The kitten fits in the palm of your hand. Its eyes are open, blue and a little cloudy, and it wobbles when it tries to walk toward you. You want to help, but a simple question stops you: how old is it? Does it need milk every two hours, or is it ready for a dish of food?
The good news is that kittens change fast, and those changes are easy to read once you know what to look for.
If you have found or are fostering a young kitten, the first question is: how old is it? Age tells you how often the kitten must eat, whether it can keep itself warm, whether it needs help to go to the toilet, and when it can start eating solid food. This chart helps you make a good estimate from the kitten’s weight and body changes, and then shows typical feeding amounts and schedules for each week.
Use it as a starting point, not a final answer. Every kitten is different, and a kitten that has been sick or underfed may be smaller than its real age. A veterinarian can give a more exact estimate.
- Weigh it in grams. Weight is the best single clue in the first two months: roughly 100 grams for each week of age, and about 1 kg (about 2 pounds) at 8 weeks.
- Check eyes, ears and teeth. Closed eyes mean under about 2 weeks. Standing ears and tiny front teeth mean about 3 weeks.
- Age sets the feeding schedule. Newborns eat about every 2 hours, day and night. By 3 to 4 weeks, it is about every 4 to 5 hours.
- Warm before feeding, never cow’s milk. Use a commercial kitten milk replacer, and feed the kitten on its belly.
- Weigh every day. A steady gain of 10 to 15 grams a day is normal. Any weight loss means it is time to call a vet.
How to estimate a kitten’s age
Look at several signs together rather than just one: weight, eyes, ears, teeth and movement.
Read the full steps
- Weigh the kitten. A kitchen or postal scale that measures in grams is the most useful tool you can have. Weight is the best single clue in the first two months.
- Look at the eyes. Closed eyes mean under about 2 weeks. All kittens have blue eyes at first; the adult color starts to show at around 7 weeks.
- Look at the ears. Ears are folded flat at birth and start to stand up in the third week.
- Check the teeth. Gently lift the lip. Tiny front teeth appear at about 3 weeks, the longer canine teeth at about 4 weeks, and the side teeth (premolars) at about 5 to 6 weeks.
- Watch how it moves. Crawling, wobbly steps, confident walking and running each belong to a different stage.
If the signs do not agree (for example, a kitten with teeth but a low weight), trust the physical signs over the scale, and treat the kitten as underweight.
Age by development
Find the row that best matches your kitten’s weight and body changes.
| Age | Typical weight | What you’ll see |
|---|---|---|
| Newborn (0–1 week) | 75–150 g | Eyes and ears closed; pink nose and paws; umbilical cord may still be attached in the first few days; sleeps most of the time and nurses |
| 1–2 weeks | 150–250 g | Umbilical cord gone; ear canals start to open; eyes begin to open at around 8 to 12 days; crawls |
| 2–3 weeks | 250–350 g | Eyes fully open and blue; ears still small and rounded; first wobbly attempts to stand |
| 3–4 weeks | 350–450 g | Ears stand up; tiny front teeth appear; walks unsteadily and starts to explore; may start to use a litter box |
| 4–5 weeks | 450–550 g | Canine teeth come in; walks, runs and plays with better balance; usually using a litter box |
| 5–6 weeks | 550–650 g | Premolars appear; ready to start or continue weaning; pounces and plays hard |
| 6–7 weeks | 650–750 g | All baby teeth in; eating wet kitten food; very active and curious |
| 7–8 weeks | 750–950 g | Adult eye color begins to show; fully weaned; confident and playful |
A healthy kitten weighs close to 1 kg (about 2 pounds) at 8 weeks. A rough rule for the first two months is about 100 grams for each week of age, although kittens often weigh a little more than this in the first weeks.
Feeding and care by age
The amounts below are typical guidelines for kitten milk replacer. Always follow the directions on your formula, and ask your veterinarian to adjust for your kitten’s weight and health.
Show the full feeding chart
| Age | Amount per feeding | How often | Care notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–1 week | 2–6 ml | Every 2 hours, day and night | Needs constant warmth; stimulate toileting after every feeding |
| 1–2 weeks | 6–10 ml | Every 2–3 hours, including at night | Keep warm; stimulate toileting |
| 2–3 weeks | 10–14 ml | Every 3–4 hours | Still needs a heat source; stimulate toileting |
| 3–4 weeks | 14–18 ml | Every 4–5 hours | Starts to control its own body temperature; add a shallow litter tray |
| 4–5 weeks | 18–22 ml, plus gruel | Every 5–6 hours | Start weaning: formula mixed with wet kitten food in a shallow dish |
| 5–6 weeks | Gruel and wet food | 4–5 meals a day | Offer fresh water; make the gruel thicker over time |
| 6–8 weeks | Wet and dry kitten food | 3–4 meals a day | Mostly or fully weaned; ask a vet about deworming and first vaccinations |
How much formula is too much?
A kitten’s stomach is small. As a guide, one feeding should be no more than about 4 ml for every 100 g of body weight. So a 200 g kitten would take around 8 ml at a time. Pushing more than this can cause vomiting, bloating, diarrhea, or milk going into the lungs. If your kitten is gaining weight well, you do not need to force larger meals. If it is not gaining, ask a vet before changing the amount or schedule.
Most kittens stop drinking when they are full, turning their head away or letting go of the nipple. A full kitten has a rounded, but not tight or hard, belly.
Weight gain: the most important number
Weigh each kitten at the same time every day, and write it down. Weight changes often show a problem before the kitten looks sick, which is why daily weighing is so useful.
What the scale is telling you:
- Normal: a steady gain of about 10–15 grams a day, or roughly 100 grams a week.
- Watch closely: no gain for one day.
- Call a vet: any weight loss, or no gain for two days in a row.
Rules that always apply
Whatever the kitten’s age, these five rules keep it safe.
Never skip these.
- Warm before feeding. A cold kitten cannot digest food. If it feels cool, warm it slowly first.
- Never give cow’s milk. Use a commercial kitten milk replacer. Human baby formula and milk alternatives are not safe either.
- Feed on the belly, never on the back, the way a kitten lies when it nurses from its mother.
- Help with toileting after every feeding until about 3 to 4 weeks of age.
- Wash your hands before and after handling kittens, and keep them separate from other pets until a vet has checked them.
For step-by-step instructions on warmth, bottle-feeding and toileting, see caring for orphaned kittens.
Weaning at a glance
Weaning usually starts at 4 to 5 weeks, when the canine teeth come through.
Read the full steps
- Offer formula in a shallow dish or on a spoon so the kitten learns to lap.
- Mix formula with a little wet kitten food to make a thin gruel.
- Over one to two weeks, add more food and less formula until it is a soft paste.
- By 6 to 8 weeks, most kittens eat wet kitten food (and some dry food) on their own, with fresh water always available.
Some kittens take longer. Keep offering the bottle until the kitten is eating enough from the dish to keep gaining weight.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell how old a kitten is without a scale?
Look at the eyes, ears, teeth and movement. Closed eyes mean under about 2 weeks; standing ears and tiny front teeth suggest about 3 weeks; walking with canine teeth suggests about 4 weeks or older. A scale is still much more reliable, so get one if you can.
How often does a newborn kitten need to eat?
About every 2 hours, day and night, in the first week. The time between feedings slowly grows as the kitten gets bigger, to about every 4 to 5 hours by 3 to 4 weeks.
When can a kitten eat solid food?
Most kittens are ready to start weaning at 4 to 5 weeks. They usually eat mainly solid kitten food by 6 to 8 weeks.
When can kittens leave their mother?
Around 8 weeks of age, when they are fully weaned and weigh about 1 kg (about 2 pounds). Until then, a mother cat is the best caregiver. See what to do if you find kittens outside.
When do kittens need a vet?
As soon as possible after you take them in, for a general health check. After that, ask the vet about a plan for deworming, vaccinations and neutering. Go right away if a kitten is cold, weak, not feeding, has diarrhea or is losing weight.
Sources
- Kitten Lady – How to Determine a Kitten’s Age
- Alley Cat Allies – Newborn Kitten Progression & Cat Age Chart
- Best Friends Animal Society – Determining the age of orphaned kittens
- Best Friends Animal Society – Bottle-Feeding Kittens
- Maddie’s Fund – Kitten Bottle Feeding and Stomach Capacity Chart
This chart is general information and not a substitute for veterinary advice.
