Feline developmental stages

Understanding the different stages in a kitten’s development is key to advising owners as to the best ways to interact with their cat, as Kersti Seksel describes.
 

Introduction

Cats sometimes behave in ways that owners may find difficult to understand and/or manage. Problems can occur at any stage of development, and these can have far-reaching effects for a kitten, especially when it comes to the role of being a household pet and part of the family; it is therefore essential to understand the different feline developmental periods in order to help kittens grow into great cats and become good companions. Behavior is determined by several factors, including the cat’s genetic predisposition, the genotype of the sire and dam, what the cat has learnt from past experiences (good, bad and neutral), as well as the environment in which it finds itself at any given time. Epigenetics also has a role to play.

Knowing what to do to help kittens grow into well-mannered cats is important, and it starts with the breeder. Deciding which queen to breed with which tom, and when, is just one aspect that affects what the future might hold. Understanding how to handle the queen before, during and after pregnancy, how to help build resilience in the kittens, and how to raise them before they go to their new home are just some of the things that need to be considered, and the veterinarian should be willing and able to advise on all these aspects. Just as importantly, the owners of a new kitten need to be educated about how best to look after its physical and mental health, as both factors are important if cats are to make good companions. Having realistic expectations of what a kitten can and should do at any given time helps create a strong bond between the cat and its care giver.

The development of a kitten from a totally dependent neonate with a limited ability to perceive and respond to stimuli, to an independent creature with a fully developed physiology that is able to care for itself, hunt, and interact with members of its own species — as well as other species — happens rapidly. Yet the process is complex and delicate, and it is affected by many factors. Several different developmental periods have been identified; these are the prenatal, neonatal, transitional, socialization, juvenile, adult and senior periods, and each has an influence on a cat’s behavior (Table 1). As the kitten grows, all the various body systems, including the musculoskeletal and neurological systems, as well as the psychological (emotional) side of things, must develop in the correct sequence if the kitten is to develop neurotypically (i.e., normally). Much focus has been given to the socialization period, as this is when kittens are weaned, may be re-homed, and may be neutered, so there are many stresses on the animal during a very sensitive period of development. However, it is not the only period that needs to be considered. It should also be noted that the development periods are not rigidly fixed and will vary with each individual kitten — and in addition, different authorities will sometimes use different time frames for each period.  [...]