Please see my Nursery News
section for kittens currently available.
|
|
Birman
Kitten Growth A
Birman kitten is born completely white; it's point color begins to gradually appear Kittens will gradually start to explore
their world from about four weeks of age.
Their mother watches over them,
occasionally calling them back to her if she feels they've wandered too
far. |
|
By about 7 weeks, kittens become extremely active and have much to learn. Kittens receive immunity to illnesses through antibodies in their mother's milk. The weaning period is a particularly risky period for kittens as their own immune system is still developing and the immunity received from their mother is wearing off. Vaccinations may or may not give the kitten an adequate amount of protection during this stage, and cannot be fully relied upon, so it is best to keep the kittens in a clean and stable environment during this time.
While
the kittens are learning "cat skills" from their mother and through
play with their littermates, they continue to become more socialized within
their human family as well. Birmans are intelligent cats and are capable of learning
simple commands; they will learn their names and will come when called; they
will learn to use a scratching post; some even learn to play fetch. Birman coats are easy to care for, but
it is still a good idea to groom the kittens regularly so
they will be comfortable with it as adults. The kittens learn to enjoy being combed and many will purr during
combing. Typically all of the kittens in a litter will develop at about
the same rate, but there is some variability from litter to litter; therefore, I
don't make blanket statements regarding when kittens are ready to go. Each kitten is a unique individual, and
I let them go when I feel they will be able to make a smooth
transition to their their new homes and will bond readily with their new
families. |
Copyright 2001-2012, Silkencats Birmans, all rights reserved.
starting at about three days old, first being most noticeable on their noses and
ears. It can take several weeks to determine what color the kitten will be
(whether it will be seal point, blue point, etc.). The kitten's eyes are
closed and the ears are folded down. The kitten's eyes usually begin to
open at about 10 days old. Gradually, the ears begin to perk up as
well. The mother rarely leaves the nest during the first two weeks and is
very protective of her kittens. She knows the kittens need her for warmth
and almost continuous nourishment; the kittens spend their time alternating
between sleeping and nursing. I begin holding the kittens for short
periods from the day they are born to ensure proper socialization.
Some kittens will start eating from
their mother's food bowl as soon as they are able to get out of the nest, while
others are a little slower to accept solid foods. By six weeks, most of the
kittens will be eating at least some solid food, but even those who began
eating early will still be actively nursing as well. Once they start
eating solid foods, they will begin to use the litter box also. Kittens
start socializing more and more with their human family and need to be exposed to a variety of sights and sounds, to experience the
feeling of being picked up and cuddled, and to learn to trust people.
