How to tell how old a found kitten is and what care it needs
Kitten age determines whether they need bottle feeding, warmth, or bathroom stimulation. Without knowing their age, caretakers cannot provide the correct feeding schedule or medical support while waiting for a vet.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1checking the kitten's teeth to estimate ageDid this help you?
- 2monitoring how often the kitten goes to the bathroom and how well it eatsDid this help you?
- 3adding extra water to wet food to address potential dehydrationDid this help you?
- 4waiting until the weekend is over to visit the vetDid this help you?
- 5Waiting to see if the kitten gets better on her own without antibioticsDid this help you?
- 6Waiting for a scheduled follow-up appointment next weekDid this help you?
- 7taking the kitten to the vet almost every dayDid this help you?
- 8bottle feeding the kittenDid this help you?
- 9withholding solid foods due to water retention concernsDid this help you?
- 10monitoring weight gain using a scaleDid this help you?
- 11keeping her on a heating padDid this help you?
- 12doing researchDid this help you?
- 13passing along some second hand knowledgeDid this help you?
- 14Bringing the kittens inside into a storage tub or bathroom with blanketsDid this help you?
- 15Looking up care guides and videos online such as The Kitten LadyDid this help you?
- 16Planning to contact the humane society, SPCA, or rescue centers when they openDid this help you?
- 17Using over-the-counter dewormerDid this help you?
- 18Carefully bathing him with mild dish soap and warm waterDid this help you?
- 19Wiping the face and around the eyes with a warm damp clothDid this help you?
- 20Guessing based on physical milestones like eye color changes and sizeDid this help you?
- 21Consulting online guides or videos about kitten developmentDid this help you?
- 22Guessing age based on physical appearance or consulting online forumsDid this help you?
- 23guessing based on appearanceDid this help you?
- 24comparing to past memories of kittensDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I know nothing about cats or what type this is. Very new to this but I’m keepin her.”source ↗
“My neighbor abandoned these sweet baby’s outside as it was starting to rain. I already have two cats and I can’t afford to keep em cause of the rent charge.”source ↗
“The humane society is already closed and I’m just panicking cause I don’t want anything to happen to them.”source ↗
“I wanna get them food but I don’t know if they can even eat like that.”source ↗
“I don’t understand why his fur is this thin and the face looks weird”source ↗
“Can anyone help us determine her age?”source ↗
“I feel like she lied about his date of birth but I’m not sure.”source ↗
“the cat, after she left our house, has now returned with her remaining kittens, i have noticed that they are bigger in size than he is, the vet doesn't seem to think its an issue, but iam still concerned.”source ↗
“we have been taking him to the vet almost every day for the last two weeks, because his wound was infected, then closed up, then got infected again.”source ↗
“Im guessing 5-6 weeks but Im not certain.”source ↗
“Does anyone know about hoe old this kitten is, and if I should be stimulating bowel movements for it. My dad found it while out of town for work and brought it home this morning.”source ↗
“We originally thought it was a cough and the vet said she wanted to see if she would get better on her own because she didn’t want to give such a young cat antibiotics.”source ↗
“She does this when she’s stimulated or when we pet her. It happens occasionally without those factors but she’s generally fine when just hanging out alone”source ↗
“Not sure if it’s ringworm or not.”source ↗
“i might need to ask them specifically about it.”source ↗
“all i had in mind, was that it has to be his injury. but i genuinely dont know”source ↗
“That’s the plan but the vet is closed on weekends”source ↗
“abandoned kitten doesn't seem to grow”source ↗
“It's hard to tell from the angle of the video.”source ↗