Kittens 6 – 7 weeks old

At 6 weeks age old, the kitten’s baby teeth will begin to reach their final stage of early development. Their eyes will still be blue, and vision and hearing will be fully developed. At this age they will be socialising confidently with their siblings and be curious about their surroundings and eager to explore. Their coordination improves and if they jump from a small height they will  land on their feet. At 7 weeks old their eye colour will be changing, and the adult eye colour will begin to emerge. There will be a spike in energy and playtime will increase. They are able to run, climb and confidently jump from small heights.

At 7 weeks kittens should receive ample kitten wet food, and may have kitten dry food as a supplement. They should have access to plenty of fresh clean water and a shallow litter box at all times.

At this point you you can call the DSPCA on (01) 499 4700 (select option 3) or email info@dspca.ie to make arranges for an appointment to be made to bring the kittens into the shelter. Please don’t just arrive with them.

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.