Kittens 4 – 6 weeks old

At 4 weeks old their vision and hearing has much improved. The kitten’s teeth will continue to develop and will start to come through the gums. Their claws will be retractable. At 5 weeks they will be running and playing confidently. Their social skills with humans and other animals will start to develop more and their grooming skills will be much improved. If healthy they may begin to the weaning process and can be introduces to wet kitten food along with their mother’s milk. If weaned off their mother they will require wet food and clean water at all times.

4-6 week old kittens are still better off being with their mother full time. Please DO NOT remove the kittens. Their mother will be close by keeping an eye on them. If you do not see a mother present please call the DSPCA on (01) 499 4700 select option 3 or email info@dspca.ie

Should I handle kittens at this age?

The key socialisation period in kittens is from 2-3 weeks up to 10 weeks of age. Play is the best method to help them physically and socially develop. Socialisation is important to help kittens be comfortable around humans and other animals. Don’t remove them from where they are as they do need to be with their mother but you can start to interact with them and the best way in through play. Small home made toys such as tin foil scrunched up into little balls,  cardboard toilet roll holders and paper towels are great play items in addition to traditional kitten toys. As a guideline ideally kittens should have pleasant interactions with people for 30–60 minutes per day. If the kittens approach you, you can pet and touch them. This will help the kittens be ready for adoption when they are old enough and to settle into a home environment and be comfortable around humans.