears are the main indicator; on the body the color will vary a little longer.
When a growing kitten is five months old, the color begins to change. At five to eight months, your furry friend will experience her first molt. Consult with your veterinarian which vitamins are best to give to your pet during this difficult period. Be sure to brush your pet so that he doesn't eat his own fur. By 10 months the color will be fully formed. A little later, around his first birthday, your pet will stop growing. However, up to two and a half years old, the cat is still very young, he continues to grow stronger and accumulate strength for a long, happy life.
Law of nature
When kittens change eye color, we are talking about the natural development of the pet. But a change in eye color in an adult cat indicates a possible injury or illness. Eye color may change when exposed to medications. Your pet's eyes and fur will tell you a lot about his well-being and will give an alarming signal about the need to visit a veterinarian.
The color of adult cats may change in an unsightly way due to prolonged exposure to the sun. A black cat may become partially red from too much sunbathing and its fur will fade. Diet can affect color. Sometimes changing food turns into an unpleasant surprise - dyes from the food migrate to the cat’s fur. Some vegetables can also affect color. If the change in color is accompanied by lethargy, loss of appetite and other alarming symptoms, your cat should be shown to a specialist. In this way, nature helps us better understand our pets and be sensitive to their health.
