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A
kitten comes into the world blind and deaf. Immediately the
little one seeks its way to the milk source, its mother's teats.
It can already smell keenly. Seven days later the kitten has
doubled its birth weight. It now weighs about 7 ounces (200
grams). Now its development proceeds very rapidly. Around the tenth day after birth, the kitten opens its eyes. At approximately three weeks it makes its first attempt to investigate its surroundings. After about four weeks it has a complete set of baby teeth. The kitten can now tear at tiny pieces of meat. During its fourth and fifth weeks the kitten learns by playing with its siblings and mother all that it will need later in life. It learns for example how to catch and kill mice and how to climb up a tree. Now it is time for the kitten to come into contact with humans. Young cats who have no contact with humans at this time, often remain forever shy. At twelve weeks the kitten is independent enough to survive without its mother o siblings. |