Typical Habits of Newborn Kittens

During the first few weeks of a kitten's life, he will eat every hour or two. The reason the kitten feeds so much is because his little body will double in size in as little as a week. After eating, mom will clean the kitten and stimulate the kitten to have a bowel movement and urinate. If mom is no longer in the picture, you can take a moist, soft cloth and wipe his private area to achieve the same results.

A kitten has very little ability to maintain his own body temperature. The majority of his time is spent curled up with his littermates and mother trying to stay warm. During the first few days of his life, his body temperature should be kept around 97 degrees. The temperature will gradual increase until as an adult it is 100 degrees. If you are taking care of a newborn kitten, keep the room temperature around 97 degrees and free of drafts or bed the kitten with a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel.

A newborn kitten can squirm a little but it will take him a few days before he will even attempt to walk on his wobbly legs. During these days, he may respond little to sound because he has little or no hearing, nor is he able to see. He will likely sleep through most of his time only waking long enough to eat. His vision will gradually develop from seeing blurry images to clarity. He is easily startled during this time as he learns to use his new skills.

No one enjoys crying babies whether those babies are two legged or four legged. Typically newborn kittens do not cry much if left to the care of a mother unless there is a problem. Constant crying, stagnant growth and teary eyes are signs that the kitten may not be getting enough milk from the mother or is ill.