When will kittens open their eyes and how to properly care for them?

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Cats are probably the most popular pets right now. This is understandable - they are more self-sufficient than dogs, require less attention, and caring for them is as simple as possible. And what else do you need for a person who spends all day at work? But for all their unpretentiousness, every responsible owner should still know the basics of feline physiology and the subtleties of kitten growth. What can we say about the features of caring for your pet - this knowledge is simply a must. And sometimes novice breeders are perplexed even by such an elementary question: "When will the kittens' eyes open?"

Like many other mammals, felines are born with tightly closed eyelids. At first, their cubs are blind and are guided solely by the vibrations of the mother's purr, the warmth emanating frommother, and her smell. Gradually, the babies gain strength, grow up, on the 5th day of life, their ear canal opens, and the next stage is, in fact, the opening of the eyes of the kittens.

It turns out that not all breeds have this process at the same time. It is generally believed that the days when kittens open their eyes are from the 7th to the 12th from the moment of birth. But, according to felinologists, it also depends on the duration of the mother's pregnancy, as well as on which breed the offspring belongs to. Typically, the duration of litter gestation in representatives of Félis silvéstris catus - and this is how they are called in biology - is from 55 to 70 days. Moreover, if the cat gave birth after the 68th day, the time when the kittens' eyes will open will come earlier than if the birth fell on the 55-67th day.

Another feature of this phenomenon is related to the genetic characteristics of different breeds. So, for example, in short-haired animals, the eyes open earlier than in owners of a long fluffy coat. Separately, it is worth noting that "bald" breeds, such as sphinxes and individuals with very short hair (Cornish Rex, Devon Rex), are distinguished by an even faster development rate. Wait for the kittens to open their eyes, in their case it will take only 3-5 days.

But the joyful day has come, and the droppings have opened their eyelids. This process does not happen immediately. It can take several days - from the appearance of the first crack to the full opening of both eyes. Usually at first their color is for everyone without exception -light blue, and the look is completely meaningless. This, in general, is typical for newborns of many species of mammals. How to care for the eyes of a kitten at such a tender age? To begin with, you should ensure that he stays in a dark place. Bright light is harmful to kittens that have just opened their eyes. If the baby's eyelids have not fully opened by the 14th day of life, they should be carefully treated with a swab dipped in weak tea leaves or chamomile infusion. If this does not help, you should seek help from a veterinarian. Otherwise, special eye care is not required, with the exception of breeds in which the tear ducts are located close to the nose (Persians, Exotic Shorthair cats, British and Scottish). For them, you should immediately purchase special lotions for eye care, which tend to leak.

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