Kitten weight by month: why monitor the indicator

Weight gain in the first year of a cat's life is uneven. The most rapid growth occurs in the first month after birth: during this period, the kitten can gain up to 15 grams per day. A calm and sedentary pace of life contributes to this. When kittens are one month old, they weigh on average 450-500 grams.

Closer to 2 months, solid food, which contains more protein, is introduced into the kitten’s diet. At this time, kittens become active and playful. Calories are burned faster and the rate of weight gain slows down. At two months of age, kittens can weigh up to one and a half kilograms.

At 3 months, the gender of the kitten will significantly influence how much it should weigh. By the third month, gender begins to influence the difference in weight more strongly. The kitten will continue to gain weight until it is five months old, and by the time it is six months old, the females will have fully formed. Males may continue to gain slight muscle mass, causing their weight to increase. To understand whether a kitten's weight is appropriate for its age, it is important to consider its breed.

Kittens gain weight fastest in the first week of life.

Weight of kittens depending on the number in the litter

The larger the litter, the greater the likelihood that among the kittens there will be weak babies.

The more kittens, the less milk the cat has

The number of newborn kittens also affects their weight gain in the first months of life. At the same time, a cat can fully feed up to 6 kittens. If more were born, someone will inevitably be malnourished. The most agile brothers and sisters will occupy the mother cat's nipples, not allowing the weak kittens to fully feed. If the kitten constantly squeaks, cannot get close to the nipple, or is pushed away by other kittens, feed the baby additionally with a special mixture.

When furry pets open their eyes

You can quite accurately determine how old a kitten is by examining its eyes. Kittens are born blind and usually open their eyes on the tenth to twelfth day, but not earlier than a week after birth. In healthy kittens up to two weeks old, the eyelids are tightly closed or slightly open, and there is no opaque discharge. At the same time, the eyes will remain cloudy and bright blue for some time, and only then will they begin to change their color to “adult” - unless the breed of cat assumes that they will remain blue-eyed (Angora, Siamese, British and others). Blue eyes mean that the kitten is not yet two and a half months old. Typically, the eye color of cats is green or yellow, sometimes amber. The color is finally established by the age of six months. You can also look at the babies' ears. At birth, kittens' ears are pressed tightly against their head, as kittens are born with closed ear canals. They open no earlier than the fifth day of life, and the kittens begin to hear; The ears lift completely in the second or third week.

Newborn kitten

How much should a cat weigh at different stages?

If the kitten is well fed, healthy and developing normally, its weight will increase rapidly in the first weeks of life. It is important to weigh the kitten daily in the first month, when its body is especially vulnerable. Let's look at the average weight at different stages of a cat's life.

• Birth and first week of life. Depending on the breed, a newborn kitten weighs from 70 to 130 grams.
• Second week. During this period, kittens grow very quickly; their normal weight ranges from 110 to 250 grams.
• Third week. If the kitten develops normally and receives enough nutrition, its weight ranges from 210 to 420 grams.
• Fourth week. By 4 weeks the baby weighs from 250 to 500 grams.
• At two months of age, kittens weigh from 1 to 1.5 kilograms.
• By the third month, weight can range from 1.5 to 2.3 kilograms.
• At 5 months, the normal weight of a cat is from 2.3 to 4.2 kilograms.
• A six-month-old kitten can weigh from 2.5 to 4.8 kilograms. The exact weight norm depends on the breed and gender of the baby.

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.

Kitten weight by month depending on breed: table, developmental features

Weighing the kitten daily and comparing the obtained values ​​with the table values ​​will help monitor the pet’s health. The rate at which kittens gain weight depends on gender and breed, and will vary from month to month. In larger breeds, such as Maine Coons, kittens are born larger and gain weight faster. In dwarf breeds, such as Scythian Taydon, Minskin, Dwelf, Bambino, kittens are born smaller and do not grow as quickly. If the kitten is not purebred, we suggest using a table of average weight values.

Weight table by month

If you are the owner of a purebred cat, then when weighing your offspring, use weight tables compiled for a specific breed.

Kitten weight depending on breed

Diet

Having chosen a certain method of nutrition, do not deviate from it, otherwise it will threaten unpredictable consequences for the baby’s fragile body. It is prohibited to combine two feeding methods - eating natural food and ready-made cat food.

Veterinarians explain this by saying:

• wards will have digestive problems leading to gastrointestinal diseases;
• An overdose of vitamins in an animal can lead to hypervitaminosis.

Natural nutrition

After the change of milk teeth, the diet of a growing 3-4 month old kitten must include solid food rich in protein. It is recommended to diversify dairy products whenever possible. Veterinarians also advise adding vegetables rich in various vitamins to your food. Meat components should be included in the pet's diet in overwhelming quantities, and cereals and vegetables can make up less than half of the daily portion of food. You can’t completely stop your kitten from eating meat: the taurine it contains is very important for heart and eye health.

Veterinary experts advise including the following natural products in the diet of a 3-4 month old kitten:

• It is mandatory for the kitten to consume boiled lean meat - primarily beef, as well as chicken fillet or turkey meat in small chopped pieces or in the form of minced meat (if there is a confirmed absence of worms, from the age of three months it is also allowed to give raw frozen meat, tested for quality);
• low-fat milk and fermented milk products without additives - kefir, fermented baked milk, etc.;
• low-fat cottage cheese, necessary for strengthening teeth and bones (initially it is better to start by consuming a ready-made liquid product, for example, Agusha brand cottage cheese, which has proven itself well);
• various vegetables - pumpkin, zucchini, cabbage - in chopped form (raw grated ones are best, but if the kitten refuses to eat them in their pure form, you can mix vegetable mixtures into porridge or boil cereals in vegetable broth);
• raw or boiled and chopped egg yolk;
• lean fish without bones (preferably sea fish, because a river pet can easily become infected with worms);
• cereal dishes - porridge with water, milk, vegetable and meat broth (the cat's body accepts semolina and rice best);
• special grass that is useful for cats (you can grow it yourself on the windowsill, or buy sprouted oat or wheat sprouts at a pet store or veterinary pharmacy);
• vegetable oil in small quantities to improve digestion.

What should you not feed?

It is recommended to completely exclude a three-month-old kitten from the diet:

• fatty foods that will only harm the stomach and liver (in particular pork - meat, lard, fat);
• meat with bones (a kitten can choke on hollow bones or scratch the stomach walls);
• whole cow's milk;
• salted and spiced food (often, in an effort to make food more attractive, breeders rely on their own taste and make it completely unsuitable and dangerous for a small, fragile organism);
• spicy and canned food (sausages, canned food from your table);
• fried foods (can clog the intestines with toxins);
• tomatoes and eggplants;
• corn and cereals from it;
• any sweets, especially chocolate (eating them weakens the immune system, causes dental disease and hair loss).

It is better to limit the consumption of some foods to a minimum, these are:

• oat and bean cereals;
• River fish;
• potatoes in any form (cats are almost unable to digest starch).

During the period of illness, some foods are also excluded from the diet: for diarrhea - fermented milk, for constipation - solid foods containing carbohydrates and starch in the required amount. In addition, the “cat owner” needs to be very careful and keep vitamins and medicines intended for people out of the kitten’s reach, otherwise, if he tries them, he may get seriously poisoned.

How often and in what quantity per week you can give your pet basic foods is up to each owner to decide individually, but the main recommendations are as follows:

Depending on the exact age, weight and activity of the pet, these proportions can be reduced or increased by 5-15%.

Rules for weighing kittens

In the first weeks of life, kittens are weighed every day. Weighing them daily helps monitor whether they are developing and feeding normally. To obtain the most correct values, weighing occurs at the same time.

Babies are weighed on kitchen scales

Daily fluctuations in the kitten's weight are very small - only 10-15 grams. Regular floor scales will not show such a small difference in weight, so it is better to weigh kittens on a kitchen scale. Keep the mother cat close to the kittens during the weigh-in, otherwise she will become agitated. Excessive stress can negatively affect the quality of milk, so let the kitty calmly watch her offspring.

How to weigh a kitten correctly

If the kitten is very small, then in order to weigh it, you can use a regular kitchen scale and a small box. To prevent the kitten from turning weighing into a game, the best time for the process is immediately after sleep. If the baby starts spinning and jumping, the indicators will be inaccurate. Trying to hold a playful baby with your hand can also get a distorted result.

To get the most accurate figure for the baby’s weight, you can follow two methods:

• First, weigh the box, then put the kitten in it and record the result again. Subtract the difference.
• Place the box on the scales, and only then turn them on. They will show zeros. After this, we put the baby in a box and get the figure for his body weight.

  It is more convenient to weigh mobile kittens in small containers or boxes to get a more accurate result.

This way the owner will receive an exact figure in grams, which can be entered into the animal’s weight diary.

Video: how to weigh a cat

Why do you need a weight diary?

A caring owner must keep a diary of the kitten’s weight, regardless of whether the kitten is raised alone or with a cat mother. Weight in cats often becomes an indicator of their health, especially for growing kittens. The weight diary tracks the normal development of the pet and promptly alerts you to health problems.

If in the first months the kitten stops gaining weight, this may be a signal of malnutrition or illness. A stop in the baby's weight gain may also indicate problems in a nursing cat: perhaps she does not have enough milk.

A weight diary can provide useful clues in other cases, for example:

• calculation of the daily dose of feed. If you get a kitten whose age is unknown, weighing it will help you find out how much food it needs;
• calculation of drug dosage. Many medications for animals must be used taking into account the weight of the animal. This is especially true for anthelmintic drugs;

A weight diary will tell you whether to take your cat on a trip

• trips. Conditions for air travel with a pet depend on its weight. If the cat is small, you can take it with you to the salon. Large pets are waiting for the luggage compartment, in which the animal can become stressed. Weight information will help you assess the risks of travel for your furry friend.

Factors affecting baby's weight

Fluctuations in a cat's weight may indicate changes in the animal's body. This may not only be malnutrition, but also more serious problems. Hormonal disorders, diseases of the cardiovascular system and gastrointestinal tract are reflected in the weight of the animal. Factors that affect the baby's weight:

1. Breed. The weight of Maine Coon and Ragdoll kittens is significantly different from the weight of Scottish cat kittens. Therefore, different weight tables are provided for different breeds. If the kitten is outbred, then pay attention to the weight of its mother and, based on this indicator, select a table for the weight of newborn kittens.

Maine Coon kittens weigh much more than kittens of other breeds

1. Floor. Boys are born larger than girls and gain weight faster.
2. Number of kittens in the litter. In large litters, kittens are often born weak and weigh little. Increased competition for space at the mother's nipple also plays a role.
3. Mother cat nutrition. The quality of milk, its calorie content and quantity directly depend on the cat’s nutrition. An underfed cat will not be able to feed her kittens.
4. Cat health. Many postpartum complications in cats interfere with normal feeding. For example, with mastitis, a cat’s nipples hurt, and she does not allow the kittens to feed from it. Or there may be an infection in the milk, causing the kittens to get sick and not gain weight.

Dangerous symptoms

Poor nutrition, lack of activity and weight control lead to overeating or undereating in cats. An outbred individual is able to independently control the amount of food eaten. Pedigree cats and animals in adulthood are characterized by a weak instinct towards food. Excessive eating leads to obesity.

The following symptoms help to recognize the disease: fat deposits, fatigue, apathy, lack of interest in games and shortness of breath. A malnourished cat is characterized by poor weight gain, bone visualization, and frequent illness. The presence of one or more symptoms requires immediate consultation with a veterinarian.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=JVUSdTd8OGQ

Possible reasons why a kitten’s weight does not correspond to age standards

If your kitten's daily weighing shows an abnormality, it is important to quickly identify possible causes.

Before you panic, make sure you choose the right weight chart. Different breeds have different weight standards, and there is no universal value for all newborn kittens.

The cause of a kitten's low weight may be malnutrition. Watch him when he is near his mother. If your cat has many siblings, the stronger kittens may push him away from the cat. Then the newborn needs to be helped to get to the nipple or fed with a special mixture.

Their growth and development depend on the nutrition of kittens

The problem could also be with the cat. If her milk is not enough, then all babies will gain weight poorly. Then the kittens need to be fed additionally with formula.

If even after introducing complementary foods the kitten does not gain weight, and you cannot find an explanation for this, the baby may be sick. In this case, take him to the vet.

Monitor your kitten's growth

By 3 months of age (the age at which kittens are typically adopted), the kitten is usually weaned, meaning that it no longer drinks milk. Its growth is strong until 4-6 months, then the growth rate slows down slightly.

To know if a kitten is growing well, you must first weigh it and find out if its weight is normal (see below for the average weight of a 3-month-old kitten) and if it is constantly increasing. For the benefit of raising a 3 month old kitten , it will be necessary to weigh him regularly to monitor his changes in weight and especially to check that he is not losing anything.

How to prevent obesity in kittens

It is difficult for a newborn kitten to become obese. In the cat world, adults are more often susceptible to this problem, when the body is already formed and energy is not consumed quickly.

In the first months of life, weight gain is due to natural growth; all the kitten’s energy is spent on growing up. In addition, in the first month of life, animals accumulate only brown fat - a special tissue in which metabolic processes occur very quickly. Brown fat helps maintain the animal's body temperature, so it is not dangerous.

It's difficult for a small kitten to become obese

As you get older, your body may begin to accumulate regular white fat. Thanks to the playfulness of kittens and their mobility, which is evident already at two months of age, white fat is quickly burned.

The owner may be alarmed by the kitten's large tummy. This phenomenon is associated with uneven growth of the cat's body. If the belly is soft to the touch, everything is fine. You should be wary if your stomach is overly bloated and tight: this may be a sign of health problems.

An older kitten may face the problem of obesity. This is usually caused by a sedentary lifestyle and hormonal imbalance. If you notice excessive weight gain in an already mature cat, adjust its diet and monitor its well-being. In addition to the growing indicators on the scales, the owner should be wary if:

• the spine and ribs are difficult to palpate;
• the waist is poorly distinguishable;
• there is a pronounced fat layer on the stomach, back and chest;
• the animal’s movements become less graceful, it is difficult for him to jump and wash himself;
• shortness of breath appears during physical exertion.

If dietary adjustments and active play do not help your animal lose weight, contact your veterinarian.

How to make a 3 month old kitten fat?

To make a 3-month-old kitten fat, of course, you need to feed it properly. Either with quality kibble (see my recommendations below) or with a balanced and adapted diet (see Diet for a 3 month old kitten? ).

Three month old kitten - What food?

In fact, this is the basics: to feed well and therefore keep your 3 month old kitten fat, you will have to start by giving him a rich, balanced diet consisting of all the nutrients he needs to be healthy. growth of a 3 month old kitten .

Among the brands recommended by veterinarians is a brand you can buy online that is designed to optimize the growth of 3 month old kittens :

Check out these croquettes on Amazon

3 month old kitten - unlimited food

A three-month-old kitten should be able to feed during the day and whenever it wants. So instead of offering him one big meal right away, he should give the food at will ! The ideal would be to put his daily ration into the dispensing machine (cheap and so practical to use!!!):

Amazon food distributor

3 month old kitten - unlimited water

Water is as important as food for a three month old kitten. Indeed, dehydration could have serious consequences for his health.

So, make sure to fill the bowl with water every morning and change that water regularly. In fact, the water should be fresh and clean. Make sure your kitten eats enough throughout the day.

If your kitten doesn't drink much, try adding some water.

3 month old kitten - deworming

If your kitten looks thin, he may have worms. Indeed, these parasites can interfere with a kitten's weight gain and even lead to serious illness if the infestation is left untreated.

At 3 months, the kitten must be dewormed every month until it is 6 months old. To do this, you will need to take your kitten to a veterinarian, who will prescribe effective and appropriate treatment.

Is your kitten refusing to eat? This is my kitten no longer eating, what should I do?

Has your kitten grown up? Find out what weight a 4-month-old kitten weighs?

Diseases leading to obesity

Obesity in cats can be caused by hormonal imbalance, poor heredity or diseases that disrupt metabolism. But in practice, such health problems are isolated cases. Much more often lead to obesity:

• poor nutrition. If a cat's diet is too high in calories, the animal may not have time to burn calories, which turn into fat. Uncontrolled eating is also harmful. Not all cats can independently regulate the amount of food they need, so monitor the frequency of feeding and portion sizes;
• sedentary lifestyle. A lazy cat simply hoards calories. Outdoor games will help here;
• castration. Castration can cause hormonal imbalances that lead to weight gain.

It's better not to wait for the cat to turn into a ball

Obesity is much easier to prevent than to treat. Excess weight worsens the quality of life of an animal, which gradually leads to diseases. Some of the consequences of obesity in cats include:

• heart failure;
• urolithiasis disease;
• diabetes;
• diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
• metabolic disorders and much more.

Character of Siberian cats

The character of Siberian cats was influenced by the harsh climate of the northern regions of Russia. These animals have very good health. They have a strong and decisive character and adapt well to any new home (be it an apartment or a country house).

Siberians become very attached to their owners, but do not impose their feelings on them. These animals, which seem clumsy and lazy because of their fur, are actually very dexterous, lightning fast and very active. They adore children and get along well with other animals, but you should not keep Siberians together with rodents, birds and fish.

The strong hunting instinct of these cats can lead to dire consequences.