The Development of Siamese Kittens

Like all newborn kittens, your little Siamese was born with his eyes shut and his little ears folded over. He can't hear or see anything at this point. He can't get around very well, able to wiggle around only until he finds Mom's tummy and latches on to nurse. Despite his adult coloration, he's born completely white. By the end of the first week of his life, you might start to see just a hint of his adult color on his ears.

Over the next few weeks, his growth will be dramatic. The second week he'll double his weight, and his sniffer will start to work. He'll be able to crawl a little bit, and by week three he'll clumsily get around on his legs. His ears will perk up, and will look big on his tiny head. His kitten teeth will start to come in. The third week he'll start to develop some of his adult color. Seal and blue point Siamese colors will develop sooner than chocolate or lilac. His pale baby blues will gradually darken into the dark sapphire blue Siamese are famous for.

At about five weeks your little baby will start acting a little more like a tiny cat than a helpless newborn. His mom will start to wean him, encouraging him to eat solid food. By 8 weeks old you'll clearly see his color points developing, though they will still be lighter than when he's full grown. Between 5 and 13 weeks, human contact is essential to making sure the little guy is well socialized. He'll be a tumbling ball of energy, exploring his world and getting into everything. Make sure he's supervised and doesn't get himself into too much trouble. He should visit his vet too, to get his first round of shots.

Once he's 6 months old, your Siamese will be getting around easily. While he looks a little more like an adult, he's still a kitten. His playful antics will continue, but he'll mellow out as he ages. He'll reach sexual maturity at around 5 months, so speak with his vet about getting him fixed. He won't be considered a full-fledged adult until he's 2 years old. His color will continue to darken for most of his life, though it's mostly developed by the time he's a year old. His body temperature dictates how dark his colors will become, and decreased activity and weight gain with age increase his body temperature. When his body temperature rises, his colors will darken further.